A 'Nazarene' was a man who came from the city of Nazareth, in the north of Israel. Jesus Christ was identified as 'Jesus of Nazareth' (see John 19:19), and he used this name for himself (see Acts 22:8). Matthew tells us of an Old Testament prophecy that Jesus would be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23), and this could be a play on words.

Nazareth as a city is not mentioned in the Old Testament, but Matthew is probably referring to Isaiah 11:1-2: "A shoot [KJV: "rod"] will come up from the stump [KJV: "stem"] of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him…."

The Hebrew word netzer means a 'branch' or a shoot growing out of a plant. This prophetic description can only reasonably be applied to the Lord Jesus. He is also described by the prophet as a 'rod', 'twig', 'shoot' or 'sprout' from the Hebrew word choter.
The early followers of Jesus were sometimes called Nazarenes (see Acts 24:5).

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Nazarene
Nazarite
New Birth
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