Matthew 1:23
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
Matthew cites Isaiah 7:14 to show that Jesus' conception fulfills ancient prophecy. The name Emmanuel functions as a title describing who this child is, complementing the name Jesus given in verse 21.
What Does Matthew 1:23 Mean?
Emmanuel means "God with us," and that title sums up the wonder of this birth: in the child to be born, God draws near to His people in person. Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah to show that the unusual circumstances of Jesus' birth were not an accident but the fulfillment of a promise spoken centuries before. The sign given long ago is now arriving in the world.
The name Emmanuel reaches beyond the genealogy and the angelic instructions of the previous verses to make a staggering claim. The child who will be called Jesus, the One who saves, is also the One in whom God is present with humanity. The whole of Matthew's Gospel is framed by this idea, for it closes with Jesus' promise, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." The presence announced at His birth never departs. For the original readers, longing for God to act on behalf of His people, the message was unmistakable: their God had not abandoned them. He had come close -- not merely to observe or to judge, but to be with them. This nearness is the heartbeat of the good news, and it changes how we face every season of life.
In the Original Language
"Emmanuel" transliterates the Hebrew Immanu-El, formed from immanu ("with us") and El ("God"). Matthew supplies the Greek translation meth' hemon ho Theos, "God with us."
Cross References
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
- Isaiah 7:14
“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
- Matthew 28:20
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
- John 1:14
Application
Whatever you are walking through today, the name Emmanuel assures you that God is not distant but present with you in it.