[Footnote 2: _Hofmann_ (_Weissagung und Erfüllung._, II. S. 64) was the last who assumed that the Evangelist had generally in view those passages in which the lowliness, contempt, and rejection of Christ are spoken of, and that, in the Old Testament passages in question, the Ναζωραῖος was not contained according to the letter, but according to the spirit only. But this is opposed not only by the whole manner of quotation which is given as a literal one, but also by a whole series of analogies: Christ's birthplace in Bethlehem, His stay in Jerusalem, His ministry in Galilee, and especially in Capernaum, His entrance into Jerusalem,--all these are by Matthew traced back to prophetical declarations which have a special reference to these localities. Against the exposition given by us, _Hofmann_ advances the assertion that neither נצר nor חטר have ever attached to them the idea of lowliness, of unassuming appearance. But even if a twig were not of itself something lowly and unassuming in appearance, yet, in the passage before us, that idea is, at all events, implied in the connection with the _stump_ and _roots_, as well as by the contrast to יפרה.] [Footnote 3: The following passage, which we take from _Raim. Martini Pug. Fid._ III. 3, 19 p. 685, will fully illustrate that custom: R. _Abba_ said: His name is יהוה Lord, according to the word in Jerem. xxiii. 6; R. _Josua ben Levy_ said: "His name is Sprout, according to what is said in Zech. vi. 12. Others say that His name will be Comforter, Son of the strength of God, as is declared in Lam. i. 16. Those from the School of R. _Siloh_ said: His name will be _Shiloh_, as is written in Gen. xlix. 10: 'Until Shiloh come.' Those from the School of R. _Chanina_ said: His name will be the Gracious one, as Jerem. said in chap. xvi. 13. Those from the School of R. _Jannai_ said: Jinnon shall be His name, according to Ps. lxxii. 17, &c."] [Pg 133] CHAP. XII. This chapter contains Israel's hymn of thanks after having obtained redemption and deliverance, and is connected with chap. ix. 2 (3), where the Prophet had, in general, mentioned the joy of the elect in the Messianic time. Here he embodies it in words. The hymn, which forms a kind of close, and, to a certain degree, belongs to the whole cycle of the preceding Messianic prophecies, is based upon the hymn of thanksgiving by Israel after having passed through the Red Sea,--that historical fact which contained so strong a guarantee for the future redemption, and is in harmony with chap. xi. 15, 16, where the Prophet had announced a renewal of those wonderful leadings of the Lord. The hymn falls into three stanzas, each consisting of two verses. In ver. 1 and 2, and in ver. 4 and 5, the redeemed ones are introduced speaking; ver. 3 and 5, which likewise form a couple, contain an epilogue of the Prophet on the double _jubilus_ of the congregation.