Passage · New Testament
Matthew 2:23
Matt.2.23
Explore this passage in the graphand he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene. Read this passage at the publisher: Read in NIV · Read in ESV
Connections that cite this passage
Matthew 2:23 alludes to Isaiah 11:1
Disputed interpretationDisputedMatthew says the settlement in Nazareth fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets, that He would be called a Nazarene, but no Old Testament verse contains those words. The most common proposal hears a play on Isaiah's Branch (Hebrew netzer) from the stump of Jesse; others hear the prophets' theme of a despised Messiah, or the Nazirite of Judges 13. FaithGraph records the question as open.
Other responsible views
- The Branch of Isaiah 11:1: Nazareth and the Hebrew word for branch, netzer, share consonants; Matthew may be pointing to the Branch from Jesse's stump.
- The despised one: Nazareth was an obscure village, and several prophets speak of a Messiah despised and rejected; Matthew may be summarizing that theme.
- Nazirite: Some connect the word to the Nazirite vow of Judges 13:5, though Jesus was not a Nazirite.
Cross-references
Related passages suggested by the OpenBible.info cross-reference dataset (CC BY 4.0, community-voted). These are not FaithGraph evidence; curated connections above carry evidence labels.
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