Matthew 4:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,

NIV: Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—

NASB: and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

CSB: He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

NLT: He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

KJV: And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

NKJV: And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,

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.

Matthew 4:12–17 shows Jesus' travel and ministry in Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee. This fulfills another ancient prophecy about the Messiah, found in Isaiah 9:1–2. Scriptures promised a great light would dawn in the region once occupied by the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, near the Sea of Galilee. Once thought of as ''dark'' because of its nearness to the Gentile nations and distance from Jerusalem, Galilee is the region in which the light of the Messiah will first shine brightly.

Matthew 3 ended with the Holy Spirit coming to rest on Jesus following His baptism. Now the Spirit leads Him into the wilderness to endure tempting by the devil after 40 days of fasting. Jesus demonstrates His sinlessness by resisting all temptations. He begins His ministry in the region of Galilee, settling in Capernaum and calling some disciples to follow Him. Jesus' work in Galilee includes traveling from place to place, proclaiming the good news that the kingdom of heaven is near and healing every kind of affliction. He soon becomes famous, drawing huge crowds from great distances.

Matthew 3 ends with a great affirmation from the voice of God the Father: Jesus is His Son. Immediately after that, God's Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness for a time of temptation by the devil. Jesus passes that test and then begins His ministry in the region of Galilee. Jesus begins to call His disciples and travel around the region. He teaches in the synagogues and heals people with every kind of affliction. Jesus' fame grows quickly. This provides Him a large audience for the Sermon on the Mount, which Matthew begins to record in chapter 5.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.