αὐτῷ, (auto) in Matthew 1:20: Dative Singular Masculine

Pronoun: this form refers back to a previously identified person or thing rather than naming it again.

Dative: the form commonly marks the one involved in the action, here the recipient of the appearance and speech.

Singular: the form is grammatically singular in this occurrence, pointing to one referent in the scene.

Masculine: the form is grammatically masculine, which here tracks the referent's grammatical profile and does not by itself make a theological claim.

ἐφάνη

The dative singular is naturally read with the verb of appearing and the surrounding speech, indicating the one to whom the angel appeared.

It functions as the indirect object or experiencer of the appearance, identifying Joseph as the person addressed in the dream.

It is not the subject of the verb, and it does not introduce a new referent separate from Joseph in the immediate context.

Moderate: The dative pronoun identifies Joseph as the recipient of the angelic appearance.

Dative recipient or experiencer. marks Joseph as the person to whom the angel appeared and who is then addressed. Attached to the angelic appearance in the dream. Governed by the verb of appearing in Matthew 1:20. The pronoun depends on the narrative context for its referent.

To whom did the angel appear? The pronoun points to Joseph as the one addressed in the dream.

Direct: The dative pronoun directly supports a rendering such as 'appeared to him.'

A dative pronoun can mark recipient, experiencer, or relation; the appearance verb supplies the sense here. The pronoun reference comes from the immediate narrative, not from the form alone.

Dative always means indirect object in the same way: The dative relation must be named from the verb and context, here the recipient or experiencer of the appearance. pronoun gender makes a theological claim: Masculine matches Joseph as the referent and should not be turned into a broader claim.

The witnessed text reads αὐτῷ after ἐφάνη, within a dream-appearance scene that immediately continues with the angel saying, Ἰωσήφ.

The lemma αὐτός here functions as a personal reference pronoun, pointing back to Joseph already established by context.

The dative singular masculine fits the role of the one to whom the messenger appears. The surrounding words, not the form alone, make Joseph the likely referent.

The verse presents the angel appearing to Joseph in a dream and then speaking directly to him, so the focus is on received revelation and direct address.

This reading fits the broader narrative pattern of divine communication in Matthew, where a messenger appears to a named individual and speaks guidance.

In translation and teaching, the form helps readers keep track of who receives the revelation, which supports a clear flow of scene and dialogue.

Do not overread the dative as proving more than recipient or involvement, and do not treat grammatical gender as a statement about theology or identity.