Matthew 1:20

Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐνθυμηθέντος, ἰδού, ἄγγελος Κυρίου κατ᾽ ὄναρ ἐφάνη αὐτῷ, λέγων, Ἰωσήφ, υἱὸς Δαυίδ, μὴ φοβηθῇς παραλαβεῖν Μαριὰμ τὴν γυναῖκά σου· τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν ἐκ Πνεύματός ἐστιν Ἁγίου.

RBT Greek Interlinear:

Strongs 3778; Tauta; Ταῦτα; these ones; DPro-ANP

Strongs 1161; de; δὲ; and; Conj

Strongs 846; autou; αὐτοῦ; himself; PPro-GM3S

Strongs 1760; enthymēthentos; ἐνθυμηθέντος; he who has pondered; V-APP-GMS

Strongs 2400; idou; ἰδοὺ; behold; V-AMA-2S

Strongs 32; angelos; ἄγγελος; angel; N-NMS

Strongs 2962; Kyriou; Κυρίου; Master; N-GMS

Strongs 2596; kat’; κατ’; down; Prep

Strongs 3677; onar; ὄναρ; a dream; N-ANS

Strongs 5316; ephanē; ἐφάνη; had appeared; V-AIP-3S

Strongs 846; autō; αὐτῷ; self/itself/himself; PPro-DM/N3S

Strongs 3004; legōn; λέγων; he who is saying; V-PPA-NMS

Strongs 2501; Iōsēph; Ἰωσὴφ; of Joseph; N-VMS

Strongs 5207; huios; υἱὸς; son; N-NMS

Strongs 1138; Dauid; Δαυίδ; of David; N-GMS

Strongs 3361; mē; μὴ; not; Adv

Strongs 5399; phobēthēs; φοβηθῇς; you should fear; V-ASP-2S

Strongs 3880; paralabein; παραλαβεῖν; to take/receive from; V-ANA

Strongs 3137; Marian; Μαρίαν; Mary; N-AFS

Strongs 3588; tēn; τὴν; the; Art-AFS

Strongs 1135; gynaika; γυναῖκά; woman; N-AFS

Strongs 4771; sou; σου; of you; PPro-G2S

Strongs 3588; to; τὸ; the; Art-NNS

Strongs 1063; gar; γὰρ; for; Conj

Strongs 1722; en; ἐν; within; Prep

Strongs 846; autē; αὐτῇ; herself; PPro-DF3S

Strongs 1080; gennēthen; γεννηθὲν; that which has been conceived; V-APP-NNS

Strongs 1537; ek; ἐκ; from out; Prep

Strongs 4151; Pneumatos; Πνεύματός; Spirit; N-GNS

Strongs 1510; estin; ἐστιν; he is; V-PIA-3S

Strongs 40; Hagiou; Ἁγίου; Holy one; Adj-GNS

RBT Hebrew Literal:

The Other Self

And he who has pondered deeply over these things [the branches] of himself, behold! an angel of a master, down to a dream appeared to self,^4c he who is speaking, "He Adds, son of Beloved, do not be afraid to take in Bitter-Rebel the Woman of yourself, for that which has been fathered within herself, he is from out of a spirit of a holy one!"⁵

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
And reflecting upon these things, behold a messenger of the Lord appeared to him saying, Joseph, thou son of David, thou shouldest not fear to take to thyself Mary thy wife: for that begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit.

LITV Translation:
And as he was thinking about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord was seen by him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For that in her is fathered by the Holy Spirit.

ESV Translation:
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Footnotes

4c

את the Self

The Greek word αὐτός (fem. αὐτή, neut. αὐτό) originally bore a sense of "self" or identity, and in certain contexts retains this meaning. While often used simply as a third-person pronoun ("he," "she," "it") in oblique cases, αὐτός can also function emphatically (e.g., ὁ αὐτός = “the very one,” αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεύς = “the king himself”).

The Neuter Form

In philosophical or poetic usage, particularly in Homer and Plato, the neuter form αὐτό may denote one’s true self, either the soul (Od. 11.602) or, conversely, the body (Il. 1.4), depending on context. It also appears in abstract references to essence, identity, or the very thing itself (τὸ αὐτό), as in expressions of intrinsic nature or reality (cf. Plato, Republic 362d: αὐτὸ ὃ μάλιστα ἔδει ῥηθῆναι – "the very thing that most needed to be said").

Thus, while αὐτός is not reflexive in the grammatical sense (cf. ἑαυτοῦ, "of oneself/one's own self"), it does, especially in neuter form, preserve and express a conceptual sense of "Self" or "the same being", particularly in metaphysical or emphatic contexts.

in ancient Greek, αὐτό—specifically the neuter singular form of αὐτός—is the only appropriate and attested lexical item to express the metaphysical concept of "the self", especially in Platonic and post-Platonic philosophical discourse.

1. Philosophical Usage:

   • In Plato and later authors, expressions like τὸ αὐτό ("the selfsame") or αὐτὸ τὸ ὄν ("being itself") represent the essence or pure identity of a thing, distinct from its accidents or manifestations.

   • Notably, in Plato's dialogues, constructions such as:

     • αὐτὸ τὸ ἀγαθόν – “the Good itself”

     • αὐτὸ τὸ καλόν – “the Beautiful itself”
       are paradigmatic examples of Forms or Ideas, i.e., entities existing in themselves and through themselves — the metaphysical “Selves” of their kind.

2. Semantic Range:

   • While αὐτός generally functions as a third-person pronoun or intensifier, its neuter form, especially when used absolutely or with the definite article, becomes substantive and ontologically loaded:

     • τὸ αὐτό = "the same", "the selfsame", "the self (in essence)"

     • αὐτῷ "to self" (dative neuter is identical to dative masculine)

   • This contrasts with ἑαυτοῦ, which is grammatically reflexive and bound to a subject, not abstract or metaphysical.

3. Terminological Precedence:

   • Later philosophical traditions (Neoplatonic, Stoic, etc.) frequently use forms of αὐτός to express inner identity, core being, or metaphysical selfhood.

(cf. LSJ αὐτός)

5

The fact that τὸ (that which) and γεννηθὲν (that which is conceived/begotten) are in the neuter may be of no consequence. Perhaps the author mistakenly forgot to write these in the masculine him, to refer to the Messiah. Or perhaps not.

Strongs #G3880 παραλαμβάνω (paralambano), receive from, take from, take to oneself, receive something transmitted. This word can be tricky considering that παρα "close beside." When the verb παραλαμβάνω (paralambano) is used with a person, it typically signifies either taking something from them or receiving the person themselves. In this case we have τὴν γυναῖκά σου "the woman of yourself" which is in the accusative. The translation "as your wife" is changing the clause and adding the word "as". Greek employs a more common word λαμβάνω (lambano) for "to take." See Logeion on paralambanó and lambano.