Matthew1:24

1: “commanded”

The angel did not give Joseph a command, rather he assuaged his fears. However, Joseph took it with the force of a command. If God was doing something special, to choose to be selfish would have been to go against God. So he joined God in His divine plan, even though it would shred his reputation to tiny bits.

2: “he took his wife”

The verb used here comes from two words, the preposition “close,” and the verb “take or receive.” The author could have used the simple form of the verb that does not have the preposition added on, but this one was chosen in order to show the idea of closeness. Joseph took her from her parent’s house and brought her close, he brought her to his own house.

They had a simple wedding ceremony and she went home with him. This ceremony would not have included the presence of a rabbi or priest, nor the typical rituals, adornments and feasting. It would have been the simplest of formulas—possibly as simple as the following pronouncement by Joseph in the presence of two witnesses, “you are my wife, I am your husband.” That was all that was required, although tradition had added many other components to the ritual.  All this would have looked very suspect to the people of the small town; it was discovered that Mary was pregnant, and Joseph married her quietly without any of the special traditions. What were they to think other than Joseph must have gotten her pregnant? On the other hand, imagine the relief and joy in Mary’s heart when, after at least 3 months of inner tension, her story about the angel was believed by Joseph and she was accepted by him. Imagine the bond this created between the two of them, since no one else believed her, not even her parents.