prophecies ; whereas those who consider rb pr,dsv (that which was uttered), " He shall be called a Nazarene" to have been expressly uttered of old, recognise a homogeneous portion of the entire testimony of prophecy, and thus in truth maintain the integrity and defend the simplicity of Scripture (Cf. Calovius's Biblia Illustrata, and Ilus's1 HarmoniaEvangelistarum,p.284). WHO was to have the surname of Nazarene, is not added in the verse : for wherever anything occurs in the prophecies which is not foreign to the Messiah, that should be understood of the Messiah, although there be no express mention of His name. It is, how ever, probable that more words than these two may have existed together with them in a very short prediction. The long con cealment of this monument of antiquity was agreeable to the manner of Christ's private life, spent in the retirement of Naza reth, and calculated to try the faith of saints, and condemn the falsehood of sinners. (See John i. 46, etc., and vii. 41, etc.)
Now that we have proved that the peculiar and primary force of the name Nazarene, is to be found in the town itself of Naza~ reth, we proceed to lay down as a corollary, that the etymology of the country, and surname of Christ thence derived, is not unimportant. Christ, the Son of David the Bethlehemite, was not called a Bethlehemite : therefore, in the etymology of the town of Bethlehem, a mystery is not equally sought for. Christ was called a Nazarene. This was indeed effected by the dis course of men ; but not without the overruling providence of God. It was not by mere accident that Pilate inscribed cate gorically, in the three cardinal languages, Jesus, King of the Jews, and retained what he had written : it did not by mere accident happen that Pilate at the same time inscribed " THE NAZARENE," and that others, both before and after, used the expression with reference to our Lord. The names, " JESUS," " CHRIST," " EMMANUEL," etc., intimate, that that which is implied by their sound is actually being exhibited : you would rightly deny that the surname, " Nazarene" alone should be
1 JOHN REINHARD Rus, a learned Lutheran divine of the eighteenth cen tury. The title of the work is " Harmonia Evan^elistarum, ita adornata. ut investigata, sedulo textus cohserentia, nullus versus, sive trajiciatur, sive pnetereatur sine brevi ac succincta explicatione, quse justi commentarii loco esse queat." Jense 1727-1730. — (I. B.)