Tag Archives: Matthew 2:23

Nazirite, Nazareth, and Grapevines

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When studies and thoughts collide! The collision of Nazirite, Nazareth, and Grapevines is more like three different musical instruments, all contributing three different sounds but are in harmony with the whole of the composition, not a hitting of two cars.

Nazirite – This term started this study. I thought it referred ‘to just’ a person who separated themselves to God for a season. The terms of the vow in Numbers 6 are clearly listed, but I only saw ‘no wine and don’t cut your hair’.

Numbers 6, the way I read the requirements.

  • Choosing a special vow of separation (with requirements) to the Lord (v2), for a specific amount of time (v5). Following the rules was part of the vow.
  • No Fermented drinks – wine, beer, vinegar
  • No grapes or its parts, and no grapevines and its parts
  • No cutting your hair by razor (on purpose?)
  • No dead bodies
  • A final sacrifice to end the vow

Actually, looking at the base word and where it appears in Scripture is important.

Strong’s Hebrew: 5139. נָזִיר (nazir) — Nazirite, one who is consecrated or set apart

This list is from H5139.

  1. Joseph (2x)
  2. grapevines during the Sabbath year and Jubilee
  3. one who chooses to dedicate
  4. Samson’s mother that extended to him- Judges 13 (From birth.)
  5. Lamentations 4 and Amos 2 are talking about those who did take the vow.

Other references, some of these are only about not drinking wine. Much discussion could happen here, but for some of these we do not have enough information and there are contradictions. Wine, beer, and vinegar were important drinks for an Israelite.

  • The Children during the Wandering in the dessert. Deuteronomy 29:6
  • Rechabites, in Jeremiah, did not drink wine.
  • The Prophet Samuel, by Hannah’s prayer and legend.
  • John the Baptist – Luke 1:15 (From birth.)
  • Jesus – John 17
  • Paul from references in Acts 18 and 21 for a specific time.

NAZARITE – JewishEncyclopedia.com is a good study tool.

Numbers 6:2 Hebrew Text Analysis The vow could be taken by a man OR a woman. Vow = Hebrew Concordance: yap̄·li — 2 Occurrences

Nazareth –

Our translation of Nazarite, Nazarene, and Nazareth all begin with ‘nazar’; but in Hebrew they come from different root words. To add to this is Matthew 2:23 with its phrase of ‘so was fulfilled’ meaning there was a prophecy about this; it is not an easily apparent prophecy in the Old Testament. This is where the studies start bumping together; see The Root, The Branch, The Fruit. This is also very good. Nazarene | The amazing name Nazarene: meaning and etymology

Jesus calls Himself the True Vine (John 15:1) and us the branches. Paul uses an olive tree (a symbol of Israel) and talks about shoots or branches being taken off and grafted in; representing Gentile believers. Instead of dismissing Matthew 2:23, as many do, be a king or queen and search for its meaning.

Grapevines and Its Parts

There are websites that meld wine and grapes together; I choose not to do that. I know that I am in a minority of those who think the Etz of Knowledge of Good and Evil could have been a grapevine. See The Garden and Grapes. I appreciate some medieval art, but I believe they missed it on that subject. Why should it be a fruit that is not really referred to a lot in the Bible, knowledge is?

The etz of grapes and its products are mentioned frequently in Scripture. Those references are about good and evil things that come from that etz. So, my driving question was, “Why would Father God restrict grape products for someone wanting to separate themselves to know Him better?” All of those grape products are consumable as nourishment to the human body. In the Garden, the consumption of the Etz of Knowledge was forbidden, whereas the consumption of the Etz of Life was not forbidden.

Knowledge, like grapes, can be useful for good, or can be used for evil purposes. I see a very symbolic relationship here that put it as a requirement for this vow of separation. The woody stem (etz) is also very symbolic of knowledge; it is solid but sways and bends. The stem has its uses but building a chair or table from it is not one of them. My takeaway is: Stay away from pliable knowledge and go for the Tree of Life.

 These are notes, my thinking out loud to help form my thoughts.

  • No manmade fermented drinks. Alcohol, yeast, or man purposely changing the drink. These liquids played a big role in the lives of the people. Beer can be made into vinegar.
  • No Grapes – I take it as a symbol of the Tree of Knowledge. Seed and skin are single use words, but there are foods made from them. Grapes can be soaked and that liquid made into wine.
  • No razor – hair and bread? “hair of dedication” v19 BibleGateway – Keyword Search: razor
  • No dead bodies, ceremonially unclean v7
  • Final sacrifice – v13 This was expensive. You had to finish the sacrifice to return to “normal/drink wine v20,21”.
  • Most of these requirements are willing separation, but dead bodies are covered in length, even as an accident.
  • Psalm 53 is about those who seek God vs the fool, which was the reason for this vow. This connects to Amos.
  • Netzer (נֶצֶר), meaning “branch” or “shoot”

Joshua of Nazareth or the Root of the Lord’s Salvation

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Joshua of Nazareth (His Hebrew name) and its very loose translation-the root of the Lord’s salvation is setting the tone for this post and my feeble attempt at translating His names. 

This post is a look at who Jesus is by some of His names, titles, and attributes. (I used the Complete Jewish Bible, the Orthodox Jewish Bible, the Mounce Reverse Interlinear, and the NIV for the verses and the names.) 

Isaiah 7:14 This is the prophecy that says Jesus is Immanuel or God with us.

Matthew 1:23 Matthew repeats Isaiah in his introduction of the Christmas story.    

Exodus 34:6-7 is a good place to find out more about God the Father and Son. Moses wanted to know more, so God introduced Himself as He hid Moses in the rock’s cleft. His introduction was this: Hashem, Hashem El Rachum v’Channun or The Lord, the Lord the compassionate and gracious God. 

Isaiah 9:6 is a list of names or titles the Messiah was given as a present. They are:

  • Peleh (Wonderful) 
  • Yoetz (Counsellor)
  • El Gibbor (Mighty G-d) 
  • Avi Ad (Possessor of Eternity) or (Father of Eternity)-I really this one!
  • Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace)

Depending on what Hebrew source you use, the spellings may vary slightly. (Translators are amazing.) 

At first, I did not include this part of the verse. BUT. After watching several sermons about Christmas, I knew I had to add the first part of the verse. For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; dominion will rest on his shoulders, and he will be given the name. (CJB) This just has so much in it! I will focus on the two “given”. We were given a gift, and so did Jesus, for becoming human. What you do with any gift is always your choice. Choose well and keep Him close throughout the year.   

Matthew 2:23 states that there is a prophecy that says Jesus will be called a Nazarene. Okay, don’t drive yourself crazy looking for that, because it hides in the roots of the word netzer, which means branch. (See The Root, The Branch, The Fruit – The Christmas Stor).  

The Father confirms His words by giving them to two or three witnesses. He did this with what He wanted His Son called. Both Mary and Joseph were told by Gabriel what to call the Baby-Jesus. Mary was told in Luke 1:31 and Joseph’s witness came in his dream in Matthew 2: 21. The third witness is when the Father told Gabriel. The footnote in my NIV in Matthew states, Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves.

Joshua of Nazareth or the Root of the Lord’s salvation, enough said.

The last verse for this post is Revelation 19:11. Jesus is not a helpless baby, or a hard-working carpenter, or a meek rabbi teaching and healing thousands. In this verse, He is called Faithful (pistos) and True (alethinos) while sitting on a white horse leading His armies into battle. His eyes are blazing, a sword is coming out of His mouth, and His robes are dipped in blood.

The mystery and aura of God’s love are easy to hold as a baby in a manger, but the Rider on the white horse is also God’s love for those who choose to believe in HIM.   

I AM in John

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I AM in John

The purpose of this post is to explore the times when Jesus uses “I am” in the Book of John.  I think this adds to John’s purpose of proving that Jesus is the Messiah.  There are some loose groupings of how/when Jesus used the term.  I will not try and list all of the verses but will leave that up to you and a concordance or a Bible app like BibleGateway. 

We use the phrase “I am” in our speech with other people frequently.  In Exodus 3:14 the Almighty God choose this phase as the name He wanted Moses and the Israelites to know Him by.  As with many translations, our English thoughts and ancient Hebrew usage can yield slightly different meanings.  (see I AM – Exodus) But think about it the next time you introduce yourself to someone or announce that you are going somewhere.

To non-Jews    Jesus used this phrase when He was talking to the Samaritan Woman and to Pilate.  These were at the beginning and end of His earthly ministry.  Jesus affirmed to the Woman that He was the Messiah and to Pilate that He was a King – John 4:26/18:37.  

What Jesus Said About Himself This is the reason I started thinking about this post.  I know there are other sources that will only list seven of these.  (Seldom am I in perfect harmony with them.)  Remember, this is just from the Gospel of John.  They will be out of order.

  1. 8:58 – before Abraham was born, I am (NIV).  The 8th chapter of John has eleven times when Jesus uses “I am”.  This is the only time that Jesus actually declares He is God.  This was done at the end of a long conversation with the Jews in the Temple.  They were going to stone Him and He “slipped away”.
  2. 4:26 – He told the woman at the well that He was the Messiah.
  3. 18:37 – Pilate He was a King.
  4. 6:35 This was after He fed the 5,000.  He identified as the Bread of Life (manna).
  5. 8:12 In the Temple.  He is the Light of the World.  Jesus says this again in 9:5 as He is healing the man born blind.
  6. 10:7+9 This is with the “man born blind” – Jesus is the Gate for the Sheep.    
  7. 10:11 He is the Good Shepherd.
  8. 10:36 He is God’s Son.
  9. 11: 25 He is the Resurrection and the Life.  This was said as He was raising Lazarus and going to Jerusalem for His final Passover.
  10. 13: 13 Jesus quotes the disciples calling Him Teacher and Lord.  
  11. 15:1+5 He calls Himself the True Vine.  This was in His last meal on Thursday of Holy Week.        
  12. 14: 10,11, and 20 Jesus says He is in the Father.  Even without this one, I am over the seven.

He Is Going Away I count seventeen times Jesus says He is going away.  20:17 is to Mary at the garden tomb.  The other times He says this in private and before a crowd starts in Chapter 7:34 and 8:14+21.  Here He was in the Temple.  The majority of these announcements are during Holy Week and are in chapters 13, 14, 16, and 17.  Jesus told the Disciples, but they could not hear these as a prophecy.  He told them plainly in 12:36 that He was to be “lifted up”. 

The Mob 18:5,6, and 8 takes place in the Garden with Judas and the mob.  They are looking for Jesus of Nazareth and He answers with “I am He”.  My post the Root, Branch, Fruit deals with the prophecy you “cannot find” in Matthew 2:23.  The key is the word netzer which means branch and is the root for Nazareth.

Great Commission – John’s Style 20:21 has Jesus telling the Disciples “I am sending you”.  Jesus compares His order to what the Father did with Him.  Jesus has also given them “peace” and then breaths on them to receive the Holy Spirit.  Pentecost and their next step in God was the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  During the Counting of the Omer, the Disciples spent time with Jesus before the Ascension and their ten days of intense prayer. 

The Root, The Branch, The Fruit – The Christmas Story

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“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” Revelations 22:16 (NIV)

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots, a Branch will bear fruit. Isaiah 11:1 (NIV)

Yes, the Christmas story and the mission of Jesus are in those two verses.  In Matthew and Luke, the story is told, and each writer includes a genealogy of Jesus.  Matthew uses David as a connection point for his Hebrew audience.  The number fourteen (symbolizes David) and his inclusion of women in the lists of names show Jesus to the people in many ways.  Luke speaks to his Gentile reader(s) by using a slightly different look in the family tree (probably Mary’s) and goes back to the Garden and the first Adam.  Luke’s genealogy includes the “common” members of the family, while Matthew has the Patriarchs, the Kings, and the “common” people. 

Using the picture of roots, stumps, and branches allows for interesting symbolism.

The Root

Our two verses show the root of David, which is Jesse, and the root of Jesse, which is the tribe of Judah, and the root of Judah is Jesus.  The genealogies in Matthew and Luke help here!  But if you like the rest of the story turn to First Chronicles 2:3 – 17.  This really starts in Numbers 26:19 and Genesis 38 especially verses 27 – 30.  The story starts with Judah, who could hand out hard verdicts but did not do well in the receiving department.  Perez was the first one completely out but the second-born son because Zerah stuck his arm “out” first.  (This is a strange picture of being the “first and the last”.)  It is his family line through Ram that produced the leaders of the Tribe of Judah.  Jesse was the “head man” of the tribe and should have been one of the “panicked elders” when Samuel showed up in their town.  (I wrote Cut Jesse Some Slack, BECAUSE!)  That would have put Eliab, by birth, as the next in line for the leadership of the tribe of Judah.  In reading 1 Samuel 16 and 1 Chronicles 2:13 – 17 you get a whole picture of Jesse’s family.  The two lists of sons don’t match and it may be that one died as David is #7 in Chronicles and #8 in 1 Samuel.  

A few thoughts as a teacher and a gardener to show the importance of the root.

  • It is the first part to show up when the Seed is covered with water.  It absorbs the water to convert the stored energy into the rest of the plant.
  • I have to include Genesis 1:2 – the Spirit was over the water, God did a lot with water in Genesis 1.  Baptism is also a must, you leave the old man under the surface and the new man comes out.
  • Roots anchor a plant.  It really is the biggest part of the plant as it spreads out in the soil working to take in water and other nutrients. 

The Branch 

Jonathan Cahn in his Book of Mysteries series talks about Matthew 2:23 where Jesus fulfills the prophecies that Jesus would be a Nazarene. (Video on YouTube) The root word for Nazareth/Nazarene is netzer which means branch.  So, Isaiah 11:1, Zechariah 3:8, and Jeremiah 23:5 are those prophetic announcements. 

I will not start “splitting hairs” about stems, trunks, etc. because I just have a feeling it is more about the foundation (roots) and what is growing above (branch).  Jesus in John 15 and Paul in Romans 11 also lean into this way of looking at a plant.

In John 15 Jesus calls Himself the vine and we are the branches – we have to be connected to Him.  Romans 11 has us as branches being grafted into “the olive tree” so we can grow.

Branches are for reproduction; the fruit will form on them.  So, if we look at Jesus as the Branch – He was to produce fruit.  If we consider ourselves as the branch, we must produce fruit!

Both 

Revelations 22:16 puts Jesus in two positions – The Root and the Branch.  The symbolism and its examples in this thought could go on for a while.  (You may have the privilege.)  If I focus on just plants I will give you this – Jesus is the alpha and omega, the beginning (roots), and the end (branch).  

Fruit Wheat or oak trees, a plant is about producing fruit (or seed).  Good fruit, bad fruit, or not producing fruit there are many parables about fruit in the Gospels.  We always tend to think of the fruit of the Spirit, but in context with my Kingdom series is Matthew 21:43 – the kingdom of God can be taken from you and given to people who will produce ITS fruit.