Matthew 4:17

Matthew 4:13-16 Matthew 4:13-16 13. And having left Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is a town on the sea-coast in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14. That it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 15. The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, near the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: 16. The people who sat [330] in darkness have seen a great light: and to those who sat in the region and shadow of death light hath arisen. 13. And having left Nazareth I have thought it proper to introduce this passage of Matthew, immediately after Luke's narrative, which we have just examined; because we may gather from the context that, as Christ had hitherto been wont to frequent the town of Nazareth, so, in order to avoid danger, he now bade a final adieu to it, and dwelt in Capernaum and the neighboring towns. There would be no difficulty in this history, were it not that there is some appearance, as if Matthew had put a wrong meaning on the quotation from the prophet. But if we attend to the true meaning of the prophet, it will appear to be properly and naturally accommodated to the present occasion. Isaiah, after having described a very heavy calamity of the nation, soothes their grief by a promise that, when the nation shall be reduced to extremity, a deliverance will immediately follow, which shall dispel the darkness, and restore the light of life. The words are: "Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness shall see a great light" ( Isaiah 9:1 ,2.) The Israelites had been twice visited by a heavy calamity: first, when four tribes, or thereby, were carried away into banishment, by Tiglath-Pileser, ( 2 Kings 15:29 ;) and, secondly, when Shalmaneser completed the destruction of the kingdom of Israel, ( 2 Kings 18:9 .) There remained a third desolation, which -- the prophet had foretold towards the close of the eighth chapter -- would be the most dreadful of all. And now follows, in the words which we have quoted, what is calculated to soothe their grief. God will stretch out his hand to his people, and, therefore, death will be more tolerable than the previous diseases were. "Though the whole nation," says he, "shall be destroyed, yet so brilliant shall be the light of grace, that there will be less dimness in this last destruction than in the two former instances, when the ten tribes were ruined." The promise ought to be extended, I have no doubt, to the whole body of the people, which might seem to be, to all appearance, lost and destroyed. It is very absurd in the Jews to confine it to the deliverance of the city of Jerusalem. as if the light of life had been restored to it, when the siege was raised by the flight of King Sennacherib, [331] ( 2 Kings 19 :36.) Certainly, it is evident from the context, that the prophet looks much farther; and, as he promises a universal restoration of the whole church, it follows that the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, and Galilee of the Gentiles, are included in the number of those, to whom the darkness of death would be changed into the light of life. The commencement of this light, and, as we might say, the dawn, was the return of the people from Babylon. At length, Christ, "the Sun of Righteousness," ( Malachi 4:2 ,) arose in full splendor, and, by his coming, utterly "abolished" ( 2 Timothy 1:10 ) the darkness of death. In the same manner, Paul reminds us, that it was a fulfillment of what occurs in many passages of the prophets, "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead," ( Ephesians 5:14 .) Now, we know that the kingdom of Christ is spiritual, and, therefore, the light of salvation which it brings, and all the assistance which we derive from it, must correspond to its nature. Hence it follows, that our souls are plunged in the darkness of everlasting death, till he enlightens them by his grace. The prophet's discourse relates, no doubt, to the destruction of the nation, but presents to us, as in a mirror, what is the condition of mankind, until they are delivered by the grace of Christ. When those, who lay in darkness, are said to have seen a great light, a change so sudden and remarkable is intended to enlarge our views of the greatness of the divine salvation. Lower Galilee is called Galilee of the Gentiles, not only on account of its vicinity to Tyre and Sidon, but because its inhabitants were a mixture of Jews and Gentiles, particularly after that David had granted some cities to King Hiram. [332] Footnotes: [330] "Le peuple, qui gisoit en tenebres;" -- "The people that lay in darkness." [331] "Lors que le Roy Sennacherib fut contreint de lever le siege de de-rant, et s'enfuir honteusement." -- "When King Sennacherib was compelled to raise the siege, and to fly disgracefully." [332] This appears to refer to a gift, not of David, but of Solomon: for we are told, ( 1 Kings 9:11 ,) that" King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee." -- Ed.

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at {g} hand. (g) Is come to you.

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. From that time Jesus began to preach — So he had done before John was imprisoned, John 2:13-25 ; John 3:1 ; John 3:22-24 , but now more freely, and frequently more manifestly, and all abroad, as when the daystar hath done his devoir, the sun shines out to the perfect day, Proverbs 4:18 . And to say, Repent — Both for sin by contrition, and from sin by conversion. Change your minds and manners, your constitution and conversation, from worse to better ( μεταναειτε ); recover your lost wits with the prodigal (who repenting is said to come to himself), and become wiser after your folly (from ανοια , dementia, and μετα , after Luke 15:17 ) Pull down the very frame of the old man, unmake yourselves, as St Peter hath it, ταις αμαρτιαις απογενομενοι , 1 Peter 2:24 . Undo what you had done before, and be ye transmentated and metamorphosed "by the renewing of your minds," Romans 12:2 ; Romans 12:2 ; for, "except a man be born again," not desuper only, but denuo, from above, but a second time, ’ Ανωθεν , John 3:3 , as Nicodemus understood our Saviour except he go over all again that is past, rejecting it as unprofitable, and begin anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God: where old things are past, all things are become new, 2 Corinthians 5:17 , a whole new creation. For the kingdom of heaven is at hand — See what is said of this whole verse, Matthew 3:2 . For this was the sum and substance of the Baptist’s, our Saviour’s, and his apostles’ sermons; and had need to be daily pressed and preached, since it is our pensum diurnum, the first and continual work of God’s Spirit in the faithful, who because they cannot wash their hands in innocence, wash them in tears; and by renewing their repentance, work and wear out all brackish and sinful dispositions, as sweet water will do the salt sea coming into it; as wine or honey casteth out the scum, as fast as it ariseth. Christ biddeth us as often to pray, "Forgive us our trespasses," as we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." He not only waits for repentance from the wicked, 2 Peter 3:9 , but would also have his dearest children daily meet him, condemning themselves, Luke 13:5 ; "If ye repent not" also more and more, when ye see the examples of God’s wrath upon others, "ye shall likewise perish." Besides, some sins are past in time that are not past in deed, if we dwell not in the undoing and reversing of them, Ezra 10:11-12 ; Ezra 9:15 . They were to begin anew their repentance, because they had not considered their marrying of strange wives.

From the time of Christ’s baptism, or from the time that he heard that John was committed to prison, he, who before had preached and taught privately, and more rarely, began to preach more ordinarily and publicly, and the sum of his doctrine was the same with that of John the Baptist, confirming his doctrine, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. See the sense of those words, Matthew 3:2 Mark 1:15 .

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say,.... Not from the time he dwelt in Capernaum; for he had preached in Nazareth before he came there, Luke 4:16 nor from the time of John's being cast into prison; for he had preached, and made disciples, who were baptized by his orders, before John's imprisonment, John 3:22 John 4:1 but from the time that Satan left tempting him; as soon as that combat was over, immediately he went into Galilee, began to preach, and called his disciples. The words with which he began his ministry are the same with which John begun his; which shows the entire agreement between them, in that they not only preached the same doctrine, but in the same words; See Gill on Matthew 3:2

It is just with God to take the gospel and the means of grace, from those that slight them and thrust them away. Christ will not stay long where he is not welcome. Those who are without Christ, are in the dark. They were sitting in this condition, a contented posture; they chose it rather than light; they were willingly ignorant. When the gospel comes, light comes; when it comes to any place, when it comes to any soul, it makes day there. Light discovers and directs; so does the gospel. The doctrine of repentance is right gospel doctrine. Not only the austere John Baptist, but the gracious Jesus, preached repentance. There is still the same reason to do so. The kingdom of heaven was not reckoned to be fully come, till the pouring out of the Holy Spirit after Christ's ascension.

17. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand—Thus did our Lord not only take up the strain, but give forth the identical summons of His honored forerunner. Our Lord sometimes speaks of the new kingdom as already come—in His own Person and ministry; but the economy of it was only "at hand" until the blood of the cross was shed, and the Spirit on the day of Pentecost opened the fountain for sin and for uncleanness to the world at large. Calling of Peter and Andrew James and John (Mt 4:18-22).

See the notes at Matthew 3:2 .