He Shall Be Called a Nazarene

• Matthew 2:23 (KJV)

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Matthew is famous for quoting Old Testament prophecies in his gospel to let the reader know that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies; however, we run into a problem when we read verse 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.

This scripture is not found in the Old Testament. Did Matthew make a mistake in his gospel? Did the Holy Spirit make a mistake when he inspired Matthew to pen these words? Of course not! So, what happened? The answer can be found in the text, "... that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets..." We have to remember that in the beginning, Jewish history was passed down orally. It wasn't until centuries later that it was written down. Therefore, Matthew is reminding the Jewish reader of what the prophets said verbally. Thus, the prophecy was fulfilled.

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