Does the word 'until' in Matthew 1:25 disprove Mary's perpetual virginity?
A viewer named JR asks whether there is an apocryphal book affirming that Joseph had a previous marriage with children, accounting for Jesus's siblings, and whether the word 'until' in Matthew 1:24-25 discredits the perpetual virginity of Mary.
Answer
I do not know of a specific apocryphal book affirming Joseph had a previous marriage, though one may exist; that is only one of several theories for the brethren of Jesus, another being that they were cousins, since Mary's sister lived next to her. The Greek adelphos and adelphe, like the Hebrew terms, can mean any relative, not only a blood sibling, so the 'brothers' need not be children of Mary. As for the word 'until' in Matthew 1:25, in Greek it is heos hou, and 'until' in these languages can either cease the action of the main verb or continue it, depending on context. If I say I will never sin again until I reach heaven, 'until' continues the action beyond the point named; if I say I will not go to France until you give me a million dollars, it ceases the action. So you cannot prove anything from the word 'until.' People assume it must stop the action because that is its most common use in English, but the grammar allows either, and here it continues the action, so Mary having no relations with Joseph continues past the birth of Jesus. The Catholic position therefore has a solid grammatical case.