αὐτοῦ (autou) in Matthew 1:21: Genitive Singular Masculine
αὐτοῦ (autou) in Matthew 1:21
Textual Witness
The witness reads αὐτοῦ in Matthew 1:21, within the clause calling his name Jesus.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form strengthens the link between the named child and the saving mission that follows, but the meaning still comes from the whole sentence, not from morphology alone.
How To Communicate It
Readers can hear the phrase as his name, which communicates direct, personal reference without making the pronoun carry more than the context supports.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Genitive case here points to relation in the sentence, but the exact nuance comes from the wording around it.
- Masculine grammar marks reference in the text and should not be turned into a theological gender claim.
What Does The Label Mean?
Pronoun: the word refers back to a previously mentioned person or thing and can function emphatically in context.
Genitive: the form usually marks a dependent relationship, often possession, reference, or association, depending on the clause.
Singular: the form is grammatically singular here, so it refers to one identified person rather than a group.
Masculine: the form is marked masculine in grammar, which reflects agreement and reference in this sentence, not a theological claim about male identity.
What The Form Does In This Verse
τὸ ὄνομα
The pronoun stands in a genitive relation that links the name to the one being named, so the phrase reads as his name in this clause.
It identifies the person whose name is to be given and also keeps the reader focused on the same male referent already in view.
It does not introduce a new subject, and it does not by itself specify what kind of ownership or relationship is intended beyond the immediate context.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The genitive singular pronoun ties the name Jesus to the child whose mission is explained in the same verse.
Genitive pronoun modifying name. identifies the child as the one whose name is to be called Jesus. Attached to the his name Jesus phrase. Governed by the naming command given to Joseph. The form links the name to the child; the following clause explains why the name matters.
Whose name is Joseph told to call Jesus? The pronoun points to the child who will be born.
Direct: The form directly supports his name.
The pronoun points to the child, not to a new figure. The name's saving significance comes from the explanatory clause, not the genitive pronoun alone.
Genitive pronoun carries the whole meaning of the name: The form identifies whose name is given; the verse explains the saving mission.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads αὐτοῦ in Matthew 1:21, within the clause calling his name Jesus.
The lemma αὐτός is a flexible pronoun that can point back to the relevant person in the discourse and often carries simple reference.
Here the genitive singular masculine form most naturally links the name Jesus to the son just announced and keeps the reference centered on that same child.
The verse instructs Joseph to name the child Jesus, and this pronoun helps show that the name belongs to the promised son whose mission is then explained.
Within the larger Gospel pattern, the grammar supports a clear identification of the child without adding anything beyond the sentence's own claim.
In translation and teaching, the form can be rendered simply as his, since the context already makes the referent clear and the grammar serves that clarity.
Do not infer more than reference and relationship from the case ending alone, and do not treat grammatical masculine as a statement about theological gender.