G3480 — Ναζωραῖος (Nazōraios)¶
Core Data¶
- Strong's: G3480
- Original: Ναζωραῖος
- Transliteration: Nazōraios
- Pronunciation: nad-zo-rah'-yos
- Part of Speech: Proper masculine noun
- Occurrences: 15 unique verses (15 tokens)
- Books: 5 (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts)
- First Occurrence: Mat 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."
- Hapax Legomenon: No
Lexicon Definition¶
From G3478 (Nazareth); a Nazoraean, i.e. inhabitant of Nazareth; by extension, a Christian.
Etymological note: The form Ναζωραῖος is distinct from the simpler gentilicium Ναζαρηνός (G3479, "Nazarene"). The -ωραῖος ending does not follow the standard Greek pattern for deriving a demonym from Ναζαρέθ (which would produce Ναζαρηνός). This has prompted scholarly proposals connecting the word to Hebrew נָזַר (nazar, H5144, "to consecrate/separate" — root of "Nazirite") or נֵצֶר (netser, H5342, "branch" — the messianic shoot of Isa 11:1). The data below documents the NT usage without resolving the etymological question.
Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶
- Domain: 93.002 — Places (Names of Persons and Places)
- Parent Domain: 93 — Names of Persons and Places
Translation Distribution (KJV)¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| of Nazareth | 12 | 80.0% |
| OF NAZARETH | 1 | 6.7% |
| a Nazarene | 1 | 6.7% |
| Nazarenes | 1 | 6.7% |
Distribution by Book¶
| Book | Count | Per 100 Verses |
|---|---|---|
| Acts | 7 | 0.7 |
| John | 3 | 0.3 |
| Matthew | 2 | 0.2 |
| Luke | 2 | 0.2 |
| Mark | 1 | 0.1 |
Acts accounts for nearly half of all uses (47%). The word is entirely absent from the Epistles and Revelation. It functions as an identifier in kerygmatic proclamation (Acts 2:22, 3:6, 4:10) and in narrative identification scenes (John 18:5, 7).
Morphological Distribution¶
| Case | Count | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (NSM) | 5 | Predicate/title — "He shall be called a Nazorean" |
| Genitive (GSM) | 5 | Possessive/apposition — "Jesus of Nazareth" |
| Accusative (ASM) | 3 | Direct object — "Jesus of Nazareth" (as object of seeking) |
| Genitive Plural (GPM) | 1 | Group designation — "sect of the Nazarenes" (Acts 24:5) |
The single plural occurrence (Acts 24:5) is the only place Nazōraios refers to Christ's followers rather than to Jesus himself.
Semantic Categories¶
1. Messianic Title / Prophetic Fulfillment¶
- Mat 2:23 — "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene."
The only occurrence explicitly framed as fulfilling prophecy. No single OT text says "He shall be called a Nazarene" — Matthew cites "the prophets" (plural), suggesting a thematic rather than verbatim fulfillment.
2. Public Identification of Jesus¶
- Mar 10:47 — "when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me."
- Luk 18:37 — "they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by."
- Mat 26:71 — "This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth."
Used by crowds and bystanders as a simple identifier distinguishing this Jesus from others. In Mark 10:47, the Nazorean title stands in contrast to the messianic "Son of David" that Bartimaeus uses.
3. Self-Identification by the Risen Christ¶
- Act 22:8 — "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest."
Jesus identifies himself to Paul on the Damascus road using this title, retaining the geographic/titular designation even after resurrection and ascension.
4. Apostolic Kerygma — Proclamation and Healing¶
- Act 2:22 — "Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs"
- Act 3:6 — "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."
- Act 4:10 — "by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead"
- Act 26:9 — "I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth."
Peter and Paul use the full formula "Jesus (Christ) of Nazareth" in proclamation and healing commands. The title functions as a specific identifier within the authoritative "name" (onoma) formula.
5. Accusatory / Hostile Usage¶
- Act 6:14 — "this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us."
- Act 24:5 — "a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes"
Used by opponents: Stephen's accusers and Tertullus before Felix. Acts 24:5 is the sole instance where the word designates the movement rather than the person.
6. Official / Inscriptional Usage¶
- Jhn 19:19 — "JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS"
Pilate's titulus on the cross. The only occurrence rendered in uppercase in the KJV, reflecting the written inscription. The full formula combines geographic origin with royal claim.
7. Identification in Arrest Narrative¶
- Jhn 18:5 — "They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth."
- Jhn 18:7 — "they said, Jesus of Nazareth."
- Luk 24:19 — "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word"
Used by the arresting party and by the Emmaus disciples. In John 18, Jesus' "I am" (egō eimi) response to "Jesus of Nazareth" creates a dramatic contrast between the human title and the divine self-identification.
Common Collocations¶
| Word | Strong's | Co-occurrences | Typical Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| λέγω (legō) | G3004 | 5x (33%) | "said... Jesus of Nazareth" — identification in speech |
| ἔπω (epō) | G2036 | 4x (27%) | "they said... Jesus of Nazareth" — response to "whom seek ye?" |
| ἀκούω (akouō) | G191 | 3x (20%) | "when he heard... Jesus of Nazareth" — crowd identification |
| θεός (theos) | G2316 | 3x (20%) | "approved of God" / "God raised" — kerygmatic formula |
| ὄνομα (onoma) | G3686 | 3x (20%) | "in the name of Jesus (Christ) of Nazareth" — authority formula |
| Χριστός (Christos) | G5547 | 2x (13%) | "Jesus Christ of Nazareth" — full messianic + geographic title |
| προφήτης (prophētēs) | G4396 | 2x (13%) | "spoken by the prophets" / "a prophet mighty in deed" |
| ἐγείρω (egeirō) | G1453 | 2x (13%) | "whom God raised from the dead" — resurrection kerygma |
Related Words¶
Word Family¶
- G3478 Ναζαρέθ (Nazareth) — the town itself; 12 occurrences; proper locative noun; "of uncertain derivation"
- G3479 Ναζαρηνός (Nazarēnos) — alternative gentilicium "Nazarene"; 4 occurrences (Mark 1:24, 14:67, 16:6; Luke 4:34); adjective form; used exclusively in Mark and Luke
Easily Confused Words¶
| Word | Strong's | Shared Translation | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ναζαρηνός | G3479 | "of Nazareth" (4x) | Standard Greek demonym form (-ηνός); used only by demoniacs and servants in Mark/Luke; never in Acts kerygma |
| Ναζαρέθ | G3478 | "of Nazareth" (1x as translated phrase) | The place name itself, not a title applied to a person |
G3480 and G3479 are often treated as interchangeable, but their distribution differs: G3479 appears only in Mark and Luke (narrative/confrontation scenes), while G3480 dominates Acts (apostolic proclamation) and appears in all five books. Mark 10:47 uses G3480 (Nazōraios) where the parallel Luke 18:37 also uses G3480, but Mark 1:24 and 14:67 use G3479 (Nazarēnos).
Proposed Hebrew Etymological Connections¶
| Word | Strong's | Proposed Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| נָזַר (nazar) | H5144 | "to consecrate, separate" | Root of "Nazirite" (nazir, H5139); 10 occurrences; would connect Jesus to the consecrated-one tradition |
| נֵצֶר (netser) | H5342 | "branch, shoot" | 4 occurrences; Isa 11:1 "a Branch (netser) shall grow out of his roots" — messianic; Dan 11:7 |
These connections remain debated. The -ωραῖος suffix does not straightforwardly derive from either Hebrew root by normal Greek transliteration rules. Matthew 2:23's citation of "the prophets" (plural) may suggest a wordplay encompassing multiple resonances rather than a single etymological derivation.
Hebrew Source¶
No LXX mapping data — Ναζωραῖος is a NT-only word with no OT/LXX equivalent.
Generated from: gather_word_data.py, greek_parser.py, search_strongs.py, search_relationships.py Last updated: 2026-05-01