4:31 So 1 he went down to Capernaum, 2 a town 3 in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he began to teach the people. 4 4:32 They 5 were amazed 6 at his teaching, because he spoke 7 with authority. 8
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the continuation of the topic; in light of his rejection at Nazareth, Jesus went on to Capernaum.
2 sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region, and it became the hub of operations for Jesus’ Galilean ministry.
3 tn Or “city.”
4 tn Grk “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
6 sn They were amazed. The astonishment shown here is like that in Luke 2:48.
7 tn Grk “because his word was.”
8 sn Jesus’ teaching impressed the hearers with the directness of its claim (with authority). A study of Jewish rabbinic interpretation shows that it was typical to cite a list of authorities to make one’s point. Apparently Jesus addressed the issues in terms of his own understanding.