OET interlinear LUKE 2:5

2:5a

to register with Mary: Joseph took Mary with him to Bethlehem. He did this so that an officer could write his name and Mary’s name in the book that the government officials used for the census.Scholars have different views about what the phrase “with Mary” connects with in this context. Some of the main interpretations are: (1) It connects with “to register,” that is, Joseph went to register with Mary. Most English versions follow this interpretation (BSB, NIV, GNT, RSV, NJB, NET, NASB, KJV, GW, JBP, NCV). (2) It connects with “went,” that is, Joseph went to register, and he went with Mary. The English versions that follow interpretation (2) indicate this by omitting the verb “to register” in 2:5 or by putting the infinitive in 2:4. For example, the REB says, “^4–5Joseph went up to Judea from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to register in the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house of David by descent; and with him went Mary, his betrothed, who was expecting her child” (also CEV and NLT). The Notes follow interpretation (1) along with the majority of English versions.

2:5b

who was pledged to him in marriage: The Greek word that the BSB translates as pledged to him in marriage refers to an agreement to marry. This agreement was made by a young man and woman and their families.

Some English versions translate this word as “engaged.” However, the marriage agreement among the Jews was more strict than the word “engaged” implies in Western society. It legally joined a man and woman, and it was as binding as marriage. If either the man or the woman ended the agreement, people considered them to be divorced.

Some other ways to express pledged…in marriage are:

promised in marriage (GNT)

had made a legal contract to be married

After the marriage agreement was made, the man and woman usually waited for a year before their wedding. As part of the wedding ceremony, the man took the woman into his house to live. Matthew 1:24 indicates that Joseph had already taken Mary to his house as his wife before they went to Bethlehem. However, they had not yet had sexual relations, so Luke continued to refer to Mary as the “one pledged to be married.”