naz-a-rēn ́; naz ́a-rēn (Ναζαρηνός, Nazarēnós; Nazōraíos in Matthew, John, Acts and Luke): A derivative of Nazareth, the birthplace of Christ. In the New Testament it has a double meaning: it may be friendly and it may be inimical.
On the lips of Christ’s friends and followers, it is an honorable name. Thus Matthew sees in it a fulfillment of the old Isaiah prophecy (Isaiah 11:1): “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23). According to an overwhelming array of testimony (see Meyer, Commentary, in loc.), the name Nazareth is derived from the same nācar, found in the text quoted from Isa. We have here undoubtedly to do with a permissible accommodation.
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Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia
Keywords: Nazarene, Nazareth
Bible reference(s): Matthew 2:23, Matthew 4:13, Matthew 21:11, Matthew 26:71, Mark 1:9, Mark 1:24, Mark 10:47, Mark 14:67, Mark 16:6, Luke 1:26, Luke 2:4, Luke 2:39, Luke 2:51, Luke 4:16, Luke 4:34, Luke 18:37, Luke 24:19, John 1:45, John 1:46, John 18:5, John 18:7, John 19:19, Acts 2:22, Acts 3:6, Acts 4:10, Acts 6:14, Acts 10:38, Acts 22:8, Acts 24:5, Acts 26:9
Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.