Saint Joseph's dreams are four

dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

s described in the

Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew), or simply Matthew. It is most commonly abbreviated as "Matt." is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people and form ...

in the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

in which

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

, the legal father of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

, is visited by an

angel of the Lord The (or an) angel of the ( he, מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה '' mal’āḵ YHWH'' "messenger of Yahweh") is an entity appearing repeatedly in the Tanakh (Old Testament) on behalf of the God of Israel. The guessed term ''YHWH'', which occurs ...

and receives specific instructions and warnings of impending danger. All four dreams come from the period around the

Nativity of Jesus The nativity of Jesus, nativity of Christ, birth of Jesus or birth of Christ is described in the biblical gospels of Luke and Matthew. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judaea, his mother Mary was engaged to a man ...

and his early life, between the onset of

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops (gestation, gestates) inside a woman, woman's uterus (womb). A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occur ...

and the family's return from the

Flight to Egypt The flight into Egypt is a story recounted in the Gospel of Matthew ( Matthew 2:13– 23) and in New Testament apocrypha. Soon after the visit by the Magi, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to flee to Egypt with Mary and the i ...

. They are often distinguished by numbers as "Joseph's first dream" and so on. Especially in art history, the first may be referred to as the Annunciation to Joseph.

Biblical accounts

The four dreams are as follows: :* First dream: In , Joseph is told not to be afraid to take

as his wife, because she has conceived by the Holy Spirit. (See also the Annunciation in , when an angel visits Mary and she agrees to conceive "through the power of the Most High".) :* Second dream: In , Joseph is warned to leave

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...

and flee to Egypt. :* Third dream: In , while in Egypt, Joseph is told that it is safe to go back to

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. :* Fourth dream: In , because he had been warned in a dream, Joseph awakens to depart for the region of Galilee instead of going to

Judea Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous sou ...

Commentary

Roger Baxter Roger Baxter (1784–1827) was an English Jesuit, a Catholic missionary in the United States, and Prefect of Studies at Georgetown College. Life Baxter was a native of Walton-le-Dale, near Preston, in Lancashire and studied at Stonyhurst Coll ...

, in his ''Meditations'' reflects on the second dream, writing: "Ponder the particulars of this command. 1. The angel commands in the name of God, who is the supreme Lord. 2. He delivers the command not to Mary, though she was the more worthy; but to Joseph, because he was the head of the family, and its ordinary superior. 3. He appeared to him in sleep, by which we learn, that even while we sleep the care of God is exerted over us, and He is continually watching for our good. 4. He tells him to take the Child and His mother, without mentioning anything else. Oh that Jesus and Mary were your only care! 5. He assigns them the place of their banishment. Learn, hence, not to choose for yourself, but receive everything in the ordinary way of God's providence, and as coming from His hands, in regard to place, employment, prosperity, and adversity."

In art

The dreams have sometimes been depicted in art, though they have never been among the most common subjects from the Life of Jesus in art or the

Life of the Virgin The Life of the Virgin, showing narrative scenes from the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a common subject for pictorial cycles in Christian art, often complementing, or forming part of, a cycle on the Life of Christ. In both cases the ...

. It is often unclear which dream is intended. The second dream is probably most often depicted, and if there is no other indication it can be assumed that is the subject. If the Virgin Mary is present (but no infant Jesus), especially if visibly pregnant or shown spinning, this suggests the first dream, which tends to be shown in an indoor setting. An outside setting may suggest the second dream, as does the angel pointing outside the picture space, urging Joseph to leave. The tools of his carpentry workshop are often shown around him, probably indicating the second dream, although logically there seems to be no reason why these should not be present for the first and third dreams as well. The presence of the ox or ass from the Nativity scene suggests the second dream. In the absence of a place in a sequence, inscribed text, a title, or decor showing a setting in Egypt, the third and fourth dreams can generally be ruled out where there is uncertainty.Schiller, 57, 117, 124 File:T'oros Roslin - Joseph's Dream - Walters W53917R - Detail A.jpg,

Toros Roslin Toros Roslin (, ); –1270) was the most prominent Armenian manuscript illuminator in the High Middle Ages.Parry, 399 Roslin introduced a wider range of narrative in his iconography based on his knowledge of western European art while contin ...

, 1262 File:Bregenz Martinskapelle Fresken 05.jpg, The first dream, as shown by the angel's

banderole A banderole (, "little banner") is a comparatively small but long flag, historically used by knights and on ships, and as a heraldic device for representing bishops. Bannerol, in its main uses is the same as banderole, and is the term especiall ...

, fresco, 1360 File:Rembrandt van Rijn 195.jpg, Second dream, Rembrandt and workshop, 1645, with ox File:Cavallino Dream of Saint Joseph.jpg,

Bernardo Cavallino Bernardo Cavallino (1616–1656) was an Italian painter and draughtsman. He is regarded as one of the most original painters active in Naples during the first half of the 17th century.Ann Percy. "Cavallino, Bernardo." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art ...

, c. 1645. Given the size of Jesus, and the basic accommodation, this might be the 3rd dream. File:Il sogno di San Giuseppe by Antonio Ciseri.jpg, Antonio Ciseri, 19th century, probably the 1st dream. File:Daniele Crespi - Saint Joseph’s dream (Kunsthstorisches Museum Wien).jpg, The 2nd dream, by

Daniele Crespi Daniele Crespi (159819 July 1630) was an Italian painter and draughtsman. He is regarded as one of the most original artists working in Milan in the 1620s. He broke away from the exaggerated manner of Lombard Mannerism in favour of an early B ...

, 1620–1630. Back in the Nazareth workshop, but Jesus in the room to the left seems still a baby. File:Mengs, Traum des hl. Joseph.jpg, Mengs 18th century File:'Joseph's Dream', painting by Gaetano Gandolfi, c. 1790.jpg,

Gaetano Gandolfi Gaetano Gandolfi (31 August 1734 – 20 June 1802) was an Italian painter of the late Baroque and early Neoclassic period, active in Bologna. Career Gaetano was born in San Matteo della Decima, near Bologna, to a family of artists. Ubaldo ...

, c. 1790

Depictions with articles

* ''Joseph's Dream'' (Crespi), 1620s, 2nd dream * ''Joseph's Dream'' (Rembrandt, 1645) * ''Joseph's Dream'', (Studio of Rembrandt, 1650–1655) * ''Dream of Saint Joseph'', (de La Tour, 1628–1645)

Notes

References

*James Hall, ''A History of Ideas and Images in Italian Art'', 1983, John Murray, London, *Schiller, Gertud, ''Iconography of Christian Art, Vol. I'', 1971 (English trans from German), Lund Humphries, London,

External links

Pope Francis. "Joseph the Dreamer", March 20, 2017, Libreria Editrice Vaticana
{{Nativity of Jesus, state=collapsed Nativity of Jesus in the New Testament Christian iconography Saint Joseph (husband of Mary) Angelic apparitions in the Bible Gospel of Matthew Biblical dreams and visions