[B-Greek] Mt 1:18 hEUREQH EN GASTRI ECOUSA

L. Harris ljoharris at ckt.net
Wed Feb 1 22:28:59 EST 2006


The whole discussion on the blog could have been settled if anyone had taken 
the time to find out a little about Jewish law regarding betrothal. 
According to Jewish custom, the  betrothal was one year. The main purpose of 
this was to make sure the bride was not pregnant and thus one way to prove 
her purity.

Therefore when it says "she was found with" child,  it literally means she 
was "found" with child.

This dose not imply that it became evident, like she just finally started 
showing and couldn't hide it any longer. Nor dose it refer to her finding 
out herself.

Mary knew she was or was going to be pregnant from the moment she said "Be 
it unto me according to thy word."

If you remember she went straight away and made a visit to her cousin 
Elizebeth, who was already pregnant with John the Baptist.

The word from HEUREMA literally means to find or discover. Sophicles used it 
to refer to a child the same way we call a child a "foundling", a child 
who's been found and who's parents are unknown.

When it states "she was found to be with child" it refers to that point in 
time durring the betrothal when she would literally have been examimed for 
that exact thing.

Linda Harris


k 




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