And he knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son:
and he called his name Jesus.
Matthew 1, 25

Many Protestants who reject the Catholic doctrine of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary believe that Mary and Joseph had marital relations and other children after the birth of Jesus. They often reference Matthew 1:25 as evidence for their view. However, this interpretation hinges on a modern understanding of the word “until,” which may not accurately convey the original meaning of the text. To grasp the full context of Matthew’s message in this passage, we must examine the meanings of this word in ancient Hebrew and Greek. It is important to recognize that Matthew was a Jewish Christian who wrote his gospel for a Hebrew audience. The text was originally composed in Hebrew and later translated into Koine Greek.

Unfortunately, the original meanings of words and phrases in the Bible are often lost in later translations. Therefore, we need to examine the original form and context of the words ourselves to understand what the sacred author intended to convey. Let’s set aside the common modern usage of the word “until” and approach the passage with a fresh perspective.

The words “until” or “till” in Semitic and Greek languages (such as “ad” and “heōs”) denote the period leading up to an event, without suggesting anything that may occur afterward. The focus is solely on what happens before the event. To better understand this grammatical concept, let’s examine a few passages from the Hebrew Old Testament as translated into English in the King James Version of the Bible.

לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמֹ֥ור נְאֻ֤ם יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לַֽאדֹנִ֗י שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑י עַד־אָשִׁ֥ית אֹ֝יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ׃

A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand,
until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
– Psalm 110, 1

The preposition ‘aḏ’ (עַד) literally means “up to the time of.” This Messianic prophecy refers to the period when Jesus will sit at the right hand of God until his enemies are made his footstool. The author does not imply that Jesus will stop sitting at the right hand of God after his enemies are defeated. Similarly, in the Gospel of Matthew, the author does not suggest that Joseph had conjugal relations with Mary after the birth of Jesus. Instead, Matthew intends to convey that the couple had no marital relations up until Jesus’ birth. Let’s examine another example from the Old Testament.

לְמִיכַל֙ בַּת־שָׁא֔וּל לֹֽא־הָ֥יָה לָ֖הּ יָ֑לֶד עַ֖ד יֹ֥ום מֹותָֽהּ׃ פ

Therefore, Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.
– 2 Samuel 6, 23

The Semitic locution ‘ad’ is relevant in this context. However, the English translation can be clearer if we use the word ‘unto’ instead of ‘until.’ The Hebrew text of this verse literally means ‘up to,’ ‘to,’ or ‘until’ (the day of). While it is obvious that Michal could not have had any children after her death, that is not the main point. What matters is the intended meaning of the author: Michal remained childless up to the day of her death, without any irrelevant or nonsensical implications.

Matthew’s intention in his Gospel was to emphasize the truth of the Incarnation, which many Jews found difficult to accept. He does not need to suggest that Joseph and Mary had no marital relations until after the birth of Jesus to convey his message. Instead, he simply states that they did not have any marital relations “before” or “up until” the birth of Jesus. By making this distinction, he highlights that Mary conceived Jesus through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:35). This implication is present in his statement and is relevant to what Matthew is proposing in contrast to traditional Jewish beliefs.

In the Gospel of Matthew, the original Greek uses the word “heos” (ἕως) to translate “until.” This term refers to the time leading up to an event and means “up to the time of” or “hitherto,” without implying anything about what may come afterward. Matthew is particularly focused on the relationship between Mary and Joseph before the conception and birth of Jesus. This is evident in his quotation of Isaiah 7:14 in verses 22-23. The main point conveyed is that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah of the Hebrew people, but he does not have a human paternal lineage as the Jews expect. If the evangelist intended to express that Joseph did not know his wife “until after” the birth of Jesus, he would have used the Greek phrase “έως ότου.” In simple terms, the Greek word for “until” does not mean or imply “until after”; rather, it signifies “up until.”

Nevertheless, some Protestants firmly believe that the original Greek text uses the phrase “heos hou” (ἕως οὗ). In Greek, ἕως οὗ translates to "until" or "up to the point that." It indicates a point in time where a state or action continues up to a specific event or condition, and then may cease or change. 

Many Protestants argue that Mary’s virginity ended after the birth of Jesus based on the grammatical structure of the phrase “heos hou” used in the verse. However, “heos hou” can be used interchangeably with “heos” and simply mean “up to the time of” without implying a cessation or change. A similar usage can be found in the New Testament in Acts 25:21, which states, “But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be held until (heos hou) I could send him to Caesar.” We know that Paul remained in custody after he was sent to Caesar. Therefore, the action of the main clause (the command to be held in custody) did not necessarily cease upon the pivotal event (being sent to Caesar) in the timeline. In the same way, Mary’s virginity did not necessarily end after the birth of Christ, just as Paul did not gain his freedom from chains at any point after being sent to Caesar.

One might mistakenly believe that Matthew implies Joseph and Mary had marital relations after Jesus was born, especially when reading the text in modern English or through a particular lens. However, the word “until” does not necessarily imply a future event in ancient Greek and Hebrew. In fact, it may not convey this meaning in modern English, depending on how it is used by the speaker. For example, consider the sentence: “After the teacher left the classroom, the students remained quiet until he returned.” This could mean that the students worked quietly after the teacher left and continued to do so before he returned. It does not necessarily mean that they became noisy once the teacher came back.

Matthew’s statement, “Joseph did not know Mary – he knew her not – until (heos hou) the birth of her firstborn son,” does not necessarily imply that Mary and Joseph had no conjugal relations until after Jesus was born. Instead, it affirms that they did not have sexual relations before Jesus was conceived, highlighting the divinity of the Messiah. Additionally, it is important to note that the couple celebrated their second and final marriage ceremony (Nisuin) at the time of Jesus’ birth, so he was referred to as “the carpenter’s son” (Mt 13:55).

It’s important to recognize that these Protestants overlook a significant factor in this discussion. In the relevant verse, the word “know” is written in the imperfect tense (eginosken) rather than the aorist tense (egnosken). This distinction highlights the ongoing period during which Mary and Joseph chose to abstain from sexual relations. Essentially, the couple refrained from intercourse up until the birth of Jesus. This interpretation aligns with the context of the verse, which discusses the virgin birth of Jesus and its implications for his natural paternity. If Matthew had intended to indicate or imply that Mary and Joseph had consummated their marriage, which is typical for most couples, he would have used the aorist tense in the Greek text.

The aorist tense of a verb indicates an action that occurred in the past without reference to its duration or completion. This does not exclude the possibility of future actions. For instance, it is plausible that Mary and Joseph had conjugal relations after the birth of Jesus; however, Matthew’s intention was not to address that possibility. Instead, he focused on emphasizing that the couple did not have conjugal relations before the birth of Jesus. This point reinforces what he states in the preceding verses (1:22-23): “Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ‘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.’”

“And when he had taken her, he knew her not, till she had brought forth her first
born Son.’ He hath here used the word till,’ not that thou shouldest suspect
that afterwards he did know her, but to inform thee that before the birth the
Virgin was wholly untouched by man. But why then, it may be said, hath he used
the word, till’? Because it is usual in Scripture often to do this, and to use this
expression without reference to limited times. For so with respect to the ark
likewise, it is said, The raven returned not till the earth was dried up.’ And yet it
did not return even after that time. And when discoursing also of God, the
Scripture saith, From age until age Thou art,’ not as fixing limits in this case.
And again, when it is preaching the Gospel beforehand, and saying, In his days
shall righteousness flourish, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken
away,’ it doth not set a limit to this fair part of creation. So then here likewise, it
uses the word “till,” to make certain what was before the birth, but as to what
follows, it leaves thee to make the inference.”
St. John Chrysostom, Gospel of Matthew, V:5
(AD 370)

And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done,
because I know not man?
Luke 1, 34