Grafted-In Ministries
By: Len Lacroix
Matthew’s gospel says, “And came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.’" (Mat 2:23, NASB)
Which of the prophets referred to the Messiah as a Nazarene? If you do a word search on "Nazarene" in the Scriptures from Genesis to Malachi, you will not find one single occurrence of it. So what did Matthew mean when he said under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that when the Master lived in Nazareth, it fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene"?
Matthew here was using a play on words or pun. A pun “also called paronomasia, is a form of word play that suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect.”
The pun Matthew used here is between the Hebrew word for “Branch” in Isaiah 11:1, “nê·tzer”, and the Hebrew word for “Nazareth”. The Hebrew word Netzarit (Nazareth) means “City of the Branch.” Netzer and Netzarit (also spelled Natzeret) are similar-sounding words.
Other prophecies that referred to Messiah as the Branch are found in Jer 23:5; Zech 3:8; Isa 53:2; and Zech 6:11-12.
The Hebrew word for Nazarene is Natzrati (also spelled notzri). The Greek word for “Nazarene” is “Nazoraios”, meaning “inhabitant of Nazareth; by extension a Christian: - Nazarene, of Nazareth.”
|
Hebrew |
Greek |
English |
Meaning |
|
Netzarit |
Nazareth or Nazaret |
Nazareth |
City of the Branch |
|
Nê·tzer |
anthos |
Branch |
A shoot, blossom, or branch, figuratively, a descendant. |
|
Natzrati (notzri) |
Nazoraios or Nazarenos |
Nazarene |
Inhabitant of Nazareth; by extension a Christian: - Nazarene, of Nazareth. |
The Nazarene
In addition to Matthew 2:23, which I have already cited, the Greek word for "Nazarene" is used in the following verses (including those where the translators have used the expression "of Nazareth"):
“When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and *said to those who were there, "This man was with Yeshua of Nazareth." (Mat 26:71).
“And seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and *said, "You also were with Yeshua the Nazarene." (Mar 14:67)
saying, "What business do we have with each other, Yeshua of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God!" (Mar 1:24; cf., Lk 4:34).
When he heard that it was Yeshua the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, "Yeshua, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mar 10:47)
And he *said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Yeshua the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. (Mar 16:6)
“They told him that Yeshua of Nazareth was passing by.” (Luk 18:37)
And He said to them, "What things?" And they said to Him, "The things about Yeshua the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, (Luk 24:19)
They answered Him, "Yeshua the Nazarene." He *said to them, "I am He." And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. So when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground. Therefore He again asked them, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Yeshua the Nazarene." (Joh 18:5-7)
"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Yeshua the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know-- (Act 2:22)
But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Yeshua Messiah the Nazarene--walk!" (Act 3:6)
let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Yeshua Messiah the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by this name this man stands here before you in good health. (Act 4:10)
“For we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Yeshua, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us." (Act 6:14)
"And I answered, 'Who are You, Master?' And He said to me, 'I am Yeshua the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.' (Act 22:8)
"For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” (Act 24:5)
"So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Yeshua of Nazareth.” (Act 26:9)
The Branch
“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.” (Isa 11:1). This is the only Scripture in the prophets that uses the Hebrew word nê·tzer for branch with reference to the Messiah. The others use different Hebrew words.
"Behold, the days are coming," declares Yehovah, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. (Jer 23:5)
'Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you--indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch.” (Zec 3:8)
"For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him." (Isa 53:2)
"Take silver and gold, make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. "Then say to him, 'Thus says Yehovah of hosts, "Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of Yehovah. (Zec 6:11-12)
Zechariah prophesied of "a Man whose name is Branch". I think this is certainly one of the prophets Matthew was referring to when he said the Master Yeshua fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene".
asterPutting it All Together
The apostle Matthew used a word play in Matthew 2:23 to show that Yeshua Messiah was the one who fulfilled the Messianic prophecies about the Branch. It would be like saying The Natzrati is the Nê·tzer from Netzarit. In other words, the Nazarene (Natzrati) is the Nê·tzer (Branch) from Nazareth (Netzarit). Likewise, to put it literally, the Branch is the Man from the City of the Branch.
Based on the Scriptures cited above, we can form the following conclusion: Branch = a Man = Servant = Son of David = Temple Builder = King = Nazarene = Yeshua Messiah = Messiah