the Jews is indeed to be lamented who
refer this prophecy to Zerubbabel."]

[Footnote 3: Although _Umbreit_ denies it, yet this is implied in the
designation of the Messiah as a shoot from the roots. Moreover, the
lowliness of the Messiah himself at His appearance is a necessary
consequence of the lowliness of His family; and it is a bad middle
course to acknowledge the latter and deny the former. To this may,
moreover, be added the parallel passage Is. liii. 2.]

[Pg 106]

ON MATTHEW II. 23.

[Greek: Kai elthon katokesen eis polin legomenen Nazaret. hopos
plerothe to rhethen dia ton propheton, hoti Nazoraios klethesetai.]

We here premise an investigation as regards the name of the town of
Nazareth. Since that name occurs in the New Testament only, different
views might arise as to its orthography and etymology. One view is
this: The name was properly and originally [Hebrew: ncr]. Being the
name of a town, it received, in Aramean, in addition, the feminine
termination [Hebrew: a]. And, finally, on account of the original
appellative signification of the word, a [Hebrew: t], the designation
of the _status emphaticus_ of feminine nouns in [Hebrew: a], was
sometimes added. We have an analogous case in the name _Dalmanutha_,
the same place which, with the Talmudist, is called [Hebrew: clmvN].
Compare _Lightfoot decas chorog. Marc. praem., opp._ II., p. 411 sqq.
So it is likewise probably that [Greek: gabbatha], [Hebrew: gbta] is
formed from the masculine [Hebrew: gb], _dorsum_. Our view is that the
original name was _Nezer_, that this form of the name was in use along
with that which received a [Hebrew: t] added, and that this [Hebrew: t]
served for the designation of the _status emphaticus_ only; or also, if
we wish to take our stand upon the Hebrew form, was a mere hardening of
the [Hebrew: h] Femin. (either of which suppositions is equally
suitable for our purpose); and this our view we prove by the following
arguments: 1. The testimonies of the Jews. _David de Pomis_ (in _De
Dieu_, _critic. sacr._ on M. II. 23) says: [Hebrew: ncri mi wnvld beir
ncr hglil rHvq mirvwliM drK wlwt imiM] "A Nazarene is he who is born in
the town of _Nezer_, in Galilee, three days'journey from Jerusalem."
In the Talmud, in _Breshith Rabba_, and in _Jalkut Shimeoni_ on Daniel,
the contemptuous name of _Ben Nezer_, _i.e._, the Nazarene, is given to
Christ; compare the passages in _Buxtorf_, _lex. c._