What does Matthew 4:13 mean?
Jesus has returned to His hometown of Nazareth, the place Joseph brought Him and His mother after returning from Egypt (Matthew 2:19–23). Jesus, once again, seems to have returned home to avoid the attention of the local authorities in the region of Judea. John the Baptist had been arrested and imprisoned there for preaching about the coming of the Messiah (Matthew 4:12).This verse describes Jesus moving from Nazareth, a hill town in central Galilee and west of the Jordan River, to Capernaum, a fishing village on the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee. Why did Jesus make the move? One reason may be that He could no longer stay in Nazareth. Luke's gospel describes a violent reaction at the synagogue in Nazareth after Jesus revealed His purpose and preached a harsh message there. The people rose up to kill Jesus, but He walked away.
Matthew points out that Jesus' new home in Capernaum lies within the ancient territory of the Israelite tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, given to them in the time of Joshua. In the following verses, Matthew will show how Jesus' residence there fulfills yet another prophecy about the Messiah.