Seeker2000

Matthew says in M 2:23:
To which prophets does he refer here?

This site gives the explanation that in Isaiah 11:1 it reads "There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots" and that Nazarene or Nazara comes from "neser" which means a shoot or a branch.

They quote the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia on this:

They also point to Zechariah 6:12 which says: "Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord."

Easton's Bible dictionary is also quoted:
So what do you think to which prophets Matthew refers there? Is it the prophecy that the messiah will be despised? Or is the prophecy that he will be called a "branch"? Or maybe a combination of both?

Would you think that the title "Jesus the Nazarene" originated from these thoughts which led to people later stating that he lived in Nazareth or would you rather think that he did indeed live in Nazareth the name of which coincidently fit with the "branch" and "being despised" prophecies?

John Kesler

I find it more likely that Jesus really was from Nazareth, and that Mattthew, consistent with his desire to link Jesus to Old Testament "prophecies," found passages which contain words similar to "Nazareth." That there is no one passage that Matthew has in mind may explain why he uses the vague "the prophets" (plural) rather than specifically naming his source as he does in 2:17, 4:14, 8:17, 12:17, and 27:9. Thus, Matthew turned what could have been a liability (see John 1:45-46) into an asset.

Seeker2000

Yeah, that could indeed be the case.

BTW, why is it that being from Nazareth was thought to be a bad thing?

John Kesler

Because it was an insignificant little town in Galilee. Being from Nazareth didn't give one the clout that being from, say, Jerusalem did. I think that this is why the Bethlehem birth narratives arose--to connect Jesus with a more significant city, the city of David. As John 7:42 mentions, some thought that the Messiah had to come from Bethlehem.

Amaleq13

In addition to the problem of an expected birth in Bethlehem, I believe Galilee was known for producing rebels.

Julian

Robert Price speculates that the term might refer to the Nasoreans, the sect of John the Baptist. It does explain why JtB appears in all the gospels and why he needs to exclaim that Jesus is above himself (JtB). I find that theory fascinating.

Julian

Jayrok

This is one of the "prophecies" that confuses me.. This comes from Micah 5:2:

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old, from ancient times"

All this says is that a feature ruler of Israel will come from this tribe in Judah. It does not say that this fellow will be the son of God, nor does it say this fellow will be the redeemer of the entire world for their sins.

He will rule Israel, and until he is born, Israel will be abandoned. Once he is born and his brothers return to Israel (speaking of the exile), they will live securely in this world.

I don't see how this is a prophecy for God encarnate.

And "out of you will come".. This could mean this ruler will be from the clan of Bethlehem Ephrathah. Jesus of Nazareth was not from this clan in Judah. He was from Nazareth, which was in Galilee.. many miles away.

Seeker2000

I think the Jewish understanding of the Messiah never was the "son of God", redeemer of sins. AFAIK they thought of him as a special person who would install the kingdom of God in Israel.

It might be as John Kessler proposed: Maybe the Bethlehem birth narratives arose, because Jesus came from Nazareth, not Bethlehem. So they wantend to find a way to have this prophecy fulfilled and thus created these stories. Of course this could still not be exactly what the author of the prophecy had in mind when he wrote it - as you said, he could have meant someone from this clan.

Seeker2000

Here are all verses of the OT of which I know that connect the future messiah with a branch in some way:

Isaiah 4:2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth {will be} the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel

Isaiah 11:1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

Isaiah 53:2 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.
[Here 'branch' isn't mentioned, but the messiah is described as a 'shoot'.]

Jeremiah 23:5 "Behold, {the} days are coming," declares the LORD, "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.

Jeremiah 33:15 'In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth.

Zechariah 3:8 '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.

Zechariah 6:12 "Then say to him, 'Thus says the LORD 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 the LORD.

Seeker2000

The original Hebrew term used for 'branch' is 'netser' in Isaiah 11:1 and 'tsemach' in the rest of the verses.
The 'shoot' in Isaiah 11:1 is 'choter' and in Isaiah 53:2 it is 'yowneq'.

My source for this is the Blue Letter Bible, whose Hebrew text is based on the BHS (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartesia) text, which has been correlated and edited against other versions of the Tanach by Steve Gross. More information can be found at http://www.blueletterbible.org/info_hebrew.html.