Matthew’s Infancy Narrative and Jeremiah 31

The infancy narrative of Matthew’s Gospel lays the groundwork for the rest of the Gospel to follow, and the OT citations anchor this account in Israel’s history and hopes. In particular, the only attributed citation in the infancy narrative, from Jeremiah 31, is key to Matthew’s agenda and, with its motif of exile and return, informs our reading of the other citations in the infancy narrative. I propose here a fresh solution to the origin of the phrase “he will be called a Nazorean” (Matt 2:23).