Matthew1:18

Translation

Now the birth of JESUS CHRIST came about thusly; MARY his mother, having been betrothed to JOSEPH was found to be holding something in her womb,

put there by the Holy Spirit, even before they came together.

Paraphrase

Now the birth of THE SPIRIT-ANOINTED SAVIOR came about in this way; His mother, THE [PREVIOUSLY] REBELLIOUS ONE, was engaged to THE ONE WHO IS INCREASING, but she was found to be pregnant by the intervention of the Holy Spirit even before they had sexual relations.

Footnotes

1

The Greek phrase is “holding in her womb.” It does not say what is being held in the womb, but there is only one possibility. It appears that Mary left to visit Elizabeth right away, or as the text says, “with haste.” So it is safe to assume that Joseph did not know about her condition until after she returned from her trip. The looseness of the clothing they wore would have hidden an enlarged belly for some time, but eventually Mary had to tell Joseph and her parents the “news.”