And He came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, that He will be called a Nazarene.
This verse summarizes the account of Jesus’ childhood, showing how even the place of His dwelling was foreordained by God. Joseph, obeying divine guidance, settled in Nazareth, a small and humble town in Galilee. That choice by God was not accidental: Nazareth was regarded as an insignificant place, and Jesus’ growing up there was to show that the Messiah comes in humility, not with worldly glory. Being called a “Nazarene” is connected with the prophetic idea that the Messiah was to come from the line of David as a new “Branch” or shoot (Isaiah 11:1). Although the word “Nazarene” does not literally mean “Branch,” Jesus’ growing up in Nazareth and His humble origin express precisely that prophetic thought. Thus the word of the prophets is fulfilled not by a literal prophecy of a specific name, but by its deeper meaning: the Messiah’s humble origin. Jesus appears as the promised Savior, who, having a small and insignificant beginning like a shoot (Isaiah 11:1), brings new life and hope.