Matthew 4:12-16

Preaching in Galilee

4:12 Now when Jesus ¹  heard that John had been imprisoned, ²  he went into Galilee. 4:13 While in Galilee, he moved from Nazareth ³  to make his home in Capernaum ⁴  by the sea, ⁵  in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 4:14 so that what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: ⁶ 

4:15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the way by the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles –

4:16 the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,

and on those who sit in the region and shadow of death a light has dawned.” ⁷ 

Matthew 4:23

Jesus’ Healing Ministry

4:23 Jesus ⁸  went throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, ⁹  preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of disease and sickness among the people.

[4:12]  ¹ tn Grk “he.”

[4:12]  ² tn Or “arrested,” “taken into custody” (see L&N 37.12).

[4:13]  ³ map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.

[4:13]  ⁴ tn Grk “and leaving Nazareth, he came and took up residence in Capernaum.”

[4:13]  ⁵ tn Or “by the lake.”

[4:14]  ⁶ tn The redundant participle λέγοντος (legontos) has not been translated here.

[4:16]  ⁷ sn A quotation from Isa 9:1.

[4:23]  ⁸ tn Grk “And he.”

[4:23]  ⁹ sn Synagogues were places for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2).