Matthew 2:23 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.
There seems to be a small problem with this, no one can find this in any prophet! I offer just a few explanations of this.
John Chrysostom
And what manner of prophet said this? Be not curious, nor overbusy. For many of the prophetic writings have been lost. For being negligent, and continually falling into ungodliness, some they suffered to perish, others they themselves burnt up and cut to pieces. He who composed the fourth book of Kings [2 Kings], saying, that after a long time the book of Deuteronomy was hardly found, buried somewhere and lost. But if, when there was no barbarian there, they so betrayed their books, much more when the barbarians had overrun them.
John Gill
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; and designs the prophet Isaiah, and respects that prophecy of his in Isa 11:1 "and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and "a branch shall grow out of his roots"; a prophecy owned by the Jews 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.
Now though Christ was not born [there], yet because he dwelt at Nazareth, and was educated there; hence the Jews frequently call him , "Jesus, the Nazarene"; and sometimes only "the Nazarene". They also design him by , "Ben Netzer", 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.
E.W. Bullinger
Through missing this Hysteresis, the commentators have created a difficulty of their own.
First, they cannot find such a prophecy in any of the prophets.
Then, they try to make a connection between netzer, a branch, and Nazarene; and, as there is none, the difficulty is only increased.
Even if the connection could be established, the difficulty would not be removed: for it says "prophets" (plural) and the word netzer is used of Christ in only one prophet, Isaiah. So the difficulty is further increased.
But there is really no difficulty at all. It is absolutely created. It is assumed from the outset that it says “which was written.” But it does not say so! It says “which was SPOKEN.” The fact is, some prophesies were written down and never spoken; some were both written and spoken; while others were spoken and never written. This is one of the latter class: and there is all the difference in the world between το ρηθεν (to reethen), which was spoken, and ο γεγραπται (o gegraptai), which standeth written!
Thus, this beautiful Hysteresis reveals to us the historical fact that several prophets had declared by the Holy Spirit that the Messiah should be called a Nazarene. But for this Hysterresis we should never have known it.
Adam Clarke
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets - It is difficult to ascertain by what prophets this was spoken. The margin usually refers to Jdg 13:5, where the angel, foretelling the birth of Samson, says, No razor shall come upon his head; for the child shall be a Nazarite (נזיר nezir) unto God from the womb. The second passage usually referred to is Isa 11:1 : There shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch (נצר netser) shall grow out of his roots. That this refers to Christ, there is no doubt. Jeremiah, Jer 23:5, is supposed to speak in the same language - I will raise unto David a righteous Branch: but here the word is צמח tsemach, not נצר netser; and it is the same in the parallel place, Zac 3:8; Zac 6:12; therefore, these two prophets cannot be referred to; but the passages in Judges and Isaiah may have been in the eye of the evangelist, as well as the whole institution relative to the Nazarite (נזיר nezir) delivered at large, Num. 6. As the Nazarite was the most pure and perfect institution under the law, it is possible that God intended to point out by it, not only the perfection of our Lord, but also the purity of his followers. And it is likely that, before St. Matthew wrote this Gospel, those afterwards called Christians bore the appellation of Nazarites, or Nazoreans, for so the Greek word, Ναζωραιος, should be written. Leaving the spiritual reference out of the question, the Nazarene or Nazorean here may mean simply an inhabitant or person of Nazareth; as Galilean does a person or inhabitant of Galilee. The evangelist evidently designed to state, that neither the sojourning at Nazareth, nor our Lord being called a Nazarene, were fortuitous events, but were wisely determined and provided for in the providence of God; and therefore foretold by inspired men, or fore-represented by significant institutions.
Matthew Henry
thither they were sent, to Nazareth, a city upon a hill, in the centre of the lot of Zebulun; there the mother of our Lord lived, when she conceived that holy thing; and, probably, Joseph lived there too, Lu. 1:26, Lu. 1:27 . Thither they were sent, and there they were well known, and were among their relations; the most proper place for them to be in. There they continued, and from thence our Saviour was called Jesus of Nazareth, which was to the Jews a stumbling-block, for, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? In this is said to be fulfilled what was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. Which may be looked upon,
(1.) As a man of honour and dignity, though primarily it signifies no more than a man of Nazareth; there is an allusion or mystery in speaking it, speaking Christ to be, [1.] The Man, the Branch, spoken of, Isa. 11:1 . The word there is Netzar, which signifies either a branch, or the city of Nazareth; in being denominated from that city, he is declared to be that Branch. [2.] It speaks him to be the great Nazarite; of whom the legal Nazarites were a type and figure (especially Samson, Jdg. 13:5 ), and Joseph, who is called a Nazarite among his brethren (Gen. 49:26 ), and to whom that which was prescribed concerning the Nazarites, has reference, Num. 6:2 , etc. Not that Christ was, strictly, a Nazarite, for he drank wine, and touched dead bodies; but he was eminently so, both as he was singularly holy, and as he was by a solemn designation and dedication set apart to the honour of God in the work of our redemption, as Samson was to save Israel. And it is a name we have all reason to rejoice in, and to know him by.
Or, (2.) As a name of reproach and contempt. To be called a Nazarene, was to be called a despicable man, a man from whom no good was to be expected, and to whom no respect was to be paid. The devil first fastened this name upon Christ, to render him mean, and prejudice people against him, and it stuck as a nickname to him and his followers. Now this was not particularly foretold by any one prophet, but, in general, it was spoken by the prophets, that he should be despised and rejected of men (Isa. 53:2, Isa. 53:3 ), a Worm, and no man (Ps. 22:6, Ps. 22:7 ), that he should be an Alien to his brethren Ps. 69:7, Ps. 69:8 . Let no name of reproach for religion’s sake seem hard to us, when our Master was himself called a Nazarene.
Albert Barnes
The words here are not found in any of the books of the Old Testament, and there has been much difficulty in ascertaining the meaning of this passage.
It is much more probable that Matthew refers not to any particular place, but to the leading characteristics of the prophecies respecting him.
The leading and most prominent prophecies respecting him were, that he was to be of humble life; to be despised and rejected... The character of the people of Nazareth was such that they were proverbially despised and contemned. To come from Nazareth, therefore, or to be a Nazarene, was the same as to be despised, or to be esteemed of low birth; to be a root out of dry ground, having no form or comeliness. This was what had been predicted by all the prophets.
When Matthew says, therefore, that the prophecies were “fulfilled,” his meaning is, that the predictions of the prophets that he would be of a low and despised condition, and would be rejected, were fully accomplished in his being an inhabitant of Nazareth, and despised as such.
I think this pretty much sums up the different solutions offered. While I like some of the suggestions, I think Charles Spurgeon said it best, “It is best to confess that we do not know.” It is enough for me that Matthew said it, as in, “Matthew said it, I believe it, and that settles it for me.”
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John Chrysostom - Archbishop of Constantinople; 349–407
John Gill - English Baptist pastor, biblical scholar, and theologian; 1697-1771
Adam Clarke – English Methodist theologian and biblical scholar; 1760-1832
E.W. Bullinger – Anglican clergyman, Biblical scholar, ultradispensationalist theologian; 1837-1913; in Figures of Speech Used in the Bible
Hysteresis – to come later. When a record, written much later gives supplemental or new
particulars, quite disconnected from the original historical record, it is called Hysteresis: and hence has been called HISTORICAL HYSTERESIS by which the Holy Spirit, in later and subsequent Scriptures, adds supplementary details which were not given in the history itself; and sometimes even historical facts, of which no mention had before been made.
Matthew Henry – Nonconformist minister & author, born in Wales, lived in England (1662–1714)
Albert Barnes – American theologian & Presbyterian minister; Barnes is best known for his commentary on the Old and New Testaments; 1798-1870
Charles Spurgeon – English Particular Baptist preacher; known as the "Prince of Preachers"; 1834-1892
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