Town where the Lord was “brought up.” Early in the Lord’s ministry He visited Nazareth, and taught in the synagogue. The people wondered at His gracious words, but they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” When He told them that no prophet is accepted in his own country, and proceeded to speak of the grace of God having gone out to the Gentiles in Old Testament times, they were filled with wrath, thrust Him out of the city, and sought to hurl Him over the brow of the hill on which the city was built. But He, passing through the midst of them, went His way (Luke 4:16-30). About twelve months later He visited “his own country” again and taught in the synagogue. But the inhabitants only regarded Him as “the carpenter,” and were offended in Him. He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief (Matt. 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6). As far as is known the Lord did not visit Nazareth again.
It is identified with en Nasirah, in Lower Galilee, 32° 42' N, 35° 18' E. The town presents a striking appearance, the houses being built of the white limestone of the neighborhood, which reflects the rays of the sun. There is a steep precipice which is probably the place where the enraged people intended to cast down the Lord. A spring, called the “fountain of the virgin,” supplies the town with water, where the women may daily be seen with their pitchers, and whence doubtless the mother of the Lord also fetched water for her family. The name of the city often occurs in the gospels in the expression, “Jesus of Nazareth,” and this designation was also placed on the cross. God has highly exalted the One who humbled Himself, and was in the eyes of the Jews merely “Jesus of Nazareth.”