Matthew 1:19

We will return later to the use of the various noun cases. Now, let us forge ahead with the next verse of Matthew. I have added a more-or-less literal translation in English, followed by a translation that makes sense. Remember that Joseph and Mary have just been betrothed, and Mary has been discovered to be pregnant.

Ιωσήφ δε ο ανήρ αυτής,
Joseph and/but/_ the husband of her
But Joseph her husband

δίκαιος ων
just being
being a just man

και μη θέλων αυτήν δειγματίσαι,
and not wishing her to make an example of
and not wishing to shame her publicly

εβουλήθη λάθρα απολύσαι αυτήν.
planned secretly to send away/release her.
secretly planned to send her away.

The word 'εβουλήθη' in the last phrase is given various definitions, from 'wish' or 'will' to 'have an intention' or 'be disposed.' (Left-click on this word at www.greekbiblestudy.org to see more.) In this case, I think the King James wording, old-fashioned as it is, gives a nice option: 'be minded to'.

Joseph is at the beginning of this verse:

Ιωσήφ δε ο ανήρ αυτής,
Joseph and/but/_ the husband of her
But Joseph her husband

'Ο ανήρ' is the Greek word for both 'husband' and 'man' ('man' as opposed to 'woman', not 'man' as opposed to 'animal'); it has retained this double meaning in modern Greek. Joseph is the husband 'αυτής', 'of her' ('αυτής' is the feminine genitive singular of the personal pronoun).

In the next phrase, we find and adjective ('δίκαιος') and a participle ('ων'). The adjective 'δίκαιος' means 'just' or 'righteous'. The participle is a form of the present participle of 'ειμί'; in other words it is the participle of 'to be' -- 'being.'

Both the adjective and the participle are in the masculine nominative singular form, because they both modify and agree with 'Ιωσήφ'. Here is the declension of the present participle meaning 'being', in the singular only:

........................ Masculine .......... Feminine .......... Neuter
Nominative..............ων.....................ούσα..................ον
Genitive................όντος...................ούσης...............όντος
Dative...................όντι.....................ούσῃ................όντι
Accusative............όντα.....................ούσην................ον

In the next phrase we have another participle, 'θέλων' - 'wishing', which also modifies 'Ιωσήφ' and thus is also in the masculine nominative singular form. Note the '-ων' ending, like the 'ων' of the participle of 'to be'.

και μη θέλων αυτήν δειγματίσαι

The 'μη' before 'θέλων' negates it, i.e., Joseph was 'not willing'.

What was he not willing to do? More next time . . . . Χαίρετε!