Chapter
Verse

Matthew 19:1

ESV Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.
NIV When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan.
NASB When Jesus had finished these words, He left Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan;
CSB When Jesus had finished saying these things, he departed from Galilee and went to the region of Judea across the Jordan.
NLT When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went down to the region of Judea east of the Jordan River.
KJV And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;
NKJV Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.

What does Matthew 19:1 mean?

This is an important moment in Jesus' life. He has spent nearly His entire ministry thus far teaching and performing miracles in the northern region of Galilee. He grew up in the small town of Nazareth and later moved to the larger, coastal town of Capernaum. He has travelled far and wide with His disciples, but He has mostly avoided spending much time in Jerusalem or the surrounding region of Judea.

Now, though, Jesus officially leaves Capernaum and the region of Galilee behind. He has told His disciples that He "must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised" (Matthew 16:21). This departure from Galilee toward Jerusalem is the beginning of that process, though Jesus will take some time getting there.

He begins by travelling into the region of Judea but beyond the Jordan. Most likely this means that Jesus travelled east of the Jordan River into the mostly Jewish area of Perea, south of the mostly Gentile region of the Decapolis. Many scholars believe Jesus crossed over the Jordan to the east at this time after entering Judea because the Samaritans would not allow Him to pass through their region (Luke 9:51–56). In essence, this required Jesus and His disciples to take the long way around to get to Jerusalem.
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