Joseph
Ioseph is a personal name used for several men, especially Mary’s husband, Joseph of Arimathea, and the ancestral Joseph.
The name most often identifies the man connected with Mary and Jesus’ early life; it also names the ancestral Joseph recalled in family, tribal, and exodus contexts, Joseph from Arimathea who takes Jesus’ body, and several other men in lists and family references.
Senses in use
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Mary’s husband and Jesus’ early-life context · dominant
The name identifies Mary’s husband in the birth and early-life narrative. In Matthew 1:20 the vocative singular form is used when the angel addresses him, and the APB renders the address, "Joseph, son of David"; in Matthew 2:13 the angel directs him to take the child and his mother to Egypt.
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The ancestral Joseph · common
The name refers to the Joseph remembered in accounts of the patriarchs and their descendants. In Acts 7:9 the APB renders that the patriarchs sold Joseph into Egypt, while Hebrews 11:22 presents Joseph speaking about the exodus and giving instructions concerning his bones; Revelation 7:8 names a tribe of Joseph.
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Joseph from Arimathea · occasional
The name identifies the man from Arimathea who seeks and takes Jesus’ body after the death. In Mark 15:43 the APB renders him entering to Pilate to ask for the body, and in Matthew 27:59 it renders that Joseph took and wrapped the body.
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Other men in lists and family references · occasional
The same name also marks other individuals without the narrative identification supplied in the preceding clusters. In Acts 1:23 the APB renders "Joseph called Barsabbas," in Acts 4:36 it identifies Joseph called Barnabas, and Luke 3:24 and Luke 3:30 place Joseph within successive son-of relationships.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB normally presents the name as "Joseph," sometimes adding an identifying phrase such as "Joseph, son of David" or "Joseph from Arimathea." Those added descriptions identify the person in the verse rather than define the name.