Chizuk Emunah (Pt 2) Under the Microscope: Chapter 6

Troki gives a short but common objection regarding Matthew's use of the Tanakh:

Matthew 2:23, "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." This quotation has been falsely made, and is not to be found in any part of our prophetic writings; which subject has been more fully treated of in the former part of this work.

Ancient Greek has no symbol for quotation marks, and this does not look like a direct quotation. Modern translations of the Bible often render this passage "it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, that he will be called a Nazarene."

This is a reference to Isaiah 11, which speaks of the branch that will come from the stump of Jesse. The targum translates the branch as Messiah. It is also a reference to Jeremiah 23:5 "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land."

The basic thrust of the passage is a pun. Jesus is the branch, and is from Branchville. Modern Evangelicalism might not be comfortable with this kind of exegesis, but it certainly was at home with the rabbinic style of interpreting the Bible.