Thursday, July 16, 2009
On נוצרים. נצר
The noun netser meaning a new branch is an important Messianic term based on a long passage in Isaiah. (The Branch Davidians and the Lubavitchers and many others have used this bit of Isaiah and the terms in it). The word netser also means a premature birth and I think Paul used this meaning somehow when he talked about being born out of time. His usage could refer back to a verse in Isaiah of uncertain meaning, with the phrase “a despised netser” נצר נתעב but the meaning of the verse is obscure. The context is Messianic.
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