Matthew 1:20 nasb — But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David…

NASB

"But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."

— Matthew 1:20, NASB

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Matthew 1:20 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”

  • ASV

    “But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ”

  • WEB

    “But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”

  • NET

    “When he had contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

  • DRB

    “But while he thought on these things, behold the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost.”

  • BBE

    “But when he was giving thought to these things, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, have no fear of taking Mary as your wife; because that which is in her body is of the Holy Spirit.”

  • KJVA

    “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”

Matthew 1 — Context

17

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

18

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

19

And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

20

But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21

"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

22

Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23

"BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US."

Matthew 1:20 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Matthew 1:20 say?
Matthew 1:20 in the NASB reads: “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”
Where is Matthew 1:20 in the Bible?
Matthew 1:20 is found in the New Testament, in the book of Matthew, chapter 1, verse 20.
Who wrote Matthew?
Matthew is traditionally attributed to Matthew (Levi), tax-collector turned apostle. It was written c. AD 50–70.
What is the book of Matthew about?
Matthew presents Jesus as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah — son of David, son of Abraham, fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. Structured around five great teaching blocks including the Sermon on the Mount, it ends with the risen King commissioning his disciples to make disciples of all nations.
What are the major themes of Matthew?
Matthew explores themes including Kingdom of Heaven, Messiah, Fulfillment, Discipleship, Great Commission. These themes shape the meaning and context of Matthew 1:20.
What translation should I read Matthew 1:20 in?
Matthew 1:20 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Matthew 1:20?
Matthew 1:20 reads (NASB): “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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