In the Jewish culture of the day a betrothal was as binding as a marriage. Once you were betrothed annulling the betrothal was the same as getting divorced. According to the Law of Moses a man who found that his betrothed wife had been unfaithful to him could give her a writ of divorcement and put her away quietly, or he could bring her before the Judges to be judged for adultery. Joseph was a strict observer of the law, and as such would have been in his right to have her stoned before all the community, instead he chose to let it be done quietly with no accusations. This shows that Joseph not only understood the law of justice, but that of mercy as well. He chose to be merciful and not throw around judgement.
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