XXIX.
Jesus' Temporary Residence at Capernaum.
A Matt. IV. 13–16.
a 13 And leaving Nazareth [This expression means
that Jesus now ceased to make Nazareth his home. For description of Nazareth,
see page 60], he came and dwelt in Capernaum [See page 119.
Capernaum means city of Nahum, or village of consolation. Its modern name,
“Tel-Hum,” means hill of Nahum. The word “dwelt” means
that Jesus made this town his headquarters. He owned no house there (Matt. viii. 20). He may have dwelt with some of
his disciples—for instance, Simon Peter—Matt. viii. 14–16], which is by the sea, in
the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali [Capernaum was in Naphtali, and the
border of the tribe of Zebulun was three or four miles south of it. This part
of the country was densely populated, and had in it many choice spirits such as
Jesus chose for his apostles]: 14 that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken through Isaiah the prophet [
Isa. viii. 21, 22; ix. 1, 2], saying, 15 The
land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles. [This land or region was the first to suffer in
the beginning of those wars which finally resulted in the captivity of the ten
tribes. The people of this district were smitten by Benhadad (I. Kings xv. 20), and afterwards by
Tiglath-pileser (II. Kings xv. 29; I. Chron. v.
26), some time before the general captivity of the ten tribes
(II. Kings xvii. 6). It is called
Galilee of the Gentiles, because it was, according to Strabo and others,
inhabited by Egyptians, Arabians, and Phoenicians, as well as by Hebrews.]
16 The people that
161sat in darkness saw great light, And to
them that sat in the region and shadow of death, To them did light spring
up. [Those who by reason of their ignorance and depravity suffered the
torments of war, and sat as it were under the shadow of the wing of death, were
designated by prophecies as the class among whom the light of the gospel would
spring up in the fullness and richness of its blessing. Jesus, the “Light
of the world,” fulfilled this prophecy, and apart from him there can be
no pretense of its fulfillment. Galilee had its prophets, but the enemies of
Jesus themselves bear witness that none of them were great enough
“lights” to fulfill this prophecy—John vii. 52.]
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