Matthew 4:13

And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: AND LEAVING [ katalipoon (G2641 )] NAZARETH. The prevalent opinion is, that this refers to a first visit to Nazareth after His baptism, whose details are given by Luke (Luke 4:16, etc.); a second visit being that detailed by our Evangelist (Matthew 13:54-40), and by Mark (Matthew 6:1). But to us there seem all but insuperable difficulties in the supposition of two visits to Nazareth after His baptism; and on the grounds stated on...

13._And having left Nazareth _I have thought it proper to introduce this passage of Matthew, immediately after Luke’s narrative, which we have just examined; because we may gather from the context that, as Christ had hitherto been wont to frequent the town of Nazareth, so, in order to avoid danger, he now bade a final adieu to it, and dwelt in Capernaum and the neighboring towns. There would be no difficulty in this history, were it not that there is some appearance, as if Matthew had put a wrong meaning on the quotation from the prophet. But if we attend to the true meaning of the prophet, it will appear to be properly and naturally accommodated to the present occasion. Isaiah, after having described a very heavy calamity of the nation, soothes their grief by a promise that, when the nation shall be reduced to extremity, a deliverance will immediately follow, which shall dispel the dark...

12-17 It is just with God to take the gospel and the means of grace, from those that slight them and thrust them away. Christ will not stay long where he is not welcome. Those who are without Christ, are in the dark. They were sitting in this condition, a contented posture; they chose it rather than light; they were willingly ignorant. When the gospel comes, light comes; when it comes to any place, when it comes to any soul, it makes day there. Light discovers and directs; so does the gospel. The doctrine of repentance is right gospel doctrine. Not only the austere John Baptist, but the gracious Jesus, preached repentance. There is still the same reason to do so. The kingdom of heaven was not reckoned to be fully come, till the pouring out of the Holy Spirit after Christ's ascension....

Verse Matthew 4:13. _AND LEAVING NAZARETH_] Or, _entirely leaving Nazareth_, και καταλιπων την ναζαρετ, from κατα, _intensive_, and δειπω, _I leave_. It seems that, from this time, our blessed Lord made _Capernaum_ his ordinary place of residence; and utterly forsook Nazareth, because they had wholly rejected his word, and even attempted to take away his life. See Luke 4:29. _Galilee_ was bounded by mount Lebanon on the north, by the river Jordan and the sea of Galilee on the east, by Chison on the south, and by the Mediterranean on the west. _Nazareth_, a little city in the tribe of Zebulon, in lower Galilee, with Tabor on the east, and Ptolemais on the west. It is supposed that this city was the usual residence of our Lord for the first th

LEAVING NAZARETH - Because his townsmen cast him out, and rejected him. See Luke 4:14. CAME AND DWELT IN CAPERNAUM - This was a city on the northwest corner of the Sea of Tiberias. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament, but is repeatedly referred to in the Gospels. Though it was once a city of renown, and the metropolis of all Galilee, the site it occupied is now uncertain. When Mr. Fisk, an American missionary, traveled in Syria in 1823, he found 20 or 30 uninhabited Arab huts occupying what are supposed to be the ruins of the once-celebrated city of Capernaum. The exact site of this ancient city has been a question of much interest, and is not supposed to be as yet fully settled; perhaps it is not possible that it should be. Dr. Robinson (_Biblical Researches_, iii. pp. 283, 2

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 4:1 THE TEMPTATION. The Father's acceptance of the Lord's consecration of himself for the work of the kingdom does not exclude temptation, but rather necessitates it. Psychologically, the reaction from the ecstasy of joy in hearing the announcement of Matthew 3:17 was certain; ethically, such testing as would accompany the reaction was desirable. Even the Baptist was, as it seems, not without a special temptation during this period (cf. John 1:19; and Bishop Westcott's note). At the very commencement of his official life the Lord is led consciously to realize that he has entered on a path of complete trust (even as his brethren in the flesh

AND LEAVING NAZARETH,.... Where he was educated, and had lived many years together; and where he preached first to the good liking of the people, who WONDERED AT THE GRACIOUS WORDS THAT PROCEEDED OUT OF HIS MOUTH: though afterwards they were so much displeased with him, that they thrust him out of their city; and intended to have destroyed him, by casting him down headlong from the brow of an hill; and which seems to be the reason of his leaving this city; see Luke 4:16 HE CAME AND DWELT IN CAPERNAUM a city of Galilee. Luke 4:31 WHICH IS UPON THE SEA-COAST by the sea of Tiberias, or Genesareth IN THE BORDERS OF ZABULON AND NEPHTHALIM: it bordered on both these tribes; it signifies "the village of consolation" t; and so it was, whilst the cons

4:12. _Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;_ Notice that there were at that time only two great ministers of God, John the Baptist, he must go to prison and to death; Jesus, the Son of God, he must go to the desert to be tempted of the devil. If any Christians escape temptation, they will not be the leaders of the hosts of God. Those who stand in the van must bear the brunt of the battle. Oh, that all who are called to such responsible positions might be as prepared to occupy them as John was, and as Jesus was! Matthew 4:13. And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: that it might he fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Gali

4. THE TESTING OF THE KING AND HIS TESTIMONY. _ 1. The Testing by the Devil. (Matthew 4:1 .) 2. His Testimony and His Disciples. (Matthew 4:12 .) 3. The Powers of the Kingdom. (Matthew 4:23 .)_ CHAPTER 4 The first part of this chapter gives us the history of the temptation of the King. This is a most important topic, many-sided in its applications; large volumes have been written on it without exhausting it. We will therefore have to confine ourselves to the bringing out of some of the most important teachings, without attempting to go into many of the precious details and applications to the believer. The baptism marked, as we saw in the last chapter, our Lord's entrance upon

JESUS ANNOUNCES THE KINGDOM IN GALILEE (Mark 1:14 f.*, Luke 4:14 f.) More precisely than Mk., Mt. gives John's arrest by Herod Antipas as the reason why Jesus began to preach. Galilee was part of Antipas-' realm, but it was remote from the scene of John's work and imprisonment, hence perhaps the word withdrew. Mt. anticipates Jesus'settlement at Capernaum in his desire to work in a fulfilment of one of his Messianic _testimonia._ Galilee (lit. the district) of the nations was a tract in the old tribal territory of Naphtali, which had a large heathen population. It gave its name to the larger (NT) Galilee. Isaiah 9:1 f.*. Matthew 4:13. Capernaum