Again Joseph was directed to a place of safety. He returned to Nazareth, his former home, and here for nearly thirty years Jesus dwelt, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene." Galilee was under the control of a son of Herod, but it had a much larger admixture of foreign inhabitants than Judea. 67 Thus there was less interest in matters relating especially to the Jews, and the claims of Jesus would be less likely to excite the jealousy of those in power.

Atter blev Josef ledet hen til et sikkert tilfugtssted. Han vendte tilbage til Nazaret, hvor han tidligere havde haft sit hjem, og her boede Jesus i næsten tredive år, "for at det skulle gå i opfyldelse, som er talt ved profeterne, at han skulle kaldes nazaræer". Galilæa blev også regeret af en søn af Herodes, men det rummede langt flere udenlandske indbyggere end Judæa. Derfor fandtes der mindre interesse for sager, der specielt angik jøderne, og de krav, Jesus fremkom med, ville have mindre sandsynlighed for at vække de magthavendes skinsyge.