Matthew 2:23 tells us that after Joseph brought Jesus back from Egypt, the family settled in the town of Nazareth in Galilee. Matthew presents this move as the fulfillment of something the prophets had spoken, namely that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. The verse is narrated by the Gospel writer Matthew, who is describing the events of Jesus’ early childhood to readers who already know the Old Testament Scriptures well.
And came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Matthew 2:23 (WEB)
What Matthew 2:23 Means
The verse has two main parts. The first is a plain statement of where Joseph, Mary and the child went to live: a town called Nazareth, a small village in the hill country of Galilee, far from the court of Herod in Jerusalem. Joseph chose it because he had been warned in a dream not to return to Judea, where the new ruler Archelaus was reigning.
The second part is the phrase “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets.” Matthew is saying that this relocation was not an accident of travel but part of a larger pattern in which God’s purposes were being carried out. The verse then gives the prophetic statement itself: “He will be called a Nazarene.” Matthew does not name a single prophet, and no exact Old Testament sentence says these words. The verse therefore promises that Jesus’ connection to Nazareth fits God’s plan, but it does not claim a specific prophecy that can be pointed to word for word.
The Context of Matthew 2:23
Matthew’s Gospel was written for a community of Jewish Christians, probably in the later first century, and it is traditionally attributed to the apostle Matthew. Its opening chapters repeatedly show Jesus as the one who fulfills the Scriptures, which is why Matthew keeps pointing to what the prophets said. The flight to Egypt in the verses before, and the return to Israel after, echo the story of Israel itself, which came out of Egypt and wandered before settling in the land.
Just before verse 23, an angel tells Joseph that the danger from Herod has passed, and then Joseph hears that Archelaus is now in power, so he goes north to Galilee. Read in that setting, Nazareth is not a random destination but a place of refuge, chosen under God’s direction. The surrounding verses help you see that Matthew is tracing God’s protection of Jesus step by step.
Key Phrases in Matthew 2:23
Matthew 2:13
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”
(WEB)
This verse describes the angel’s warning to Joseph to flee to Egypt. It shows the same pattern of divine guidance that leads the family to Nazareth, and helps you see how Matthew traces God’s protection through the early chapters.
Luke 2:39
When they had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.
(WEB)
Luke also records the family’s return to Nazareth after the temple visit. Reading the two Gospels side by side confirms that Nazareth was the family’s home and gives a fuller picture of Jesus’ upbringing there.
A Short Prayer From Matthew 2:23
Father, thank you that you guided Joseph and Mary to a humble home in Nazareth and that your plans reached into ordinary places. Help me trust your direction when I cannot see the whole path ahead. Where my life feels small or unnoticed, remind me that you are present and that you are working out your purposes. Keep me faithful in the place where you have put me today. Amen.
