How Could Mary's Honor Be Retained By Joseph Divorcing Her. Web joseph’s contemplated divorce. “however, joseph her husband, because he was righteous and did not want to make her a public spectacle, intended to divorce her secretly.”.
Joseph, husband of mary, honorable and righteous. Web (the jewish wedding ceremony had two parts: Web during the betrothal period, the wife could be set free from the commitment only on the death of her husband or by him divorcing her.
Although joseph considered divorcing her quietly, it wasn't really an option because the husband had to give his wife a written divorce certificate annulling the betrothal in front of two or three witnesses. However, his righteousness was tempered by mercy and he thus kept the affair private. Therefore, joseph faced the dilemma of how to leave mary without subjecting her to shame, and he resolved to “send her away quietly”.
Why did joseph want to divorce mary? Web when he wishes to “divorce her quietly,” it’s actually a generous decision on his part, considering that the penalty for adultery (which in this case, it is assumed that being true to one another as man and wife would be binding at betrothal) was death by stoning. Matthew tells us, in the story of the infancy of jesus, how joseph was at the point of divorcing his wife mary, when he came to know that she was pregnant and that the child was not his.
Betrothal, which was a binding exchange of consent in front of witnesses, followed a few months later by the bride moving into her husband’s home.) joseph obviously reached the only conclusion he could reach, which was that mary had been unfaithful to him with another man. While mary was promised in marriage to joseph, but before they were united, she was found to be pregnant by holy spirit, and the account states: And her husband joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. Web why did st. Web the idea that joseph did not think mary had been unfaithful to him may be suggested by the fact that matthew mentions the miraculous conception of jesus before he introduces joseph's idea of.
Joseph her husband, being a just [or righteous] man — that is, as many understand it, a strict observer of the law, and of the customs of his ancestors, and therefore not judging it right to retain her under these circumstances. There's a lot of debate about the motive and the intention of st. Matthew 1:19 in all english translations.
