Matthew 2:23

23 And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

Matthew 2:23 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 2:23

And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth
Which was a city of Galilee, and where Joseph and Mary had both dwelt before, ( Luke 1:26 ) ( 2:4 ) here they came and fixed their habitation,

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet.
This affair of going into Galilee, and settling at Nazareth, was brought about with this view, to accomplish what had been foretold by the prophets, or prophet, the plural number being used for the singular, as in ( John 6:45 ) ( Acts 13:40 ) . And indeed it is so rendered here in the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions; and designs the prophet Isaiah, and respects that prophecy of his in ( Isaiah 11:1 ) "and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and (run) , "a branch shall grow out of his roots"; a prophecy owned by the Jews ^F5 themselves to belong to the Messiah, and which was now fulfilled in Jesus; who as he was descended from Jesse's family, so by dwelling at Nazareth, he would appear to be, and would be "called a Nazarene, or Netzer, the branch"; being an inhabitant of Natzareth, or Netzer, so called from the multitude of plants and trees that grew there.

A Nazarene,
as David de Pomis says ^F6,

``is one that is born in the city Netzer, which is said to be in the land of Galilee, three days journey distant from Jerusalem.''

Now though Christ was not born, yet because he dwelt at Nazareth, and was educated there; hence the Jews frequently call him (yruwnh ewvy) , "Jesus, the Nazarene ^F7"; and sometimes only (yruwnh) , "the Nazarene" ^F8. They also design him by (run Nb) , "Ben Netzer" ^F9, of whom they say a great many evil things: and that Christ is often called Jesus of Nazareth, or the Nazarene, and his followers Nazarenes, from the place of his habitation, is known to everyone. One of Christ's disciples is called Netzer in the Talmud ^F11, and made to plead for his life, because his name signified a branch, according to ( Isaiah 11:1 ) . Surenhusius observes ^F12, that the form (rmanv hm Mwyql) "to fulfil what is said", used by the Talmudists, and which he takes to be the same with this here, is used by them, when they allege not the very words of Moses, or the prophets, but their sense, which is deduced as a certain axiom from them; and thinks it is applicable to the present case.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 Targum, Jarchi, Aben Ezra & Kimchi in loc.
F6 Lexic Heb. fol. 141. 2.
F7 T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 17. 1. Ganz. par. 2. fol. 14. 2. Abarbinel in Dan. fol. 44. 1.
F8 Ganz. par. 1. fol. 24. 2.
F9 T. Bab. Cetuboth, fol. 51. 2. & Gloss. in ib. Bereshith Rabba, fol. 67. 2. Abarbinel in Dau. fol. 44. 1.
F11 T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 43. 1.
F12 Biblos Katallages, p, 2, 3, 4, 197

Matthew 2:23 In-Context

21 And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.

23 And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene."