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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Matthew 2:19 - 2:23
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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_2:19-23
19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, 20"Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead." 21So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, 23and 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_2:19 "an angel of the Lord" See note at Mat_1:20.
Mat_2:22 "Archelaus" Archelaus was another cruel member of the Herod family whom Joseph did not trust. He ruled the southern part of Herod the Great's territories (Judah, Samaria, and Idumea) from 4 b.c. - a.d. 6 when the Romans banished him to Gaul because of his cruelty.
Mat_2:23 "He shall be called a Nazarene" The village where Jesus grew up was called Nazareth. It is not mentioned in the OT, the Talmud, or in Josephus. It apparently was not settled until the time of John Hyrcanus (i.e., Hasmonaen), who ruled from 134-104 b.c. The presence of Joseph and Mary from this village implies that a clan of David's line settled here.
There may be an etymological connection between the names Nazareth and the Messianic title "Branch," which is netser in Hebrew (cf. Isa_11:1; Jer_23:5; Jer_33:15; Zec_3:8; Zec_6:12; Rev_5:5; Rev_22:16). This interpretation is evidenced by the fact that no prophet ever foretold of Jesus being born or raised in Nazareth, but they did predict the coming of a special anointed Davidic king (i.e., Isa_7:14; Isa_9:1-7; Isa_11:1-5; Dan_2:44; Dan_7:13-14, see Special Topic at Mat_8:20).
It was apparently a term of reproach because of its location far from Jerusalem in a Gentile area (cf. Joh_1:46 and Act_24:5, even though this, too, was prophecy cf. Isa_9:1). This may be why it was included on the board above Jesus on the cross (i.e., Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).
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