What does Matthew 4:14 mean?
From the very beginning of his telling of the story of Jesus, Matthew has emphasized how circumstances of Jesus' life fulfill prophecies from Jewish Scriptures about the Messiah. He is intent on ensuring both Jews and Gentiles understand that Jesus was not simply a charismatic character. He did not merely attract a large following with the claim He was the Messiah. Matthew wants to establish that in every way, the claim that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ, is verified by the fulfilment of ancient prophecies.Now Matthew points to another proof. This is a prophecy from Isaiah 9 about the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali. Jesus' move to the town of Capernaum, which lies in that region established during the time of Joshua, fulfills a very specific promise to those people from God.