Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
All Commentaries on Matthew 1:23 Go To Matthew 1
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Otherwise; the Angel seeing the depths of the Divine mercy, the laws of nature broken through and reconciliation made, He who was above all made lower than all; all these wonders, all this he comprises in that one saying, “Now all thishath happened;” as though he had said, Do not suppose that this is newly devised of God, it was determined of old. And he rightly cites the Prophet notto the Virgin, who as a maiden was untaught in such things, but to Joseph, asto one much versed in the Prophets. And at first he had spoken of Mary as “thywife,” but now in the words of the Prophet he brings in the word, “Virgin, "that he might hear this from the Prophet, as a thing long before determined. Therefore to confirm what he had said, he introduces Isaiah, or rather God; forhe does not say, Which was spoken by Isaiah, but, “Which was spoken of the Lordby the Prophet. "Indeed the Hebrew word signifying “Virgin”(Bet hula) is not used in this place, but instead the word, ‘Halma,’ which except the LXX all render 'girl.’ But the word, ‘Halma,’ has a twofold meaning; it signifies both ‘girl, 'and ‘hidden;’ therefore ‘Halma’ denotes not only ‘maiden’ or ‘virgin,’ but 'hidden,’ ‘secret;’ that is, one never exposed to the gaze of men, but kept under close custody by her parents. In the Punic tongue also, which is said tobe derived from Hebrew sources, a virgin is properly called ‘Halma.’ In our tongue also ‘Halma’ means holy; and the Hebrews use words of nearly all languages; and as far as my memory will serve me, I do not think I ever met with Halma used of a married woman, but of her that is a virgin, and such that she be not merely a virgin, but in the age of youth; for it is possible for anold woman to be a maid. But this was a virgin in years of youth, or at least avirgin, and not a child too young for marriage. For that which Matthew the Evangelist says, "Shall have in her womb,” the Prophet who is foretelling something future, writes, “shall receive.” The Evangelist, not foretelling the future but describing the past, changes “shall receive,” into “shall have;” but he who has, cannot after receive that he has. He says, “Lo, a Virgin shall have in her womb, and shall bear a Son.”.
As it is the manner of Scripture to convey a knowledge of events under the form of a name, so here, “They shall call His name Emmanuel,” means nothing else than, They shall see God among men. Whence he says not, ‘Thou shalt call,’ but "They shall call.”
