The word Notzrim in Jeremiah is from a root meaning "watcher" or even "besieger". It does not mean Nazarenes. The connection to Nazarenes is purely post biblical Hebrew.
God's knowledge of the present and future is identical to his knowledge of the past. Therefore, the divine inspiration of a prophet (lent from God's omniscience) is likewise asymmetrical: a prophetic narrative can speak to all times.
Although the Torah can be read by the simplest individual, one must delve beneath its surface meaning if one is to discover its true treasures. . . The Torah can be understood according to its simple meaning, or according to more complex exegesis.
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, Handbook of Jewish Thought, p. 143.
Here is Klein's explanation
נצרᴵ to watch, guard, keep, to put on the safety catch (in a weapon).
— Qal - נָצַר 1 he watched, guarded, kept; 2 he guarded from danger, preserved; 3 he observed; 4 he kept secret; 5 he kept close . . ..
Jeremiah 4:17 speaks of "watchers" or "guardians" of שדי (Shaddai). But in verse 17 he doesn't use the consonants נצר (
nun-tzaddi-reish) to speak of the watchers or guardians of Shaddai. He uses the consonants שמר (
shin-mem-reish).
Why is that important? Because in Genesis chapter 17, God establishes a covenant with Abraham with the command that Abraham and his offspring must become "watchers," or "guardians" of the covenant. The word God uses for the commandment to watch, or guard, the covenant, is שמר (
shin-mem-reish). Furthermore, in the very first verse of this seminal chapter (Genesis 17) God reveals his name שדי (Shaddai) for the first time in scripture.
Genesis 17:1 is the first time שדי (Shaddai) is found in the Tanakh. And it's found when God tells Israel to "watch" or "guard" שמר the covenant . . .
watch, or
guard, Shaddai שדי (Genesis 17:7). Jeremiah 4:17 is the first (and only) time the consonants (שדי) are found in Jeremiah.
Surprisingly, startlingly, Jeremiah actually parallels the word "Nazarenes" (
nazarim נצרים) with the word found in the genesis of the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 17:10), i.e., "guard" (
shamar שמר). That is, in the context of Jeremiah chapter 4, he use these two words,
nazarim נצרים and
shamari שמרי interchangeably to speak of the "watchers" or "guardians" of a covenant that is, according Jeremiah chapter 4, being defrauded by those who live in the cities of Judah.
Jeremiah clearly appears to be implying that Judah-ism has a wicked heart such that she can't be "saved" until she gives up her wicked ways (Jeremiah 4:14 and Jeremiah 4:18). So God reveals a "secret" or "hidden" נצרות (Isaiah 48:6) reading of the covenant that's formerly been veiled from Israel's sight (Isaiah 48:6). Though they've broken the covenant, God has seeded it through a new
nazar נצר, a new Branch, from Nazar-eth. These new covenant peoples will be called the remnant according to grace and be directly associated with the name of the city given in Isaiah 1:8, the city of Nazareth עיר נצורה. The receivers of the new covenant will be called "Nazarenes" (
Nosri נצר–ים ---in the Talmud) by the people who break the original covenant.
Oh Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? . . . Tell the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that Nazarenes (or Nosri) נצרים or נוצרי are coming from a far off Gentile land to speak against the cities of Judah. As watchers and guardians of the vineyard of God, i.e., of the name Shaddai שדי, they [the Nazarenes] form a circle to guard the covenant from Judah because she hath been rebellious against me and my covenant saith the Lord.
Jeremiah 4:14-17.
John