Mt 1:1-16, 18-23
…16Jacob [became] the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.
18Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. 19Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 20Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. 21She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,/ and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
Of Her was Born Jesus who is Called the Messiah: The genealogy of Jesus according to Matthew uses the standard formula “the father of…” to indicate the significance of the person mentioned. However, this is not used when referring to Joseph. Instead, he is identified as “the husband of Mary.” The verse continues: “Of her was born Jesus…” The unique role of Mary can be deduced from this. It is through Mary that Jesus the Messiah is born to us, without the active involvement of the human father. It is through Mary that the power of the Spirit worked (Mt 1:18). Mary is the virgin who gives birth to the Messiah, “our high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens” (Heb 7:26). The Greek parthenos (Is 7:14) is correctly translated as “virgin” (Mt 1:23). In the Hebrew original, the word is almah, literally a young woman of marriageable age, but the Septuagint renders it with the Greek parthenos. Moreover, almah is used in the Old Testament to describe the state of virginity.