A frequent misinterpretation claims the verse cites a nonexistent specific Old Testament prophecy verbatim stating 'He shall be called a Nazarene,' fueling doubts about biblical inerrancy since no single prophet uses those exact words; others confuse 'Nazarene' with 'Nazirite,' implying Jesus took a vow of consecration like Samson with uncut hair and abstinence, whereas the term here denotes his hometown association, likely alluding to the Messiah's humble, branch-like (netzer) obscurity in Isaiah's prophecies rather than a literal vow or precise quotation.
Matthew 2:23
King James Version (1769)
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Matthew 2:23 reveals God's providential guidance in directing Joseph to settle in Nazareth after the flight to Egypt, fulfilling the collective prophetic witness that the Messiah would be designated a Nazarene, underscoring Jesus' humble origins in an obscure Galilean village that symbolized his identification with the lowly and despised, aligning with broader Old Testament themes of the suffering servant's unpretentious beginnings.