A Misplaced Prophecy

“And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:23)

There is nothing wrong with this verse. But there is a certain mystery imbedded within it.

Notice the phrase “which was spoken by the prophets”? Why the plural noun? Why isn’t it singular? Does Matthew mean that a few prophets said the same, exact utterance about Jesus? Which prophet says that Jesus will be a Nazarene?

My bible has the advantage of in-built cheat codes. Usually, an asterisk (*) appears beside words or phrases that need special attention. Usually, when a prophecy is quoted in the New Testament, an asterisk points out a cross reference passage to refer me to the origin of that prophecy. A few flips of the bible’s pages will be able to reveal the prophet from whom the prophecy came from. But in the case of the prophecy quoted in Matthew 2:23… No asterisk is given!

Not only is an asterisk not given. An exhaustive search of the entire Old Testament reveals that the specific words of this prophecy are not found anywhere! Isn’t that strange? Where then, does that prophecy come from? The plot thickens…

One possibility is that the prophecy may have been taken from an apocryphal source. Another possibility is that Matthew may have made a mistake or misquote. We know that the infallibility of Scriptures cancels out the 2nd possibility. I thought I’d settle for the 1st possibility, until another feature of my bible’s cheat code revealed a better explanation. Not just one, but two possible explanations.

1st explanation: The metaphoric explanation. Apparently, when traced to the original Hebrew, the word “Nazarene” means “branch” or “shoot”. Isaiah 11:1 says, “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” Isaiah 53:2 says, “For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant (shoot), and as a root out of dry ground.” The words “branch” and “shoot” are used as metaphors to describe Jesus.

Therefore, the “prophecy” of Jesus being a Nazarene is referring to a metaphor with which Jesus is likened to. It is not a specific prophecy uttered word for word by any particular prophet. In other words, “He shall be called a Nazarene” means that “Jesus shall be called a branch or a shoot.”

2nd explanation: The geographical explanation. The town of Nazareth housed the Roman garrison in northern Galilee. The Jews hated the Romans so much that most Jews avoided any association with Nazareth. People who lived in Nazareth were thought of as “consorting with the enemy.” At that time, calling anyone a Nazarene indicates utter contempt for that person. Even Nathanael once said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).

Therefore, the “prophecy” quoted by Matthew does not refer to a specific prophecy uttered word for word by any particular prophet. Rather, it refers to a particular concept that pertains to the humble origin and character of Christ. Jesus’ humble background and character fits several Old Testament prophecies about Him. The “prophecy” quoted by Matthew is generally saying that the Christ will be despised by many people, especially the Jews. In other words, “He shall be called a Nazarene” means that “Jesus shall be despised by the Jews.”