Replies

“Sure it does.”

No, it doesn’t. Here is the word in question: “Nazarene”. See how it is spelled? Now, look in your Bible, any Bible. Does that word appear in Isaiah 11:1? No, it does not. If you’re going to claim otherwise, then please post what translation you are using and I will post the text here at FR so we can see who is being honest and who is not.

“One only needs to know specifically what a ‘netzer’ is. The ‘Branch’ prophecies require no speculation.”

Again, N-A-Z-A-R-E-N-E is not “branch”. I understand why people use Isaiah 11:1 as an explanation and I am not saying I disagree with the Hebrew root idea. The problem is that Matthew would then STILL be extrapolating from the Hebrew root because NO WHERE IN THE TEXT DOES THE WORD N-A-Z-A-R-E-N-E APPEAR.

Remember, even in the Hebrew text, the word “Nazarene” does not appear. Thanks for trying and for proving me right yet again.

For the discussion:

The Hebrew root word for the town name "Nazareth" is Netzer.

From the Nazareth city website:

Origins of the Name In Roman times Nazareth was a Jewish village and its name is thought to come from the Hebrew word “Netzer”, which can mean a twig or a branch. For Christians, this supports the claim that Jesus was a descendant of King David, which in turn strengthens their belief that Jesus is the Messiah. But “Netzer” also means “to keep”, which may refer to the city’s location on a mountain watching over the Jezreel Valley, frequently a scene of battle in earlier times.

Jesus was known as Jesus of Nazareth – which is why the Hebrew name for Christianity is “Natzrut”. In English, Jesus is called “Christ”, which means a Messiah; hence the English name Christianity. In Arabic, Jesus is called “Massiach”, meaning Messiah, and Christians are called “Messachin”.

Again, Isaiah 11:1 for which many English translators capitalize the word Branch:

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch (netser) shall grow out of his roots: