3478. Nazara or Nazaret or Nazareth

Lexicon

Nazara or Nazaret or Nazareth: Nazareth

Original Word: Ναζαρά, Ναζαρέτ, Ναζαρέθ
Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Nazara or Nazaret or Nazareth
Pronunciation: nah-dzah-RAH, nah-dzah-RET, nah-dzah-RETH
Phonetic Spelling: (nad-zar-eth')
Definition: Nazareth
Meaning: Nazareth, a city of Galilee, where Jesus lived before His ministry.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Nazareth.

Or Nazaret nad-zar-et'; of uncertain derivation; Nazareth or Nazaret, a place in Palestine -- Nazareth.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
Nazareth, a city in Galilee
NASB Translation
Nazareth (12).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3478: Ναζαρέτ

Ναζαρέτ ((so Rec.st everywhere; Lachmann also in Mark 1:9; Luke 2:39, 51; Luke 4:16; John 1:45f (46f); Tdf. in Mark 1:9; John 1:45f (46f); Tr text in Luke 1:26; Luke 2:4; Luke 4:16; John 1:45f (46f); Tr marginal reading in Mark 1:9; Luke 2:39, 51; and WH everywhere except in four passages soon to be mentioned), Ναζαρέθ (so Rec.elz ten times, Rec.bez six times, T and Tr except in the passages already given or about to be given; L in Matthew 2:23; Matthew 21:11 (so WH here); Luke 1:26; Acts 10:38 (so WH here)), Ναζαραθ (L in Matthew 4:13 and Luke 2:4, after codex Delta but with little other attestation (Hort)), Ναζαρά (Matthew 4:13 T Tr WH; Luke 4:16 T WH)), ἡ, indeclinable, (and τά Ναζαρά, Origen and Julianus Africanus in Eusebius, h. e. 1, 7, 14; cf. Keith, Jesu von Naz. i., p. 319f. (English translation, ii., p. 16) and ii., p. 421f. (English translation, iv., p. 108), who thinks Nazara preferable to the other forms (but see WHs Appendix, p. 160{a}; Tdf. Proleg., p. 120; Scrivener, Introduction, chapter viii. § 5; Alford, Greek Testament, vol. i. Proleg., p. 97)), Nazareth, a town of lower Galilee, mentioned neither in the O. T., nor by Josephus, nor in the Talmud (unless it is to be recognized in the appellation נֵצֶר בֶּן, given there to Jesus Christ). It was built upon a hill, in a very lovely region (cf. Renan, Vie de Jesus, 14{me} edition, p. 27f. (Wilbour's translation (N. Y. 1865), pp. 69ff; see also Robinson, Researches, etc. ii., 336f)), and was distant from Jerusalem a three days' journey, from Tiberias eight hours (or less); it was the home of Jesus (Matthew 13:54; Mark 6:1); its present name is en Nazirah, a town of from five to six thousand inhabitants (cf. Baedeker, Palestine and Syria, p. 359): Matthew 2:23; Matthew 4:13; Matthew 21:11; Mark 1:9; Luke 1:26; Luke 2:4, 39, 51; Luke 4:16; John 1:45f (46f); Acts 10:39. As respects the Hebrew form of the name, it is disputed whether it was נֵצֶר 'a sprout', 'shoot' (so, besides others, Hengstenberg, Christol. des A. T. ii., 124f. (English translation, ii., 106f); but cf. Gieseler in the Studien und Kritiken for 1831, p. 588f), or נֹצְרָה, 'protectress', 'guard' (cf. 2 Kings 17:9; so Keim, as above), or נִצֶרֶת, 'sentinel' (so Delitzsch in the Zeitschr. f. Luth. Theol. for 1876, p. 401), or נְצֹרֶת 'watch-tower' (so Ewald in the Götting. gelehrt. Anzeigen for 1867, p. 1602f). For a further account of the town cf. Robinson, as above, pp. 333-343; Tobler, Nazareth in Palästina. Berl. 1868; (Hackett in B. D. under the word ).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Of uncertain derivation, possibly from a Hebrew root.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The exact Hebrew origin of Nazareth is uncertain, but it may be related to the Hebrew root נֵצֶר (netser), meaning "branch" or "shoot," which is associated with messianic prophecies, such as Isaiah 11:1: "A shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit." This connection underscores the prophetic fulfillment in Jesus' life and ministry.

Usage: The term is used in the New Testament to refer to the town of Nazareth, where Jesus was raised. It appears in various forms, including Ναζαρά (Nazara), Ναζαρέτ (Nazaret), and Ναζαρέθ (Nazareth).

Context: Nazareth is a significant location in the New Testament, primarily known as the place where Jesus grew up. It is situated in the region of Galilee, which was a part of the northern kingdom of Israel. The town is mentioned in several key passages in the Gospels, highlighting its importance in the life of Jesus.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Nazareth is identified as the fulfillment of prophecy: "So He went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: 'He will be called a Nazarene.'" (Matthew 2:23, BSB). This passage underscores the prophetic significance attributed to Jesus' association with Nazareth.

The Gospel of Luke provides further insight into Nazareth's role in Jesus' life. It records the Annunciation, where the angel Gabriel visits Mary in Nazareth to announce the birth of Jesus: "In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth" (Luke 1:26, BSB). This event marks the beginning of the Incarnation narrative.

Nazareth is also the setting for Jesus' early ministry. In Luke 4:16, Jesus returns to Nazareth and reads from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue, declaring the fulfillment of the prophecy: "He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. And when He stood up to read..." (Luke 4:16, BSB). This moment is pivotal, as it marks the public revelation of His messianic mission.

Despite its significance, Nazareth was a relatively obscure and humble town during Jesus' time, which is reflected in Nathanael's skeptical remark: "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" (John 1:46, BSB). This perception highlights the unexpected nature of God's work through Jesus, who hailed from such an unassuming place.

Forms and Transliterations

Ναζαρα Ναζαρά Ναζαρὰ Ναζαρεθ Ναζαρέθ Ναζαρὲθ Ναζαρετ Ναζαρέτ Ναζαρὲτ Nazara Nazará Nazarà Nazaret Nazarét Nazarèt Nazareth Nazaréth Nazarèth

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 2:23 N
GRK: πόλιν λεγομένην Ναζαρέτ ὅπως πληρωθῇ
NAS: called Nazareth. [This was] to fulfill
KJV: called Nazareth: that
INT: a city called Nazareth so that should be fulfilled

Matthew 4:13 N
GRK: καταλιπὼν τὴν Ναζαρὰ ἐλθὼν κατῴκησεν
NAS: and leaving Nazareth, He came
KJV: leaving Nazareth, he came
INT: having left Nazareth having come he dwelt

Matthew 21:11 N
GRK: ὁ ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲθ τῆς Γαλιλαίας
NAS: Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.
KJV: the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
INT: he who [is] from Nazareth of Galilee

Mark 1:9 N
GRK: Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲτ τῆς Γαλιλαίας
NAS: came from Nazareth in Galilee
KJV: came from Nazareth of Galilee, and
INT: Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee

Luke 1:26 N
GRK: ᾗ ὄνομα Ναζαρὲθ
NAS: in Galilee called Nazareth,
KJV: of Galilee, named Nazareth,
INT: whose name [was] Nazareth

Luke 2:4 N
GRK: ἐκ πόλεως Ναζαρὲθ εἰς τὴν
NAS: from the city of Nazareth, to Judea,
KJV: the city of Nazareth, into
INT: out of [the] town Nazareth to

Luke 2:39 N
GRK: πόλιν ἑαυτῶν Ναζαρέθ
NAS: to their own city of Nazareth.
KJV: their own city Nazareth.
INT: town of them Nazareth

Luke 2:51 N
GRK: ἦλθεν εἰς Ναζαρέθ καὶ ἦν
NAS: with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection
KJV: came to Nazareth, and was
INT: came to Nazareth and he was

Luke 4:16 N
GRK: ἦλθεν εἰς Ναζαρά οὗ ἦν
NAS: And He came to Nazareth, where
KJV: he came to Nazareth, where he had been
INT: he came to Nazareth where he was

John 1:45 N
GRK: τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέτ
NAS: Jesus of Nazareth, the son
KJV: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
INT: who [is] from Nazareth

John 1:46 N
GRK: Ναθαναήλ Ἐκ Ναζαρὲτ δύναταί τι
NAS: come out of Nazareth? Philip
KJV: come out of Nazareth? Philip saith
INT: Nathanael Out of Nazareth can any

Acts 10:38 N
GRK: τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέθ ὡς ἔχρισεν
NAS: [You know of] Jesus of Nazareth, how
KJV: Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost
INT: who [was] from Nazareth how anointed

Strong's Greek 3478
12 Occurrences

Ναζαρὰ — 2 Occ.
Ναζαρέτ — 4 Occ.
Ναζαρὲθ — 6 Occ.