Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 4:15
The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, [by] the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
15. Galilee of the Gentiles ] See above, Mat 4:12.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 15. Galilee of the Gentiles] Or of the nations. So called, because it was inhabited by Egyptians, Arabians, and Phoenicians, according to the testimony of Strabo and others. The Hebrew goyim, and the Greek , signify nations; and, in the Old and New Testaments, mean those people who were not descendants of any of the twelve tribes. The word Gentiles, from gens, a nation, signifies the same. It is worthy of remark, that it was a regular tradition among the ancient Jews, that the Messiah should begin his ministry in Galilee. See the proofs in Schoetgen.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
15. The land of Zabulon, and theland of Nephthalim, by the way of the seathecoast skirting the Sea of Galilee westwardbeyond Jordana phrasecommonly meaning eastward of Jordan; but here and in several placesit means westward of the Jordan. The word seems to have got thegeneral meaning of “the other side”; the nature of the casedetermining which side that was.
Galilee of the Gentilessocalled from its position, which made it the frontier between the HolyLand and the external world. While Ephraim and Judah, as STANLEYsays, were separated from the world by the Jordan valley on one sideand the hostile Philistines on another, the northern tribes were inthe direct highway of all the invaders from the north, in unbrokencommunication with the promiscuous races who have always occupied theheights of Lebanon, and in close and peaceful alliance with the mostcommercial nation of the ancient world, the Phoelignicians. Twenty ofthe cities of Galilee were actually annexed by Solomon to theadjacent kingdom of Tyre, and formed, with their territory, the”boundary” or “offscouring” (Gebul orCabul) of the two dominionsat a later time still known bythe general name of “the boundaries (coasts or borders) of Tyreand Sidon.” In the first great transportation of the Jewishpopulation, Naphtali and Galilee suffered the same fate as thetrans-jordanic tribes before Ephraim or Judah had been molested (2Ki15:29). In the time of the Christian era this originaldisadvantage of their position was still felt; the speech of theGalileans “bewrayed them” by its uncouth pronunciation (Mt26:73); and their distance from the seats of government andcivilization at Jerusalem and Csarea gave them their character forturbulence or independence, according as it was viewed by theirfriends or their enemies.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[See comments on Mt 4:14]
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1) “The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim,” (ge Zaboulon kai ge Nephthalim) “Land of Zebulon and land of Nephthalim” northern lands of Israel above, north and west of the Sea of Galilee, reaching to the Mediterranean Sea on the west and the Tyre and Sidon areas to the northwest. Zebulon was the sixth son of Jacob by Leah and was given a land grant territory in this area of northwest Israel, while Napthali was a son of Jacob by Bilhah who was also given this adjoining area as an inheritance.
2) “By the way of the sea,” (hodon thalasses) “A roadway of the sea,” as traffic flowed from the maritime way across from Mt. Carmel to Capernaum and on toward Damascus to the northeast. It was an area where races mixed, a border population where trouble has flared in recent years between the Arabs, Lebanese, Syrians, and Jews.
3) “Beyond Jordan,” (peran tou lordanou) “Beyond the Jordan (river),” In this instance meaning west of the river and the valley of Jordan.
4) “Galilee of the Gentiles;” (Galilais ton ethnon) “Galilee of the nations;” of the mixed racial lands and people, Isa 42:1-4; Mat 12:17-21. The people of the area were known by their uncouth speech “that betrayed them,” to the people of Jerusalem, even in the days of Christ, Mat 26:73. Their people were generally known as independent antagonists who were often incited against both the Roman rulers and elite Jewish ritualists, Isa 8:22; Isa 9:1.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(15-16) The citation is remarkable as the only reference in the New Testament to what seems to us the most wonderful and majestic of all Messianic prophecies; and still more remarkable as dwelling, not on the words so familiar to us, Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given . . . , but on the merely local imagery which is a prelude to that great utterance, and on that, in a version which is neither a true rendering of the Hebrew, nor a correct citation from the received Greek version. We have to recognise the fact that the Evangelist did not study prophecy as we study it. Books were scarce, and the publican of Capernaum, though his occupation implied some clerkly knowledge, probably had few, and heard rather than read the Scriptures which he quotes. What strikes a man who learns in this way is the coincidence of single words and phrases with familiar facts. He speaks not of what has been written, but of what has been spoken. He is not careful about the context. When St. Matthew looked back on the change that had come over Capernaum in the arrival of the prophet of Nazaretha change extending to his own lifethese words seemed the only adequate description of it. Here was the very scene of which Isaiah had spoken, the old border country of Zebulon and of Naphthali. To him and to others who had been in the darkness of spiritual ignorance, neglected and uncared for, as sheep gone astray in the dark valley of death, there had sprung up a marvellous Light. Unconsciously he adds his testimony to that of St. John, that the presence of Jesus was felt to be that of the true Light that lighteth every man (Joh. 1:9).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. The land of Zebulun and the land of Nephthalim The territories of these two tribes were the first to feel the overthrow and captivity of Assyria, at first lightly, and then more grievously. And according to this prophecy, that ancient dimness and darkness should be reversed by a light that should burst upon the people, produced by the coming of the Prince of Peace. The ancient Jews accordingly expected that the coming of the Messiah would be in these regions. One of their books, called the Sohar, has this declaration: “The Messiah shall be revealed in the land of Galilee.”
Grammatically, we may remark that the repeated word land in this verse is in apposition with the people in Mat 4:16. The two lands and the people it is which sat in darkness, and saw the great light.
By the way of the sea
Galilee of the Gentiles This phrase is commonly understood as a geographical name of a particular part, namely, of northern Galilee. But it is very plain that northern Galilee, which lay far beyond the lake, could not here be meant. Hengstenberg says that it is not a geographical name specifying a particular part, but simply a phrase of description. Galilee is called of the Gentiles because, from various circumstances, a Gentile population had largely intermingled with the Jewish. This had corrupted their religion, debased their character, and produced much of the darkness which had deepened into the shadow of death.
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
Toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles,
The people that sat in darkness saw a great light,
And to those who sat in the region and shadow of death,
To them did light spring up.
Matthew’s main emphasis in the use of this quotation is to indicate that Jesus has commenced His new ministry in the very place where God said it would take place, and then to bring out the wonder of that ministry. To Matthew it helps to explain why God has begun here. Originally the idea in Isaiah was that these were the furthest outposts of Palestine which were ever the first to be subjected to invading forces, and the point was that with the coming of the child who would be born to be king those fears would disappear, so that where there was darkness and death there would now be light.
Thus now that the Child has been born and the Son has been given, the people who have been in darkness, will now experience a great light, as Isaiah had said. Light and life will come to those who sit in darkness and death, and to such an extent that they too, having received that light, must themselves let it shine out to men (Mat 5:16). Jesus’ ministry is to be a ministry of light (compare Mat 5:45, ‘God causes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good’; Mat 6:22, ‘if your eye is single your whole body will be full of light’; Mat 17:2, ‘He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothing became white as light’; Mat 24:17, ‘for as the lightning comes forth from the east, and is seen even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be’). For those who respond to Him are to become the light of the world (Mat 5:14), a light revealed by the purity and goodness of their lives, which shines permanently because they are truly His (Mat 25:4). It is thus in order to receive this light that men must open their eyes, for the alternative will be pitch darkness (Mat 6:22-23). This makes clear that these words are very closely associated with the message in the Sermon on the Mount through which the light is revealed as shining. But note that those to whom He is speaking in the Sermon on the Mount are mainly those who have already received this light (although some of them may be responding hypocritically – Mat 7:13-27). Their eyes have already been opened and they have become disciples.
‘Toward the sea, beyond the Jordan’ may be intended to suggest the Great Sea (the Mediterranean) and the borders of the Jordan, illustrating the width of Jesus’ ministry. Or Matthew’s idea may be to relate ‘the Sea’ to the Sea of Galilee. ‘Beyond Jordan’ can refer to both sides of the Jordan for it was a popular name for the land around the Jordan. But these place names and ‘Galilee of the Gentiles’ are mainly cited because they were contained in the quotation, which is probably taken from a Hebrew text of Isaiah of a type predating the LXX. It is Naphtali and Zebulun that Matthew mainly draws attention to. On the other hand we may certainly gather from all this a further implication (compare Mat 2:1-2) that the Gentiles are at some stage to be involved in the coming of the light, for as well as mentioning ‘Galilee of the nations’ (Isa 9:2) Isaiah had also pointed out that the Servant of the Lord would be a light to the Gentiles (Isa 42:6; Isa 49:6). And the very fact that He preaches in this very mixed region reveals the magnitude of His thinking. Nevertheless it will be made clear that there are lost sheep of the house of Israel out there (Mat 10:6), and that they have the first claim on His attention, before He can reach out to the Gentiles (Mat 15:24; Mat 15:27).
Mat 4:15-16 . As the evangelist, Mat 2:23 , found a prophecy in support of the settlement at Nazareth, so also now for the removal to Capernaum, viz. Isa 8:22 ; Isa 9:1 (quoted from memory, but adhering to the LXX.): The land of Zdbulon and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people which sat in darkness , and so on.
is not the vocative , but the nominative , corresponding to , etc., Mat 4:16 . The article was not required; see Winer, p. 114 f. [E. T. 22]. As, by the , the expressed of Capernaum in Mat 4:13 is prophetically established, so must , in the sense of the evangelist, refer to the Sea of Galilee , the Lake of Gennesareth. These words, namely, determine the situation of . and ., and are to be translated seawards . The absolute accusat. is quite Hebraistic, like in the sense of versus (Eze 8:5 ; Eze 40:20 ; Eze 41:11 f., Eze 42:1 ff.; 1Ki 8:48 ; 2Ch 6:38 ; Deu 1:2 ; Deu 1:19 ), a usage which is partly retained in the LXX. 1Ki 8:48 , , in the direction of their land; exactly so in 2Ch 6:38 , and most probably also in Deu 1:19 . In this sense has the evangelist also understood in the original text of the passage before us; so also Aquila and Theodotion, not the LXX., according to B (in A, by an interpolation). No completely corresponding and purely Greek usage is found, as the accusatives of direction, in Bernhardy, p. 144 f., comp. Khner, II. 1, p. 268 f., do not stand independent of a verb. . is not, like , a determination of the position of . and ., as these tribes were situated on this side the Jordan, while (in answer to Bengel, Kuinoel, Linder in the Stud. u. Krit. 1862, p. 553) can never signify on this side (Crome, Beitr. p. 83 ff.); but it designates, after these two lands, a new land as the theatre of the working of Jesus, viz. Peraea (comp. on Mat 4:25 ), whose customary designation was , that is, the land east of Jordan. The evangelist includes this land as well as . . , because it stands in the prophetic passage along with the others (not with reference to the Peraean ministry of Jesus, de Wette, Bleek, which has no place here), leaving it, besides, to the reader to decide that it was only in that the specific element of locality which was to be demonstrated from the prophecies was contained. The citation, moreover, which specially sets forth that Jesus; after He had quitted Nazareth, settled at Capernaum, on the borders of Zebulon and Naphtali, in their telic connection with a divine prediction ( of the divine determination), shows in this very circumstance the Messianic fulfilment of the historical relation of the prophetic declaration, according to which there was announced to northern Galilee safety and salvation from the oppression of the Assyrians, and consequently theocratical, political salvation.
. . ] (district of the heathen), that is, in keeping with the originally appellative term , which had become a proper name, Upper Galilee, in the neighbourhood of Phoenicia, inhabited by a mixed population of heathens (Strabo, xvi. p. 760) and Jews. 1Ma 5:15 : . . Its geographical limits are defined by Joseph. Bell. iii. 3. 1.
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
Ver. 15. The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, &c. ] In Zabulon were Nazareth, Bethsaida, Tiberias, Cana (where our Saviour turned water into wine), and Nain, where he raised the widow’s son; so that she was twice a mother, yet had but one child, 2Sa 20:18 . In Nephthalim were the city of Abel (where they asked counsel of old, and so they ended the matter); Harosheth the city of Sisera, Riblah, Caesarea Philippi, and Capernaum. This borough was the seat of the evangelical kingdom; and it was fitly chosen for such a purpose, as that which by reason of the wonderful wholesomeness of the air, fertility of the soil, nearness to the river Jordan and lake of Gennesareth, neighbourhood of many great towns and famous cities, promised a plentiful increase and income of the evangelical harvest. Here the grain was white unto the harvest (as at Samaria) and solicited labourers. It is a minister’s wisdom to seat himself, as near as may be, where most need is, and greatest likelihood of doing good, as St Paul did often. (“Come ever into Macedonia and help us,” Act 16:9 ; “Thou hast well done that thou art come,” Act 10:33 ) No Church was founded at Athens, no good to be done there among those wits of Greece. The apostle tarried at Ephesus while a door was opened, and then departed to other places. If thou perceive thyself unfit to do more good in any place, though it be not any fault of thine, saith a grave author, away to another. If the commodity of the place prevail more with thee there to abide, than the promoting of Christ’s kingdom, to use thy talent elsewhere, it is to be feared thou wilt either lose thy gifts, or fall into errors and heresies, or, at least, become a frigid and dry doctor among such a people as have once conceived an incurable prejudice against thee. (Rolloc. Com. in Joh 4:44 )
Galilee of the Gentiles ] So called, either because it bordered upon the Gentiles, or because it was given away by David to Hiram, king of Tyre, or because it was inhabited by the Assyrians, who carried the people captive, and dwelt in their place.
15. ] This prophecy is spoken with direct reference to the days of the Messiah. It is here freely rendered from the Hebrew, without any regard to the LXX, which is wholly different. This, coming so immediately after a string of quotations literally from the LXX, seems to mark the beginning of a new portion of the Gospel, agreeably to what was said before.
] the country round the coast of the lake. All the members of this sentence are in apposition with one another: thus . is not a description of the land before spoken of, which was not thus situated, but of a different tract. The later meaning of , as signifying the tract to the west of the Jordan, and which naturally sprung up during the captivity, is not to be thought of in Isaiah, who wrote before that event. See 1Ch 26:30 in the Hebrew, where, however, the E. V. renders ‘on this side Jordan westward.’ Meyer [in edd. 1, 2; in edd. 3, 4, 5 he renders . . ‘ seawards .’ See Moulton’s Winer, p. 289, note 4] strangely makes . the objective after understood, and construes ‘ the land of Zabulon and Nepthalim saw the way of the sea on the other side of the Jordan: Galilee of the Gentiles, &c. saw a great light: ’ i.e. ‘the light which went forth from Capernaum when Jesus dwelt there, is represented as sending its bright beams over the Galilan sea, so that Zabulon and Nephthalim by this light could see the way leading along the other side of the sea.’
. . . ] Galilee superior , near to Tyre and Sidon, which was inhabited by a variety of nations.
The land, &c. Quoted from Isa 9:1, Isa 9:2. See App-107. “Land” is nom., not vocative.
Galilee. See App-169.
Gentiles = nations.
15.] This prophecy is spoken with direct reference to the days of the Messiah. It is here freely rendered from the Hebrew, without any regard to the LXX, which is wholly different. This, coming so immediately after a string of quotations literally from the LXX, seems to mark the beginning of a new portion of the Gospel, agreeably to what was said before.
] the country round the coast of the lake. All the members of this sentence are in apposition with one another: thus . is not a description of the land before spoken of, which was not thus situated, but of a different tract. The later meaning of , as signifying the tract to the west of the Jordan, and which naturally sprung up during the captivity, is not to be thought of in Isaiah, who wrote before that event. See 1Ch 26:30 in the Hebrew, where, however, the E. V. renders on this side Jordan westward. Meyer [in edd. 1, 2; in edd. 3, 4, 5 he renders . . seawards. See Moultons Winer, p. 289, note 4] strangely makes . the objective after understood, and construes the land of Zabulon and Nepthalim saw the way of the sea on the other side of the Jordan: Galilee of the Gentiles, &c. saw a great light: i.e. the light which went forth from Capernaum when Jesus dwelt there, is represented as sending its bright beams over the Galilan sea, so that Zabulon and Nephthalim by this light could see the way leading along the other side of the sea.
. . .] Galilee superior, near to Tyre and Sidon, which was inhabited by a variety of nations.
Mat 4:15-16. , , [148] , , , The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which walketh in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up) The LXX. thus render the passage in Isa. 8:23 and Isa 9:1 :[149] , , , . , ,-Country of Zabulon, the land of Nephthalim, and ye the rest who inhabit the region situated by the sea, and bounded by[150] the Jordan, thou Galilee of the Gentiles! Thou people which walketh in darkness, behold ye a great light: ye who dwell in the country and shadow of death, a light shall shine upon you. The two verses are in Isaiah most closely connected together, on which ground the Evangelist takes part of the topography from the former [to explain the application of the latter]. Many of the apostles were from this region. See Psa 68:28; Act 1:11; Act 2:7.-, land, and , people, are placed in opposition.-, the way) The LXX. render (way) by (way). We must here understand , by. The exactness of the prophetical topography is marvellous, minutely accurate both in latitude and longitude.-, of the sea[151]) See Mat 4:18.- , beyond the Jordan) The Hebrew ,[152] rendered in the present passage by the Greek (beyond), is used with reference to a boundary considered in reference to, not only the farther side, but the hither side also.- , Galilee of the Gentiles) Galilee, though inhabited by Israelites, was conterminous to the Gentiles, especially as far as the tribes of Zabulon and Naphthali were concerned.-See Hillers Onomata Sacra, p. 816. Galilee, previously to the time under consideration, was behind Judaea in the cultivation of sacred learning: the citadel of the Levitical worship was at Jerusalem: the Jews therefore ought to have acknowledged our Lord more readily than the Galilaeans, to whom a compensation is now made for their previous disadvantages.
[148] E. M. .-(I. B.)
[149] This is the Hebrew notation. In the LXX., the Vulgate, and the English Version, the extract is contained in Isa 9:1-2.-(I. B.)
[150] I have rendered bounded by, instead of beyond, in accordance with the remarks which immediately follow on the of the original Hebrew. I may add in illustration, that Liddell and Scott say of and , They are, no doubt, the dative and accusative of an old substantive- = , , , end, boundary.-(I. B.)
[151] Sc. of Galilee.-(I. B)
[152] Commonly, The region beyond.-(I. B)
Galilee: Jos 20:7, Jos 21:32, 1Ki 9:11, 2Ki 15:29
Reciprocal: Gen 49:21 – General Isa 9:1 – by the way Mal 4:2 – the Sun Mat 2:15 – that Mat 10:5 – Go Mar 1:39 – Galilee Joh 7:52 – Search
4:15
The prophecy of Isa 9:1-2 is quoted which was fulfilled when Jesus took up his residence in the city of Capernaum. Sometimes more than one place would have the same name, hence the inspired writers gave several marks of identity by which the correct one would be known.
The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
[The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthali.] It is needful that the words of Isaiah be considered, whence these words are taken. He had been discoursing, in the eighth chapter towards the end, concerning the straits and miseries that compassed the transgressors of the law and the testimony. “To the law and to the testimony,” etc., Mat 4:20. “But if a man transgress against it [that is, the law and the testimony], it will redound to his hardship, and he shall suffer hunger,” etc., Mat 4:21. “And he shall look to the earth, and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish, and he shall be driven to darkness,” Mat 4:22. And then it follows, Mat 9:1, “For the dimness shall not be like to that wherein it was ill with him, at what time the former [afflicter] lightly touched the land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthali, and the latter grievously afflicted,” etc. “That people who sat in darkness, saw a great light,” etc.
That which the prophet means here is this: 1. That the contemners of Emanuel and his testimony, that is, the gospel, should undergo far greater calamities than those places had undergone, either under their first conqueror Ben-hadad, or under the second, the king of Assyria. For those places saw light at last restored to them, when the Messias preached the gospel there: but the contemners of the gospel are driven into eternal darkness. 2. He foretells the morning of liberty, and of evangelical light, to arise there, where the first darkness and the calamities of their captivity had arisen. St. Matthew citing these words, that he might show the prophecy to be fulfilled, of that light that should arise there, omits those words which speak of their former misery, that is, the first clause of the verse; and produceth those words only, and that very fitly too, which make to his purpose, and which aim directly thither by the prophet’s intention. The prophet Hosea affords us an instance of curtailing a sentence after that manner, Mat 1:11; Mat 2:1; when he proclaims Israel and Judah miserable, he calls them ‘Lo-Ammi,’ and ‘Lo-Ruchamah’; when happy, ‘Ammi,’ and ‘Ruchamah.’
[Beyond Jordan.] Not by Jordan, but beyond Jordan. For the latter afflicter, the king of Assyria, had carried away that country also into banishment and bonds, 1Ch 5:26. Here is an ellipsis of the conjunction and.
Mat 4:15. The land of Zebulun, etc. These words form the close of a sentence in the original prophecy, and are introduced to specify the region spoken of in this Messianic prediction. Either an apostrophe to these regions or equivalent to: as to the land of Zebulun, etc. The sense is the same.
By the way of the sea. The sea (or lake) of Galilee, not the Mediterranean. The latter view would indicate that the region was profane, being the way of the sea for all the world. But this seems forced.
Beyond Jordan, or the Jordan. Either the country on the west side already spoken of, or Perea on the east side. (Both senses are sustained by Old Testament usage.) The former is preferable, since the various terms of the verse seem to be in apposition. Some take this verse as describing the regions surrounding the lake (referring this to Perea), but Naphtali extended beyond the sources of the Jordan, i.e., northward from Jerusalem.
Galilee of the Gentiles. Upper Galilee, already spoken of by other names. It was near Gentile territory and probably had a large Gentile population.
Verse 15
Galilee of the Gentiles. This region was the outskirt of the Jewish territory. The population was much mixed with emigrants from the Gentile countries around, and, as usual in such cases, it was probably degraded and depraved. The designation was at any rate one of reproach, to the mind of a Jew.
4:15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, [by] the way of the {e} sea, beyond Jordan, {f} Galilee of the Gentiles;
(e) Of Tiberias, or because that country went toward Tyre, which borders the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
(f) So called because it bordered upon Tyre and Sidon, and because Solomon gave the king of Tyre twenty cities in that quarter; 1Ki 9:11 .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes