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Joseph Ἰωσήφ

Male Tribe of Judah G2501G 3 books

Husband of Mary and earthly father of Jesus

Who is Joseph in the Bible?

Joseph was the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David who lived in Nazareth (Matthew 1:16, Luke 2:4). When Mary was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit, Joseph, being a righteous man, initially planned to divorce her quietly, but an angel appeared to him in a dream instructing him to take Mary as his wife and name the child Jesus (Matthew 1:19-21, 24-25). Joseph obediently cared for Mary and Jesus throughout his early life, taking them to Bethlehem for Jesus' birth and later to Egypt to escape Herod's persecution (Luke 2:4-7, Matthew 2:13-15). Though Joseph disappears from the Gospel accounts after Jesus was twelve years old, his faithful obedience to God's plan was essential to Jesus' earthly upbringing and protection, making him a model of quiet, steadfast righteousness in Scripture.

Biography

Joseph was the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ. He was a descendant of David (Mat.1.16, 20; Luk.1.27; 2.4) and lived in Nazareth (Luk.2.4). Joseph was betrothed to Mary when she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit (Mat.1.18; Luk.1.27). Being a righteous man, he planned to divorce her quietly, but an angel appeared to him in a dream, telling him to take Mary as his wife and name the child Jesus (Mat.1.19-21, 24-25). Joseph obeyed and took care of Mary and Jesus. He was present at Jesus' birth in Bethlehem (Luk.2.4-7, 16) and later took his family to Egypt to escape Herod's persecution (Mat.2.13-15, 19-23). Joseph is last mentioned in the Gospels when Jesus was 12 years old, and the family visited Jerusalem for the Passover (Luk.2.41-51). He is referred to as Jesus' father (Luk.2.33, 48; 4.22; Jhn.1.45; 6.42) and was a carpenter by trade (Mat.13.55). Joseph is not mentioned during Jesus' adult ministry, suggesting he may have died before that time.

Family

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In Scripture

3 biblical books ; 3 with study content
Matthew 5 verses
  • Matthew 1:16

    "and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ."

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  • Matthew 1:18

    "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit."

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  • Matthew 1:19

    "Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly."

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  • Matthew 1:20

    "But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."

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  • Matthew 1:24

    "When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and embraced Mary as his wife."

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Luke 5 verses
  • Luke 1:27

    "to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary."

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  • Luke 2:4

    "So Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David."

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  • Luke 2:16

    "So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger."

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  • Luke 3:23

    "Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry. He was regarded as the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,"

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  • Luke 4:22

    "All spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words that came from His lips. “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” they asked."

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John 2 verses
  • John 1:45

    "Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”"

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  • John 6:42

    "They were asking, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”"

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Names & Aliases

Form Language Script Transliteration Meaning
Named Greek Ἰωσήφ Iōsḗph Joseph, the name of seven Israelites
(same form as previous) Greek Ἰωσήφ Iōsḗph Joseph, the name of seven Israelites
(same form as previous) Greek Ἰωσήφ Iōsḗph Joseph, the name of seven Israelites