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Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 4:23

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And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

23. their synagogues ] The synagogue, built on a hill or on the highest place in the city, distinguished sometimes by a tall pole corresponding to a modern steeple, was as familiar and conspicuous in a Jewish town as the Church is in an English village. Sometimes, however, the synagogue was placed on the bank of a river. Sometimes it was constructed without a roof and open to the sky.

1. Divine service was held in the synagogue on the Sabbath and also on the second and fifth day of each week.

2. The service consisted in reading the Law and the Prophets by those who were called upon by the “Angel of the Church,” and in prayers offered up by the minister for the people; the people responding “Amen” as with us.

3. But the Synagogues were not churches alone. Like Turkish mosques they were also Courts of Law in which the sentence was not only pronounced but executed, “they shall scourge you in their synagogues.” Further, the Synagogues were Public Schools, “the boys that were scholars were wont to be instructed before their masters in the synagogue” (Talmud). Lastly, the Synagogues were the Divinity Schools or Theological Colleges among the Jews.

4. The affairs of the Synagogue were administered by ten men, of whom three, called “Rulers of the Synagogue,” acted as judges, admitted proselytes and performed other important functions. A fourth was termed the “Angel of the Church” or bishop of the congregation; three others were deacons or almoners. An eighth acted as “interpreter,” rendering the Hebrew into the Vernacular; the ninth was the master of the Divinity School, the tenth his interpreter; see ch. Mat 10:27.

It is interesting to trace in the arrangements of the Synagogue part of the organization of the Christian Church. This note is chiefly due to Lightfoot ad loc.

preaching the gospel of the kingdom ] i. e. “heralding the good tidings,” for the thought see ch. Mat 4:3 note, and cp. Isaiah 40.

The word translated gospel does not occur in St Luke or St John, it is a favourite word with St Paul, but is elsewhere used twice only in the N. T., viz. 1Pe 4:17 and Rev 14:6.

It is desirable to observe the original and spiritual form of the expression, “to preach the gospel,” for the words are sometimes used in a narrow and polemical sense.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

23 25. Jesus preaches the Gospel and cures Diseases in Galilee

Special instances of cure are recorded in Mar 1:13 and foll.; Luk 4:31 and foll.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

All Galilee – See the notes at Mat 2:22.

Synagogues – Places of worship, or places where the people assembled together to worship God. The origin of synagogues is involved in much obscurity. The sacrifices of the Jews were appointed to be held in one place, at Jerusalem. But there was nothing to forbid the other services of religion to be performed at any other place. Accordingly, the praises of God were sung in the schools of the prophets; and those who chose were assembled by the prophets and seers on the Sabbath, and the new moons, for religious worship, 2Ki 4:23; 1Sa 10:5-11. The people would soon see the necessity of providing convenient places for their services, to shelter them from storms and from the heat, and this was probably the origin of synagogues. At what time they were commenced is unknown. They are mentioned by Josephus a considerable time before the coming of Christ; and in his time they were multiplied, not only in Judea, but wherever there were Jews. There were no less than 480 in Jerusalem alone before it was taken by the Romans.

Synagogues were built in any place where ten men were found who were willing to associate for the purpose, and were the regular customary places of worship. In them the law, i. e. the Old Testament, divided into suitable portions, was read, prayers were offered, and the Scriptures were expounded. The law was so divided that the five books of Moses, and portions of the prophets, could be read through each year. The Scriptures. after being read, were expounded. This was done, either by the officers of the synagogue, or by any person who might be invited by the officiating minister. Our Saviour and the apostles were in the habit of attending at those places continually, and of speaking to the people, Luk 4:15-27; Act 13:14-15.

The synagogues were built in imitation of the temple, with a center building, supported by pillars, and a court surrounding it. See the notes at Mat 21:12. In the center building, or chapel, was a place prepared for the reading of the law. The law was kept in a chest, or ark, near to the pulpit. The uppermost seats Mat 23:6 were those nearest to the pulpit. The people sat around, facing the pulpit. When the law was read, the officiating person rose; when it was expounded, he was seated. Our Saviour imitated their example, and was commonly seated in addressing the people, Mat 5:1; Mat 13:1.

Teaching – Instructing the people, or explaining the gospel.

The gospel of the kingdom – The good news respecting the kingdom he was about to set up; or the good news respecting the coming of the Messiah and the nature of his kingdom.

Preaching – See the notes at Mat 3:1.

All manner of sickness – All kinds of sickness.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Mat 4:23-25

Healing all manner of sick.

Moral healing

I. Christ is able to cure all sorts of sins. Lover of lust, dropsy of drunkenness, stone in the heart, etc.

II. Christ healed incurable sinners-people who had diseases which were beyond the physicians skill. There is hope for incurable sinners.

III. Jesus healed diseases from all countries, and so He can heal sinners of all lands (vers. 24, 25). He is able to save without any distinction of race, or clime, or time, or place.

IV. Jesus Christ healed sinners without any limitation in numbers-multitudes. Christ is as able to save a multitude as to save one.

V. He received nothing for all that He did, except the fame, and the honour, and the gratitude of their loving hearts. So to-day, poor sinner, Jesus will take nothing at thy hands, and it is a mercy for thee, for thou hast nothing to give. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Healing for all

I remember, when the Master Street Hospital, in Philadelphia, was opened during the war, a telegram came saying, There will be three hundred wounded men tonight; be ready to take care of them; and from my church there went in some twenty or thirty men and women to look after these poor wounded fellows. As they came, some from one part of the land, some from another, no one asked whether this man was from Oregon, or from Massachusetts, or from Minnesota, or from New York. There was a wounded soldier, and the only question was how to take off the rags the most gently, and put on the bandage, and administer the cordial. And when a soul comes to God, he does not ask where you came from, or what your ancestry was. Healing for all your wounds. Pardon for all your guilt. Comfort for all your troubles. (Dr. Talmage.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 23. Teaching in their synagogues] Synagogue, , from , together, and , I bring, a public assembly of persons, or the place where such persons publicly assembled. Synagogues, among the Jews, were not probably older than the return from the Babylonish captivity. They were erected not only in cities and towns, but in the country, and especially by rivers, that they might have water for the convenience of their frequent washings.

Not less than ten persons of respectability composed a synagogue; as the rabbins supposed that this number of persons, of independent property, and well skilled in the law, were necessary to conduct the affairs of the place, and keep up the Divine worship. See Lightfoot. Therefore, where this number could not be found, no synagogue was built; but there might be many synagogues in one city or town, provided it were populous. Jerusalem is said to have contained 480. This need not be wondered at, when it is considered that every Jew was obliged to worship God in public, either in a synagogue or in the temple.

The chief things belonging to a synagogue were:

1st. The ark or chest, made after the mode of the ark of the covenant, containing the Pentateuch.

2dly. The pulpit and desk, in the middle of the synagogue, on which he stood who read or expounded the law.

3dly. The seats or pews for the men below, and the galleries for the women above.

4thly. The lamps to give light in the evening service, and at the feast of the dedication. And,

5thly. Apartments for the utensils and alms-chests.

The synagogue was governed by a council or assembly, over whom was a president, called in the Gospels, the ruler of the synagogue. These are sometimes called chiefs of the Jews, the rulers, the priests or elders, the governors, the overseers, the fathers of the synagogue. Service was performed in them three times a day – morning, afternoon, and night. Synagogue, among the Jews, had often the same meaning as congregation among us, or place of judicature, see Jas 2:2.

Preaching the Gospel of the kingdom] Or, proclaiming the glad tidings of the kingdom. See the preceding notes. Behold here the perfect pattern of an evangelical preacher:

1. He goes about seeking sinners on every side, that he may show them the way to heaven.

2. He proclaims the glad tidings of the kingdom, with a freedom worthy of the King whom he serves.

3. He makes his reputation and the confidence of the people subservient not to his own interest, but to the salvation of souls.

4. To his preaching he joins, as far as he has ability, all works of mercy, and temporal assistance to the bodies of men.

5. He takes care to inform men that diseases, and all kinds of temporal evils, are the effects of sin, and that their hatred to iniquity should increase in proportion to the evils they endure through it.

6. And that nothing but the power of God can save them from sin and its consequences.

For glad tidings, or Gospel, see chap. 1. title. Proclaiming, see Mt 3:1, and end; and for the meaning of kingdom, see Mt 3:2.

All manner of sickness, and all manner of disease] There is a difference between , translated here sickness, and , translated disease. The first is thus defined: , , a disease of some standing, a chronic disorder.

Infirmity, , , a temporary disorder of the body. Theophylact. This is a proper distinction, and is necessary to be observed.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Jesus Christ having now called four disciples, did not judge it sufficient to send them about, but himself went about all the places of that dark country of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues; the word signifieth both the congregation convened and the place. Here it signifieth both. Synagogues were of old time, Act 15:21; how ancient we know not. Some think that they were no older than the return out of the captivity of Babylon: but I am posed then in determining where the body of the Jews ordinarily worshipped God on the sabbath days, for it is certain they did not all go up to the temple at Jerusalem. In the Old Testament we read of them only, Psa 74:8, as at that time burnt up. As to the order of them, we only read, that they had some rulers, Act 13:15, who directed those who were to speak words of exhortation. The Scriptures were read in them, Act 15:21; the law and the prophets, Act 13:15. They prayed in them, Mat 6:5; they expounded Scripture in them, Luk 4:16-19. Christ preached in the synagogues; not only there, we shall find him preaching on the mount in the next chapter, and in private houses; but he did not decline the synagogues, either as to preaching or hearing, not wholly separating from a church corrupt enough through traditions, but not idolatrous. But what did he preach?

The gospel of the kingdom; the glad tidings for lost sinners, that was come into the world, by the revelation of him, who was the true Messias, and the true and only way by which men might come to the kingdom of God, and be eternally saved. This is what all his ministers should publish; not their own conceits, or dictates of men, or things impertinent to the salvation of souls, but

the gospel of the kingdom. And healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease amongst the people: the Greek is, all diseases and sicknesses, yet surely some died in Galilee in that time. This is another text, to prove that the term all in Scripture doth not always signify every individual, but some individuals of every, species. Christ confirmed his doctrine, and Divine mission, by these miraculous operations.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

23. And Jesus went about allGalilee, teaching in their synagoguesThese were houses oflocal worship. It cannot be proved that they existed before theBabylonish captivity; but as they began to be erected soon after it,probably the idea was suggested by the religious inconveniences towhich the captives had been subjected. In our Lord’s time, the rulewas to have one wherever ten learned men or professed students of thelaw resided; and they extended to Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, and mostplaces of the dispersion. The larger towns had several, and inJerusalem the number approached five hundred. In point of officersand mode of worship, the Christian congregations are modelled afterthe synagogue.

and preaching the gospel ofthe kingdomproclaiming the glad tidings of the kingdom,

and healing all manner ofsicknessevery disease.

and all manner of diseaseamong the peopleevery complaint. The word means any incipientmalady causing “softness.”

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And Jesus went about all Galilee,…. Having called four of his disciples, he took a tour throughout Galilee; a country mean and despicable, inhabited by persons poor, illiterate, vile, and wicked: such had the first fruits of Christ’s ministry, and messages of his grace; which shows the freeness, sovereignty, and riches, of his abounding goodness. He went about “all” this country, both upper and nether Galilee, which was very populous: Josephus says l, there were two hundred and four cities and towns in it; he means, which were places of note, besides villages. He went about, not like Satan, seeking the destruction of men; but as one that went along with him says, “doing good”, Ac 10:38, both to the bodies and souls of men; for he was

teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom. The places where he taught were “their synagogues”: he did not creep into private houses, as the Pharisees then, and false apostles afterwards did; but he appeared openly, and declared his doctrine in places of public worship; where the Jews met together for divine service, to pray, read the Scriptures, and give a word of exhortation to the people; for though they had but one temple, which was at Jerusalem, they had many synagogues, or meeting places, all over the land: here Christ not only prayed and read, but “preached”; and the subject matter of his ministry was, “the Gospel of the kingdom”: that is, the good news of the kingdom of the Messiah being come, and which now took place; wherefore he exhorted them to repent of, and relinquish their former principles; to receive the doctrines, and submit to the ordinances of the Gospel dispensation: he also preached to them the things concerning the kingdom of heaven; as that except a man be born again, he cannot see it; and unless he has a better righteousness than his own, he cannot enter into it: he was also

healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people. It is in the Greek text, “every sickness and every disease”; that is, all sorts of maladies, disorders and distempers, which attend the bodies of men; and is another instance, besides Mt 3:5 in which the word “all”, or “every”, is to be taken in a limited and restrained sense, for “some”, or “some of all sorts”; which teaches us how to understand those phrases, when used in the doctrine of redemption by Christ.

l In vita ejus.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Christ Preaches in Galilee; Miracles of Christ in Galilee.

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. 24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. 25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.

See here, I. What an industrious preacher Christ was; He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Observe, 1. What Christ preached–the gospel of the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven, that is, of grace and glory, is emphatically the kingdom, the kingdom that was now to come; that kingdom which shall survive, as it doth surpass, all the kingdoms of the earth. The gospel is the charter of that kingdom, containing the King’s coronation oath, by which he has graciously obliged himself to pardon, protect, and save the subjects of that kingdom; it contains also their oath of allegiance, by which they oblige themselves to observe his statutes and seek his honour; this is the gospel of the kingdom; this Christ was himself the Preacher of, that our faith in it might be confirmed. 2. Where he preached–in the synagogues; not there only, but there chiefly, because those were the places of concourse, where wisdom was to lift up her voice (Prov. i. 21); because they were places of concourse for religious worship, and there, it was to be hoped, the minds of the people would be prepared to receive the gospel; and there the scriptures of the Old Testament were read, the exposition of which would easily introduce the gospel of the kingdom. 3. What pains he took in preaching; He went about all Galilee, teaching. He might have issued out a proclamation to summon all to come to him; but, to show his humility, and the condescensions of his grace, he goes to them; for he waits to be gracious, and comes to seek and save. Josephus says, There were above two hundred cities and towns in Galilee, and all, or most of them, Christ visited. He went about doing good. Never was there such an itinerant preacher, such an indefatigable one, as Christ was; he went from town to town, to beseech poor sinners to be reconciled to God. This is an example to ministers, to lay themselves out to do good, and to be instant, and constant, in season, and out of season, to preach the word.

II. What a powerful physician Christ was; he went about not only teaching, but healing, and both with his word, that he might magnify that above all his name. He sent his word, and healed them. Now observe,

1. What diseases he cured–all without exception. He healed all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease. There are diseases which are called the reproach of physicians, being obstinate to all the methods they can prescribe; but even those were the glory of this Physician, for he healed them all, however inveterate. His word was the true panpharmacon–all-heal.

Three general words are here used to intimate this; he healed every sickness, noson, as blindness, lameness, fever, dropsy; every disease, or languishing, malakian, as fluxes and consumptions; and all torments, basanous, as gout, stone, convulsions, and such like torturing distempers; whether the disease was acute or chronical; whether it was a racking or a wasting disease; none was too bad, none too hard, for Christ to heal with a word’s speaking.

Three particular diseases are specified; the palsy, which is the greatest weakness of the body; lunacy, which is the greatest malady of the mind, and possession of the Devil, which is the greatest misery and calamity of both, yet Christ healed all: for he is the sovereign Physician both of soul and body, and has command of all diseases.

2. What patients he had. A physician who was so easy of access, so sure of success, who cured immediately, without either a painful suspense and expectation, or such painful remedies as are worse than the disease; who cured gratis, and took no fees, could not but have abundance of patients. See here, what flocking there was to him from all parts; great multitudes of people came, not only from Galilee and the country about, but even from Jerusalem and from Judea, which lay a great way off; for his fame went throughout all Syria, not only among all the people of the Jews, but among the neighbouring nations, which, by the report that now spread far and near concerning him, would be prepared to receive his gospel, when afterwards it should be brought them. This is given as the reason why such multitudes came to him, because his fame had spread so widely. Note, What we hear of Christ from others, should invite us to him. The queen of Sheba was induced, by the fame of Solomon, to pay him a visit. The voice of fame is “Come, and see.” Christ both taught and healed. They who came for cures, met with instruction concerning the things that belonged to their peace. It is well if any thing will bring people to Christ; and they who come to him will find more in him than they expected. These Syrians, like Naaman the Syrian, coming to be healed of their diseases, many of them being converts, 2Ki 5:15; 2Ki 5:17. They sought health for the body, and obtained the salvation of the soul; like Saul, who sought the asses, and found the kingdom. Yet it appeared, by the issue, that many of those who rejoiced in Christ as a Healer, forgot him as a Teacher.

Now concerning the cures which Christ wrought, let us, once for all, observe the miracle, the mercy, and the mystery, of them.

(1.) The miracle of them. They were wrought in such a manner, as plainly spake them to be the immediate products of a divine and supernatural power, and they were God’s seal to his commission. Nature could not do these things, it was the God of nature; the cures were many, of diseases incurable by the art of the physician, of persons that were strangers, of all ages and conditions; the cures were wrought openly, before many witnesses, in mixed companies of persons that would have denied the matter of fact, if they could have had any colour for so doing; no cure ever failed, or was afterwards called in question; they were wrought speedily, and not (as cures by natural causes) gradually; they were perfect cures, and wrought with a word’s speaking; all which proves him a Teacher come from God, for, otherwise, none could have done the works that he did, John iii. 2. He appeals to these as credentials, Mat 11:4; Mat 11:5; Joh 5:36. It was expected that the Messiah should work miracles (John vii. 31); miracles of this nature (Isa 35:5; Isa 35:6); and we have this indisputable proof of his being the Messiah; never was there any man that did thus; and therefore his healing and his preaching generally went together, for the former confirmed the latter; thus here he began to do and to teach, Acts i. 1.

(2.) The mercy of them. The miracles that Moses wrought, to prove his mission, were most of them plagues and judgments, to intimate the terror of that dispensation, though from God; but the miracles that Christ wrought, were most of them cures, and all of them (except the cursing of the barren fig tree) blessings and favours; for the gospel dispensation is founded, and built up in love, and grace, and sweetness; and the management is such as tends not to affright but to allure us to obedience. Christ designed by his cures to win upon people, and to ingratiate himself and his doctrine into their minds, and so to draw them with the bands of love, Hos. xi. 4. The miracle of them proved his doctrine a faithful saying, and convinced men’s judgments; the mercy of them proved it worthy of all acceptation, and wrought upon their affections. They were not only great works, but good works, that he showed them from his Father (John x. 32); and this goodness was intended to lead men to repentance (Rom. ii. 4), as also to show that kindness, and beneficence, and doing good to all, to the utmost of our power and opportunity, are essential branches of that holy religion which Christ came into the world to establish.

(3.) The mystery of them. Christ, by curing bodily diseases, intended to show, that his great errand into the world was to cure spiritual maladies. He is the Sun of righteousness, that arises with this healing under his wings. As the Converter of sinners, he is the Physician of souls, and has taught us to call him so, Mat 9:12; Mat 9:13. Sin is the sickness, disease, and torment of the soul; Christ came to take away sin, and so to heal these. And the particular stories of the cures Christ wrought, may not only be applied spiritually, by way of allusion and illustration, but, I believe, are very much intended to reveal to us spiritual things, and to set before us the way and method of Christ’s dealing with souls, in their conversion and sanctification; and those cures are recorded, that were most significant and instructive this way; and they are therefore so to be explained and improved, to the honour and praise of that glorious Redeemer, who forgiveth all our iniquities, and so healeth all our diseases.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

Went about in all Galilee ( ). Literally Jesus “was going around (imperfect) in all Galilee.” This is the first of the three tours of Galilee made by Jesus. This time he took the four fishermen whom he had just called to personal service. The second time he took the twelve. On the third he sent the twelve on ahead by twos and followed after them. He was teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom in the synagogues chiefly and on the roads and in the streets where Gentiles could hear.

Healing all manner of diseases and all manner of sickness ( ). The occasional sickness is called , the chronic or serious disease .

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

23, 24. Sickness, Disease, Torments, Taken, Lunatic. The description of the ailments to which our Lord ‘s power was applied gains in vividness by study of the words in detail. In ver. 23, the Rev. rightly transposes sickness and disease; for nosov (A. V., sickness) carries the notion of something severe, dangerous, and even violent (compare the Latin noceo, to hurt, to which the root is akin). Homer always represents nosov as the visitation of an angry deity. Hence used of the plague which Apollo sent upon the Greeks (” Iliad, “1 10). So Sophocles (” Antigone,” 421) calls a whirlwind qeian noson (a divine visitation). Disease is, therefore, the more correct rendering as expressing something stronger than sickness or debility. Sickness, however, suits the other word, malakian. The kindred adjective, malakov, means soft, as a couch or newly – ploughed furrow, and thus easily runs into our invidious moral sense of softness, namely, effeminacy or cowardice, and into the physical sense of weakness, sickness. Hence the word emphasizes the idea of debility rather than of violet suffering or danger.

In ver. 24 we have, first, a general expression for ailments of all kinds : all that were sick (lit., all who had themselves in evil case; pantav touv kakwv econtav). Then the idea of suffering is emphasized in the word taken [] , which means literally held – together or compressed; and so the Rev. holden is an improvement on taken, in which the A. V. has followed Wyc. and Tyn. The word is used of the multitude thronging Christ (Luk 8:45). Compare, also, “how I am straitened (Luk 12:50); and I am in a strait (Phi 1:23). Then follow the specific forms of suffering, the list headed again by the inclusive word nosoiv, diseases, and the kai following having the force of and particularly. Note the word torments [] . basanovoriginally meant the” Lydian stone, “or touchstone, on which pure gold, when rubbed, leaves a peculiar mark. Hence, naturally, a test; then a test or trial by torture.” Most words, “says Professor Campbell (” On the Language of Sophocles “)” have been originally metaphors, and metaphors are continually falling into the rank of words, “used by the writer as mere vehicles of expression without any sense of the picturesque or metaphorical element at their core. Thus the idea of a test gradually passes entirely out of basanov, leaving merely the idea of suffering or torture. This is peculiarly noticeable in the use of this word and its derivatives throughout the New Testament; for although suffering as a test is a familiar New Testament truth, these words invariably express simply torment or pain. Wycliffe renders,” They offered to him all men having evil, taken with divers sorrows and torments; “and Tyndale,” All sick people that were taken with divers diseases and gripings. ” Lunatic, or moon – struck, [] , is rendered by Rev. epileptic, with reference to the real or supposed influence of the changes of the moon upon the victims of epilepsy.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1) “And Jesus went about all Galilee,” (kai periegen en hole te Galilala) “And he (Jesus) traveled around in the whole area of Galilee,” both upper and lower Galilee. The region had many villages and towns at that time, Mr 1:35-39; Luk 4:42-44. Under Jewish elders early Christians were permitted to worship in these community synagogues of the Jews, Luk 4:33; Luk 7:5; Luk 8:41; Luk 12:11; Act 6:9; Jas 2:2.

2) “Teaching in their synagogues,” (didaskon en tais sunagogais auton) “Teaching in an orderly manner in their (Jewish) synagogues,” Local places of Jewish worship, Mat 9:35; Mr 1:21,39. (kai kerusson to euangelion tes Basileias) “And proclaiming the gospel (good news) glad tidings of the kingdom,” the kingdom of heaven, the church He was then setting up.

3) “And healing all manner of sickness,” (kai therapeuon pasin nason) “And he was healing every kind of known sickness,” excluding none; referring to physical maladies and infirmities.

4) “And all manner, of disease among the people, (kai pasan malakien en to lao)’.’And every kind of malady, or contracted, contagious illness or disease known among the people,” Mr 4:24.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

Mat 4:23

. And Jesus went about all Galilee. The same statement is again made by Matthew in another place, ( Mat 9:35 .) But though Christ was constantly employed in performing almost innumerable miracles, we ought not to think it strange, that they are again mentioned, twice or thrice, in a general manner. In the words of Matthew we ought, first, to observe, that Christ never remained in one place, but scattered every where the seed of the Gospel. Again, Matthew calls it the Gospel of the kingdom, by which the kingdom of God is established among men for their salvation. True and eternal happiness is thus distinguished from the prosperity and joys of the present life.

When Matthew says, that Christ healed every disease, the meaning is, that he healed every kind of disease. We know, that all who were diseased were not cured; but there was no class of diseases, that was ever presented to him, which he did not heal. An enumeration is given of particular kinds of diseases, in which Christ displayed his power. Demoniacs ( διαμονιζομένοι) is a name given in Scripture, not to all indiscriminately who are tormented by the devil, but to those who, by a secret vengeance of God, are given up to Satan, so that he holds possession of their minds and of their bodily senses. Lunatics ( σεληνιαζομένοι) (342) is the name given to those, in whom the strength of the disease increases or diminishes, according to the waxing or waning of the moon, such as those who are afflicted with epilepsy, (343) or similar diseases. As we know, that diseases of this sort cannot be healed by natural means, it follows that, when Christ miraculously healed them, he proved his divinity.

(342) Σεληνιάζομαι, like the adjective σεληνιαχὸς, is derived from σελήνη, the moon. Among, the Greeks and Romans, as well as among the Jews, certain violent diseases, the variations of which could not be easily explained, were supposed to be affected by the phases of the moon. Till lately, mental derangement was universally believed among ourselves to be influenced by similar causes; if indeed there be not some who still defend that opinion by plausible arguments. Scripture was not. intended to determine questions of physical science, in which inductive reasoning is a sufficient guide, but to declare those truths, which could never have been known without an express revelation. The term σεληνιαζομένοι, in this and similar passages, does not imply, that the sacred writers supported the common opinion, any more than the English word lunatic, used with equal freedom by philosophers and by the unlearned, countenances an exploded theory, — any more, in short, than the popular use of the phrases, the rising and setting of the sun, expresses a belief that it is the motion of the sun, and not of the earth, that produces the succession of day and night. — Ed.

(343) “ Comitiali morbo.” The Romans gave the name of comitialis morbus to this disease, in consequence of the singular fact, that their comitia , or public assemblies, were instantly broken up, when any one present was seized with a fit of epilepsy. — Ed.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

CRITICAL NOTES

Mat. 4:23. Synagogues.Places of religious assembly and worship. After the Jews returned from the exile in Babylon, a new hunger for the law of God and the worship of God seems to have sprung up in their hearts, and as it was difficult for those who lived at any distance from Jerusalem to go up to the temple very often during the year, they planted synagogues in every town of any sizesome towns having more than oneso that all might have the opportunity of hearing the Law of God read and expounded, and of joining in public prayer to Him. The services of the synagogue were always held on the Sabbath day, though sometimes more frequently, and it was our Lords custom, we are told, to attend these services in whatever town He might be staying at the time. It was also customary for the president or chief ruler of the synagogue to give an opportunity to any strangers who might be present and who might wish to speak a word of exhortation or consolation to the congregation, of doing so, and Jesus seems to have availed Himself very frequently of these opportunities to teach and to preach the Gospel of the kingdom (G. S. Barrett).

Mat. 4:25. Decapolis.The district of the ten cities cast and south-east of Sea of Galilee. Colonised by veterans from the army of Alexander, hence its Greek name.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Mat. 4:23-25

Sudden fame.We have noticed already that the ministry of the Saviour began like that of the Baptist. Like that, for example, at the outset, it was emphatically a ministry of preaching. Like that also, at the outset, a ministry of preaching very much the same truth (cf., as before, Mat. 3:2; Mat. 4:17). It was different, however, in being carried on not in the wilderness but in towns. And it speedily began, also, to differ in other respects not unconnected with this. Two of these are shown to us here. It was fuller of wonder. It was fuller of mercy as well.

I. Fuller of wonder.Except in connection with his birth (Luk. 1:13; Luk. 1:63-64) we read of nothing miraculous in the personal history of the Baptist. A wonder in himselfa wonder in his fulfilment of prophecy (Joh. 1:23)a wonder in his likeness to Elijah (Luk. 1:17) he does not appear to have been recommended to men by any wonder beside (Joh. 10:41). Very different do we find it here with the Saviour, almost from the beginning of His course. A very blaze of miracle, rather, attends Him as soon as He steps out among men. These miracles, also, were such as to attract attention in every possible way. Their very singularity would do this, to begin. Evidently the Baptist was just the kind of man from whom men looked for such things (see again Joh. 10:41; also Mat. 14:1-2). The mere fact, therefore, that what was so notably absent in him was present in One so like him in other respects, would make men look at it the more. The pathetic nature of these miracles, also, would do the same thing. What physical evil produces more miserydeeper misery and misery affecting more personsthan lack of bodily health? What prospect of good, therefore, arouses greater interest than the prospect of deliverance from such evil? Every household almost in every community is glad to hear tidings about it. Every hearer would be drawn to the spot where it was said to be found (cf. Mat. 14:35). The great variety, also, of the gifts of healing heard of in this instance would do this the more. All manner of disease and sicknessevery one brought to Jesus for healing, whatever the character of his need, whether bodily or mental, whether natural or supernatural (Mat. 4:23-24)found Him able to heal. And this effect, once more, would be heightened greatly by the great number of persons, and that from all parts, who were relieved in this way. Every fresh case, every new locality touched, would at once both widen and greatly deepen the impression produced. All Syria, in fact, as it says here (Mat. 4:24), would be full of His fame. The Great Healer would be in all mens lips in all parts of the land.

II. Fuller of mercy.The very nature of these miracles, as already noted, would be some testimony to this. They were, evidently, the outcome, in all cases, of much compassion of heart. John, in the wilderness, whatever his sympathy with suffering, did not see much of the sick. Naturally, that was not the place to which they either would or could come. Jesus, on the contrary, going about amongst men, saw much of the sick; and wherever He saw them, so we are told repeatedly (see inter alia Mat. 14:14; Mat. 20:34; Mar. 1:41), had compassion upon them. The same is implied here in the description given of those that He helped. They were persons holden with divers diseases and torments (Mat. 4:23). What called out His power about them was the misery of their case. What men came thereby to know about Him was the unfailing sympathy of His heart. See how this is exemplified in what is told us of some in Luk. 17:12. Even men afar off could see the compassion that was visible in His looks. The words, also, which accompanied these miracles, told just the same tale. How emphatic is that description of them given in Mat. 4:23. He came preaching the gospelthe good newsof the kingdom. He came declaring the merciful side of the great message of God to mankind. He came setting it forth. He came proclaiming itso the word meansas a herald. Just, in fact, as had been foretold of him in Isa. 61:1 and elsewhere. And just, also, as we find recorded of Him in Luk. 4:17-22. And all much, it is clear, as though to say by His language what He said by His acts; and to prove by both how He had come in order to save both mens bodies and souls. Peace to the sinner. Health to the sick. These were the mercies which, from the very first, marked His mission to men.

Do we not, therefore, see here further, two notable secrets?

1. The secret of Gods miraculous dealings.Miracles are exceptional signs for exceptional times. They are Gods way of drawing attention to some new mission, or new truth, or revival of old. See such cases as Exodus 3, 4, etc.; Jos. 3:7; Jdg. 6:36-40, etc., and the many miracles by Elijah and Elisha in the dark days of Ahab and his sons. So also here, therefore, where we have a plenitude of miracles because a dignity of person and a fulness of mercy never heard of before.

2. The secret of preaching with power.Other things may dazzle men; other things may convince them; nothing wins them like love. How perceptibly we can trace this truth in the last words of this chapter, There followed Him great multitudes from everywhere round! And what a proof this is, at the beginning of His ministry, of what Jesus declared near its end (Joh. 12:32).

HOMILIES ON THE VERSES

Mat. 4:23-25. Christ preaching and healing.

1. How solicitous should ministers be to seek out lost sheep within their bounds. Christ went about all Galilee.
2. The means of converting souls is the preaching of the gospel.
3. The special opportunity of preaching is when people are convened in the ordinary place appointed for religious exercises.
4. The gospel is a matter of highest concern. It is the gospel of the kingdom; of that incomparable kingdom of heaven, which, by the gospel, is revealed to men, and offered to them, by which they get right and title to the kingdom, yea, become heirs of the kingdom, and whereby they are governed and led on unto the full possession of the kingdom.
5. Although our Lords doctrine needed no confirmation, it being the truth of the ever-living God, yet our weak faith needeth confirmation. Therefore, Christ wrought miracles, and those profitable miracles, such as might lead men to seek the relief of the maladies of the soul.
6. The first report of Christs grace is very taking; the savour of His grace, as of precious ointment, did in the beginning of His preaching of the gospel affect the Gentiles and draw them to seek after Him.
8. When it pleaseth our Lord to let forth His power He can gather multitudes after Him.David Dickson.

Christ and humanity.

I. The lamentable condition of man.

II. The all-sufficiency of Christ.
III. The wisdom of taking human nature at its most accessible pointsthe wants of the body.Joseph Parker, D.D.

Mat. 4:23. The Great Preacher.I think, if we will look over the history of oratory, we shall be agreed that three elements enter into eloquence. I do not say that other elements do not also enter into eloquence, but that there must be at least these threea great occasion, a great theme, and a great personality. Jesus of Nazareth had these.

I. A great occasion.The world had reached its lowest ebb. There was no liberty in government. There were no equal rights among men. Half the population were slaves. All the labouring men of Greece and Rome were living in abject poverty. There were no schools for the education of any one except in rhetoric and the skill of the athlete. There was no literature any longer, there were no great teachers, no prophets even in Judaism. There was degradation, poverty, wretchedness everywhere. If here and there a single man managed to amass a little property, he dug a hole in the ground, and buried it to keep it from the tax-gatherer. And yet, in this hour of black, dark night, there was one little province in which the light of human hope still kept burning. There was one little people who still had an expectation of deliverance. From afar off in the past the hope had been brought to them that a Redeemer, a Deliverer, would come, through whom they themselves should become in turn the redeemer and deliverer of the nations.

II. A great theme.To declare this would be to open up all His ministry, and yet in a few simple words it may be outlined. He came with this message first of all: The time you have been looking for has come. The kingdom of God is at hand. The Deliverer is here. I am that Deliverer. I have come to give sight to the blind, etc. It was a message of hope.

III. A great personality.So great that when He rose in the synagogue in Nazareth all eyes were fastened upon Him before He began to speak; so great that when the mob gathered up stones to stone Him He passed through their midst unharmed, and they parted and let him go; so great that when in that synagogue they rose up to lead Him to the precipice and cast him down, He passed uninjured through them; so great that when the police, ordered by the authorities of Jerusalem to arrest Him, went for that purpose, they listened to His preaching and came away saying, We could not touch Him, for never man spake as this Man.L. Abbott, D.D.

Christs example as a Healer.

I. Christ was dispensing the gift of healing, marvellously, for an example to all who should believe on Him.Healer of the diseases of the body, as He was healer of the diseases of the soul, Jesus Christ, anointed Saviour, this was His missionto heal, to save. What was this but to teach us that the poor and needy in anywise are committed to the care and charge of every one who sees their hard case and has power to relieve it?

II. The duty of giving is one of the simplest duties of all life, and because it is so simple the Apostle has fenced it with the warning, Be not deceived in this thing; God is not mocked.Bishop Claughton.

Mat. 4:23-25. The Great Physician.When in London, I like to visit one of the great hospitals for the pleasure of seeing over its gates these generous words, Royal Free Hospital; strangers, foreigners, etc., may freely partake of the benefits of this hospital. When I see et cetera, I thank God and I am delighted that there is one institution in our land that welcomes the et cetera. It means and the rest, the anybody and everybody of mankind. Likewise this healing power of the cross of Jesus is for the et cetera. The saving power of the cross is for all sick people who want to be healed.W. Birch.

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Section 10. JESUS PREACHES AND HEALS IN GALILEE

(Parallels: Mar. 1:35-39 ; Luk. 4:42-44 )

TEXT: 4:23-25

23. And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people.
24. And the report of him went forth into all Syria: and they brought unto him all that were sick, holden with divers diseases and torments, possessed with demons, and epileptic, and palsied; and he healed them.
25. And there followed him great multitudes from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judaea and from beyond the Jordan.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS

Why do you suppose Matthew introduces this obviously general summary into his account at this point?

What does this section indicate about the nature of Jesus’ popular ministry?

If Jesus wanted to start a new religion, why did He begin in the Jewish synagogue? What good could be accomplished by beginning this way? What is the connection, if any, between classic Judaism and religion of Jesus?

PARAPHRASE AND HARMONY

Then Jesus went all over Galilee, as He continued teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of God’s approaching reign, curing every disease or malady that was among the people. His reputation spread even throughout the whole territory of Syria. Sufferers from every kind of illness or torturing disease, racked with pain, those possessed with demons, the epileptics, the paralyzed – they were all brought to Him and He healed them! Countless crowds of people followed Him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from Transjordan.

NOTES

I. THE EVANGELISTIC EFFORT

Mat. 4:23 And Jesus went about in all Galilee. With these three verses Matthew summarizes the first general tour of Galilee, of which the chapters that follow may be specific incidents. Jesus apparently made three such evangelistic tours of Galilee in the effort to win its populace: this one, another after the onset of unbelief (Luk. 8:1-3), and a third just before the collapse of His popularity (Mat. 9:35 to Mat. 11:1).

Though Matthew does not record it, Mark (Mar. 1:35-39) and Luke (Luk. 4:42-44) both tell what significant preparation Jesus made before embarking upon His first great evangelistic campaign. After a busy day of great popularity, preaching and prodigies, Jesus arose early the next morning to pray alone. Peters words of rebuke and anxiety only served to heighten the temptation to satisfy all the wants of His townspeople at Capernaum, Everyone is looking for you. A synagogue full of expectant and admiring people eager to listen might have satisfied the ambition of many a rabbi. Yet Jesus has other plans and goals to reach: Let us go elsewhere into the other towns that I may preach the good news of the kingdom of God there also: for that is why I was sent. Jesus eye was on the nation, not upon that small-town excitement which had turned the heads of His disciples. His mission was not mainly or simply humanitarian! His mission was redemption! His was not to one small city, but to the whole flock of the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The natural compassion of God within Him for suffering humanity caused Jesus to minister to their bodies. But His miracles were intended to point the mind beyond the acts themselves. He intended that these miracles should function as signs of His identity and prepare their minds for His message (Joh. 5:20; Joh. 10:24-25; Joh. 14:10-14). They must see that through this Man God is compassionately and mercifully working in their midst and that the message of this One was that of God! How often these signs were misunderstood may be gathered from outstanding examples such as Capernaum, who, ironically, here wishes to keep Him from leaving her (cf. Mat. 11:20-24).

Teaching in their synagogues. For a full treatment of the subject synagogue, see under standard Bible reference works, especially Edersheims detailed descriptions (Life, I, chap. X). Jesus could not have chosen a more logical approach to the Jewish people than through the synagogue, for this was the most important institution in the life of His people, with the only single exception of the temple. Though some teaching was possible in the temple (see, for example: Joh. 5:14 ff; Joh. 7:14 to Joh. 10:18, Joh. 10:22-39; Luk. 19:47-48), yet the synagogue was unquestionably the institution essentially adapted for teaching. Further, the liturgy of the synagogue was such that it furnished Him the opportunity that He could best utilize for starting His formal public teaching. The ruler or president of the synagogue could invite to speak any person whom he judged to be qualified. Thus, at least at the first, there was an open door to Jesus in any town large enough to have a synagogue. Then, after Jesus had taught a particular lesson, there would have been time for discussion of the new doctrine He brought, for questions, for talk and fellowship with Him. (Illustrations: Luk. 4:16-37; Mar. 1:21-28; Mat. 12:9-14)

Those Christians who tend to reject various human inventions as unworthy of Christian practice or consideration on the ground that they are without divine approval should ponder our Lords acceptance and use of the synagogue. The synagogue has no proven origin prior to the Babylonian captivity in which it arose out of a felt need for worship of God in a strange land. Certainly, true worship had to be rendered Jehovah at Jerusalem in the temple and at the stated feast-days and hours and in the appointed way. Yet the more devout Jews, living in captivity and having no sanctuary, altar or priesthood, felt the need to hear the word of God and pray together. And even after their return from exile, they continued their synagogue practice even in Jerusalem where stood first Zerubbabels temple and later Herods temple at which all the Mosaic sacrifices were offered (Act. 6:9; Joh. 2:13-20) and where all the services were kept. The synagogue as an institution served mainly for a local tribunal as well as school house for elementary education. However, worship, in the sense of prayers and reading of the Scriptures, developed into a regular service or liturgy before the time of Jesus. In this human invention, brought into being without demonstrable divine sanction or prohibition, Jesus and His apostles participated by using to the full the opportunity it provided not only for proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom, but also for their own personal worship. Obviously, they would continue this latter only as long as their good relationship to Judaism remained intact. With the gradual disintegration of those ties that began during Jesus ministry and continued until the ultimately necessary mutual separation of Judaism and Christianity as well as the establishment of a distinct, Christian worship, the frequenting of the synagogues became less and less.

While Jesus knew that at Jerusalem was the place where men ought to worship God (Joh. 4:19-22; cf. Deu. 12:1-14), yet, by His apparent approval and usage of the synagogue, He indicates that the mere fact that a thing-a project, a tool, an aid, an instrument, a means-has no particular divine sanction or prohibition, is no good argument against its use, He ever laid the emphasis on the manner and motives for which a thing is used. The synagogue could NEVER be used as a substitute for the temple. The two existed side by side in Jesus’ day and He worshiped BOTH at the temple at the stated feasts AND at the synagogue, (Cf. Luk. 4:16) For Him the synagogue did not pose a choice between itself and the temple, for worship at the temple was God’s clear command. At the same time, He worshipped and taught in the synagogue, because it was a most logical and practical means of giving witness to His reliance upon the law and the prophets and His example taught the importance of practical, weekly devotion to God by praying with God’s people.

Further, the influence of the synagogue-plan upon the formation of the Christian congregation after Pentecost cannot be overlooked. Inasmuch as the synagogue had been so much a part of the culture of the apostles, it should not be at all surprising that they should utilize its basic form of worship and government when they established the Church. Rather, it perhaps would have been more surprising had they not done so, although Jesus could have instructed them in a completely different form of worship and government. The fact that He did not should cause His disciples to reevaluate their acceptance or rejection of things not either prohibited or sanctioned in God’s word.

For more direct information on the synagogue, see standard reference works and the following suggestive scriptures: Mat. 6:2-5; Mat. 10:17; Mat. 12:9; Mat. 13:54; Mat. 23:6; Mat. 23:34; Mar. 1:21-29; Mar. 1:39; Mar. 3:1; Mar. 5:22-38; Mar. 6:2; Luk. 4:15-38; Luk. 4:44; Luk. 6:6; Luk. 7:5; Luk. 8:41; Luk. 11:43; Luk. 12:11; Luk. 13:10; Luk. 20:46; Luk. 21:12; Joh. 6:59; Joh. 9:22; Joh. 12:42; Joh. 16:2; Joh. 18:20; Act. 6:9; Act. 9:2; Act. 9:20; Act. 13:5; Act. 13:14; Act. 15:21; Act. 17:1-17; Act. 18:4-26.

Preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing. Matthew summarized Jesus’ activities in such a way as to express perfectly His true purposes, as declared by the Lord Himself (Mar. 1:38; Luk. 4:43):

Jesus came to reveal the MIND of God. He defeated mans ignorance and corrected his misunderstandings.

Not about the universe or the world in general, for man could learn this on his own, given enough time.

But about the true knowledge of God, man was in gross ignorance. Jesus came to reveal what man could not have found out by himself. Decisively He puts an end to all groping and guessing about God by revealing Him!

And man had a lot to learn about the true nature of himself. Man is at his very best as servant of God, as a subject of Gods kingdom: this is that for which God planned man, not for self-rule or self-satisfaction. He revealed Gods will for man.

Jesus came to reveal the HEART of God. He conquered mans heart by demonstrating the Almightys loving concern for man, by healing his diseases. This was very important:

Man, writhing in pain or tortured by a lingering illness, finds sermons about high morality and noble ideals quite unconnected with his personal, painful reality. He might ask himself, What does God care if I waste away here on this bed of affliction?

Then, Jesus mercifully touches the mans affliction, heals his body and opens the mans grateful heart to the message of the kingdom. Now the man is ready to listen and respond to Jesus.

Matthew lays a proper emphasis on this healing ministry by mentioning both the great variety of healings that Jesus accomplished as well as the widely scattered areas from which people came to be healed.

II. THE EXTENSIVE EFFECTIVENESS

Mat. 4:24 The report about Him went forth into all Syria. It is not easy to establish the exact bounds of Syria in Jesus time nor the exact use Matthew may make of the term. In OT times Syria had been the small country just north of Palestine. But following the conquests of Alexander the Great and the Maccabean period, Syria had come to mean the whole area from Egypt clear up to the Orontes River and Antioch.

Note how Luke in the parallel (Luk. 4:44) uses the word Judea, not in the sense of the area around Jerusalem, but in the sense of the whole country of the Jews or Palestine. He often does this. (Cf. Luk. 1:5; Luk. 7:17; Luk. 23:5; Act. 2:9; Act. 10:37)

Even if Matthew intends the smaller region, obviously the fame of Jesus is travelling like a prairie fire, Certainly there were Jews living in Damascus (Act. 9:2; Act. 9:20-22) and in Antioch (Act. 11:19), whose business and family connections kept them in touch with Palestine. Besides, the regular caravan routes from Babylon to Egypt passed directly through Galilee and carried all the most interesting gossip great distances.

They brought unto him all those who were sick. Because of the mixed population of Galilee and the certainly Gentile population of Syria, it is incompatible with the merciful love of Jesus to think that non-Jews brought to Him should be turned away. (Cf. Mat. 8:5-13; Mat. 15:21-28; Luk. 17:11-18) Sick with various diseases: for specific cases, see Mat. 8:1-17; Mat. 9:18-31. Those possessed with demons: for examples, note Mat. 8:28-34; Mat. 9:32-34. For discussion of demons and demoniacs, see comments on Mat. 8:28 ff. Epileptic, a later case: Mat. 17:15. Paralytic means any lame or partially or totally paralyzed person; specific case: Mat. 9:1-8. And He healed them! What glorious, unfailing power! There were none sent away, rejected due to failure: there were no incurable cases, There was no anxious waiting for weeks when Jesus touched those bodies.

III. THE ELECTRIFYING EFFECT

Mat. 4:25 Great multitudes followed Him. What an eager, excited audience to whom His earth-shaking messages could be preached! He has their attention: their hearts are open. But where did these crowds come from? From all over Palestine, says Matthew. (See map)

Decapolis, is a name meaning ten cities, which refers to the federation of ten independent city-states located all but one (Scythopolis/ Beth-Shan) on the east side of the Jordan Valley. They were inhabited mostly by Greeks or Romans. Because they were completely independent of local rule, Matthew rightly separates them from the area beyond the Jordan, although, logically and geographically, Decapolis was also beyond the Jordan.

ET CETERA

The sheer generality of this passage draws our attention to the all-sufficiency of Jesus. He can meet man at any point of his human experience, at any physical crisis, at any spiritual condition, and save him! Matthews swift summary also gives another impression: Jesus is keenly interested and especially drawn to the et ceteras of human existence. Without doubt there were in these vast assemblages individual wrecks who had lost all hope, all self-esteem, all love. Yet, Jesus had time to deal gently with each one! Whether they were strangers, foreigners and sinners of every sort mattered not to Jesus, for he loved them and mercifully welcomed each one. To Jesus, the nobody was really somebody whom He could love, heal and save. Thank God for such mercy! Most of us are nobodies, but in Jesus eyes we have value, Who would dare fail to respond to such a Master as He?

FACT QUESTIONS

What is meant by the following words or phrases in the text:

holden

divers diseases

torments

d. demon possession
e.

epileptic

palsied

What events are recorded in the parallel passages as having occurred just prior to this first general tour of Galilee?

According to the parallels, how did Jesus prepare Himself for this extensive evangelistic effort?

Of what value was the Jewish synagogue to the ministry of Jesus? What opportunities did it provide Him?

Tell something of the nature and use the Jews made of their synagogues.

What was the obvious purpose for which Jesus was sent, as revealed in this text and its parallels?

What effect did this evangelistic tour have upon the nation?

Locate the different areas whence people came to be healed by Jesus.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(23) Preaching the gospel of the kingdom.As far as regards St. Matthew this is the first occurrence of the phrase. It tells of a vast amount of unrecorded teaching, varying in form, yet essentially the samea call to repentancethe good news of a kingdom of heaven not far offthe witness, by act for the most part rather than words, that He was Himself the Head of that kingdom.

Healing all manner of sickness.In the Greek, as in the English, sickness implies a less serious form of suffering than disease, as the torments of the next verse imply, in their turn, something more acute. St. Matthews first mention of our Lords miracles cannot be read without interest. It will be seen that they are referred to, not directly as evidence of a supernatural mission, but almost, so to speak, as the natural accompaniments of His work; signs, not of power only or chiefly, but of the love, tenderness, pity, which were the true marks or notes of the kingdom of heaven. Restoration to outward health was at once the pledge that the Son of Man had not come to destroy mens lives, but to save them, and often, we cannot doubt, served to strengthen that faith in the love of the Father, some degree of which was all but invariably required as an antecedent condition of the miracle (Mat. 13:58).

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

28. JESUS’S MINISTRY THROUGH GALILEE, Mat 4:23-25 .

23. Jesus went about all Galilee In regard to Galilee, consult notes on Mat 4:12.

Synagogues The word synagogue is from the Greek , syn, together, and , ago, to collect; and its signification is about synonymous with our American word “meeting-house.” They were very numerous in Palestine in our Saviour’s time, it being allowable to raise a synagogue wherever ten responsible men could be found. Our Saviour and the apostles found the synagogues most eligible places for the first preaching of the Gospel, both in Palestine and in Gentile countries where Jews resided. St. James calls the place of Christian worship synagogue. Jas 2:2.

The existence of synagogues long before the captivity cannot be proved. The Church of the Patriarchs worshipped in tents, or under the open sky, or wherever their devotion saw reason to raise an altar. The words in Psa 84:8: They have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land, prove the existence of edifices of worship which fire could consume, before the captivity. After the re-establishment of the Jewish Church in Palestine, care seems to have been taken for their general diffusion, in order that worship and instruction might spread and perpetuate doctrine and piety.

The arrangements of a Jewish congregation, as well as the construction of the synagogue, seem to have resembled those of a modern Christian Church. The people in the front part of the building sat facing the pulpit, or desk on a platform, which was occupied by the reader or speaker. Behind the pulpit were ranged high seats of honour, “chief seats,” where the Scribes and Pharisees loved to sit facing the people. A chest or ark was near the pulpit, in which the Scriptures of the Old Testament were deposited. From the pulpit the Scriptures were read; and the reader or some other person expounded, taught, or preached. Prayers were also offered; and at the close a solemn benediction was pronounced, and the people responded Amen and dispersed. These exercises took place every (Saturday) Sabbath.

The synagogue had its regular officers, who may be divided simply into four classes. First, a “ruler of the synagogue,” who was not the minister, but a sort of president or executive over its management. Second, a body of elders, nearly corresponding, perhaps, with our modern trustees. Third the legatus ecclesiae; that is, the delegate or representative of the Church, appointed to lead the devotional exercises, corresponding somewhat to the modern preacher or reader. Yet he was often nothing more than the man selected, as we would say, to lead the exercises. Fourth, the minister, as he is called in Luk 4:20, or servant; that is, the sexton, who took care of the cleanliness of the building and other conveniences of the congregation and worship. To these may also, perhaps, be added the deacons; that is, the almoners or takers of the collections or alms.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the good news of the Kingly Rule, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people.’

In the chiasmus above this parallels His proclamation concerning the need to repent because of the presence of the Kingly Rule of Heaven. The Kingly Rule of Heaven is now being manifested in His teaching, in His preaching of the Good News of the Kingly Rule of Heaven, and in His works of heavenly power which revealed that Kingly Rule as now present among them (compare also Mat 9:35 and Mat 11:4). He has come among them as the Spirit-filled Prophet promised by Isa 61:1-2, proclaiming the Good News to the poor, and releasing those who were captives and bound. By this means He is now building up a following of many disciples.

‘Their synagogues.’ That is, the synagogues of the people of Galilee (compare ‘their Scribes’ in Mat 7:29). His ministry is at this stage concentrated on the Jews. Matthew is looking at the synagogues (and the Scribes) from the point of view of the people. They saw them as ‘ours’. Each synagogue was locally owned (and therefore would be very much seen by the people as ‘theirs’) and was watched over by a group of elders who would have appointed a ‘ruler of the synagogue’ to manage its affairs. It was a place where the people met on the Sabbath to pray and hear the Scriptures read. They could also meet there for prayer during the week. Any prominent visitor could be called on to preach on the Sabbath once the Law had been read, and at this stage Jesus was regularly offered the opportunity of doing so. The synagogue was also available for daily prayer and reading of the Scriptures, and Jewish children would be taught to read the Scriptures in the synagogue schools.

‘Preaching the Good News of the Kingly Rule.’ The reference to ‘Good News’ primarily has Isa 61:1-2 in mind (compare Luk 4:18). But see also Isa 41:27; Isa 52:7. The Good News of the Kingly Rule was that God was now at work among them by His Holy Spirit through the One Whom He had sent (Mat 3:11), calling to repentance and forgiveness, and to a new way of life (Mat 4:17; Isa 45:23). Forgiveness was an essential aspect of the expected Kingly Rule (Isa 1:16-18; Isa 43:25; Isa 44:22, compare Mar 1:4), and it had to lead on to forgiving others (Mat 6:12). They were therefore to respond with the faith typical of little children (Mat 18:3-4), submitting to the authority of the One Whom God had sent, the One Who was their Lord and Who required their full obedience to His words (Mat 7:21-27).

‘And healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people.’ This was a further evidence that the Kingly Rule of Heaven was now here and that the Coming One had arrived, the One Who would ‘take their infirmities and carry their sicknesses’ (Mat 8:17; Mat 11:4-6). He was present among them restoring those who were sick and diseased. As Matthew will point out later this was very much the activity of the Servant of the Lord (Mat 8:17; Isa 53:4) and of the Coming One (Mat 11:4-5; Isa 35:5-6) as Jesus went among men taking their afflictions and diseases on Himself.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Light Begins To Shine Throughout All Galilee, And Even Beyond (4:23-25).

From now on a great work of the Spirit commences throughout all Galilee, as Jesus goes about teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingly Rule of Heaven, and healing all manner of diseases and sicknesses, so much so that people flock to Him, not only from all over Galilee, but also from Decapolis, Jerusalem and Judaea, in order to hear Him. These were no doubt mainly Jews. Decapolis was an area on the other side of the Sea of Galilee ruled over by ten towns, and largely contained Gentiles, but many Jews lived there as well. Jerusalem as always is mentioned separately. It looked on itself as being distinct from Judaea.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The continuity of Matthew’s Gospel comes out in the way that what regularly appears to close off a section, also becomes the opening to the next section. For Mat 4:23-25 can be seen as not only closing off the previous section but also as opening up an inclusio. This commences with Mat 4:23 ‘And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the good news of the Kingly Rule, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people’, and can be seen as closing with Mat 9:35, ‘and Jesus went about all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the good news of the Kingly Rule, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness’.

In between those two parallel statements we find first an example of Jesus’ teaching (Mat 5:3 to Mat 7:12), summed up in proclamation concerning the Kingly Rule of Heaven (Mat 7:13-27), which is then followed by examples of His healing of ‘all manner of disease and all manner of sickness’ (Mat 8:2 to Mat 9:34), put in the context of a quotation from Isaiah 53 (Mat 8:17).

Furthermore within this section we have two halves. It opens up with the ‘great crowds’ (Mat 4:25), who are deliberately left behind so that Jesus can speak to His disciples up in the mountain (Mat 5:1). Some of the crowds meanwhile filter up into the mountain to hear what Jesus is saying, which helps to explain the severity of Jesus ending to His words (Mat 7:13-27), of whom there are so many that they can be spoken of as ‘crowds’ (Mat 7:28), but not ‘great crowds’ (Mat 8:1). Then He comes down from the mountain and is once again involved with the ‘great crowds’ (Mat 8:1). with which He continues to be involved (Mat 8:18), until this time He escapes across the sea (Mat 8:18; Mat 8:23; Mat 8:28).

The Setting of the Sermon on The Mount.

‘And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the good news of the Kingly Rule, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people. And the report of him went forth into all Syria, and they brought unto him all who were sick, bound with many kinds of diseases and afflictions, possessed with devils, and epileptic, and palsied, and he healed them.’

25 ‘And there followed him great crowds from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judaea and from beyond Jordan, and seeing the crowds, he went up into the mountain, and when he had sat down, his disciples came to him.’

In these words we have a summary of Jesus preaching, which is partly repeated in Mat 9:35, which draws attention to its overall nature, and to the great crowds that He attracted (for commentary on these words see part 1 ). This work clearly went on for some time, until at length Jesus recognised that it was time for Him to get those who had become committed alone so that He could give them deeper teaching, and show them what would be required of disciples. But even here He was circumvented by some of the crowds arriving to listen in on what He was saying.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Jesus Begins His Public Ministry in Galilee ( Luk 6:17-19 ) Mat 4:23-25 tells of the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee. He certainly had been in the ministry for a lengthy period of time since His water baptism which took place a year or two prior to the imprisonment of John the Baptist. At this time, the public ministry of Jesus intensifies.

This passage preceding the Sermon on the Mount reveals that Jesus healed the multitudes before teaching them. This healing and deliverance finds its analogy in the deliverance and exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt before coming to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandment.

Comparison of Parallel Passages Recording the Beginning of the Public Ministry of Jesus Christ – When we compare the parallel passages of Jesus beginning His public ministry in the four Gospels, we find the third underlying themes clearly reflected.

The Gospel of Matthew – Matthew’s Gospel emphasizes the testimony of Old Testament Scriptures, which prophesies of the Messiah coming to establish the Kingdom of Heaven. In this Gospel, the Kingdom of Heaven is established by making disciples of all nations. Thus, Matthew explains how Jesus’ public ministry began as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Mat 4:12-17). Jesus then calls disciples, who will be trained to fulfill the Great Commission of making disciples of all nations (Mat 4:18-22). Jesus then begins to establish the Kingdom of God upon the earth through His teaching ministry (Mat 4:23-25). Thus, Matthew’s Gospel places emphasis upon Jesus’ teaching ministry as Matthew states, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” (Mat 4:23)

The Gospel of Mark – Mark’s Gospel emphasizes the office of the evangelist, who preaches the Gospel with signs following. Therefore, he describes Jesus beginning His public ministry with the statement, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mar 1:14-15) Mark describes Jesus beginning His public ministry by preaching (Mar 1:14-15), which emphasizes Mark’s theme of the testimony of Jesus’ miracles through the preaching of the Gospel.

The Gospel of Luke – The parallel passage in Luke records the testimony of His ministry as one of great anointing and power (Luk 4:14-15), which emphasizes the testimony of those who were eye-witnesses of the authority of Jesus’ public ministry. Within the context of Luke’s Gospel, which reflects the prophetic ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, the statement, “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee,” emphasizes the fact that Jesus was walking in the office of the prophet. In the opening chapters of Luke, we have already seen a number of people filled with the Spirit and deliver prophetic utterances. Zechariah, Elisabeth, Mary, Simeon and Anna have all been filled with the spirit and spoke of the Messiah. To show that this motif runs through the Gospel of Luke, in the closing chapter we see Jesus commanding His disciples to “tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luk 24:49) Thus, the fact that Jesus was “full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,” (Mat 4:1) then “returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee” (Luk 4:14) to tell the people that “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” (Luk 4:18) tells us that Jesus will deliver prophetic messages throughout the Gospel of Luke.

The Gospel of John – John’s Gospel emphasizes Jesus in the office of the pastor. Thus, John describes Jesus as a Shepherd gathering His flock and gently leading the disciples. In this Gospel Jesus begins His public ministry in the office of a pastor by gathering His first disciples: John, Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, and Nathanael (Joh 1:35-51). He will not move into the offices of Evangelist, Teacher, and Prophet until after the imprisonment of John the Baptist, as recorded in the Synoptic Gospels.

Testimonies of Jesus’ Extesive Public Healing Ministry – Jesus Christ ministered healing to the multitudes throughout His earthly ministry, as each narrative section of Matthew’s Gospel testifies. Jesus began His public by healing the sick in the first (Mat 4:23) and second (Mat 8:1 to Mat 9:38) narrative sections, and Matthew records similar accounts during His travels in the third (Mat 12:15), fourth (Mat 15:29-30), and fifth (Mat 19:2) narrative sections.

Mat 4:23, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”

Mat 12:15, “But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;”

Mat 15:29-30, “And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:”

Mat 19:2, “And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.”

The ten miracles recorded in Matthew 8-9 demonstrated the manner in which Jesus healed as a way of training His disciples to go forth in the next chapter to do the same. Each miracle that Jesus performed followed the pattern of healing recorded in Matthew 8-9. In other words, these healing were not strickly a divine work without the involvedment of man’s will to receive. The healing of the multitudes that Jesus performed followed the same distinct principles of healing time and again that Jesus demonstrated to His disciples in Matthew 8-9. Matthew simply chose ten distinct miracles in order to prepare the New Testament church to follow in the same footsteps and training as the Twelve.

Mat 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Mat 4:23 “Jesus went about all Galilee” – Comments – Jesus traveled around very much during His earthly ministry.

Mat 4:23 “and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people” – Comments The Greek text reads, “every sickness and every disease among the people.” Jesus healed every kind of sickness and disease among the people. God’s will is to heal any kind of disease.

Jer 32:27, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”

Mat 4:23 Comments (The Office of the Teacher) Mat 4:23; Mat 9:35 are identical in content in that they describe Jesus Christ as He operated in the office and ministry of the Teacher. In fact, the Gospel of Matthew emphasizes the office of a Teacher, while Mark reveals Jesus in the office of the Evangelist, Luke reveals Jesus in the office of the Prophet, and John reveals Jesus in the office of the Shepherd (Pastor). Thus, the opening words of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel describe Jesus as a Teacher (Mat 5:1), while Mark describes Him as an Evangelist (Mar 1:14-15), Luke describes Him as a Prophet (Luk 4:17-19), and John as a Pastor leading a flock (Joh 1:38-39).

Mat 5:1, “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:”

Mar 1:14-15, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

Luk 4:17-19, “And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Joh 1:38-39, “Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.”

Mat 4:23; Mat 9:35 are not only similar in content, but they also share the common element of being found in transitional passages in which the narrative material comes to a close and discourse immediately follows (Mat 4:23-25, Mat 9:35-38). Both of these passages of Scripture precede a lengthly discourse by describing the setting in which Jesus taught.

Mat 9:35, “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”

Jesus used this pattern of teaching, preaching, and healing in Galilee because of the receptivity of the people. As He taught, faith rose in the hearts of the people to receive a miracle of healing and deliverance. In contrast, Jesus faced more objections and persecutions during His Judean ministry. As a result, He operated in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as a demonstration of His divinity because the multitudes were not as receptive.

Jesus went about doing three things, teaching and preaching and healing:

1. Teaching – This brings faith (Rom 10:17). We see an example of Jesus teaching in Luk 4:16-30.

2. Preaching – Explaining the Word of God. We see an example of Jesus preaching in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7.

3. Healing Once Jesus taught the people and they received who He was, He was able to preach to them the Gospel. Then the people were able to respond in faith and receive their healing.

Teaching explains the meaning of the Scriptures to people, while preaching tells about the Kingdom of God coming to work in the lives of those who hear. This style of ministry produces faith in the heart of the hearers to receive healing from God. Healing refers to the healing of the entire man, in spirit, soul body, finances, relationships, and in whatever aspect of man’s life is out of harmony with God’s will. For this reason, healing followed preaching and teaching. It cannot be done out of order. Healing made a way for many to come and hear Jesus’ teachings.

Jesus followed this pattern of ministry throughout His Galilean ministry, other verses in the Gospels reveal (Mat 9:35; Mat 11:1, Mar 6:6).

Mat 9:35, “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”

Mat 11:1, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.”

Mar 6:6, “And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching .”

These three key words (teaching, preaching, and healing) reveal the method that Jesus used when He began to minister to people. He first taught the people God’s word; He then proclaimed how God had sent Him to establish the Kingdom of God in their lives; and thirdly, He was able to heal those who received His words. The best example of this three-fold aspect of public ministry is seen in Luk 4:16-30 where Jesus stood up in the synagogue and read out of Isaiah 61, how the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him. This was teaching. He then began to proclaim the good news of how God had sent Him to fulfill this prophecy. We also see in the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus explained to the people the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven. This was preaching. Unfortunately, because his hometown people rejected him, He was only able to heal a few sick people (Mar 6:5).

For the multitudes, Jesus often taught in parables because they did not have the heart to receive all of the message of the Kingdom of God. He would then take His disciples aside, those individuals who clung to His message, and teach them the meanings of the parables. We also find this description used in Act 5:42 when the apostles ministered in Jerusalem.

Act 5:42, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”

Oral Roberts tells the story of how the Lord led him to read through the Gospels three times while on his knees. The greatest revelation that was shown to him during this time was the three-fold principle of how to effectively minister God’s Word to people by teaching, preaching, and healing. This is because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. [355]

[355] Oral Roberts, The Ultimate Voice (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Pengold Garrett & Assoc., 2008), 88.

Kenneth Hagin tells the story of how a voice from heaven spoke to him the phrase “Hear and be healed” three times during a tent revival. Hagin uses Mat 9:35 to explain these words that Jesus spoke to him, “You see, those who would not hear Me didn’t receive healing. I did not heal the sick the way the average church person thinks I did. For if I did, I certainly failed at Nazareth, because I only managed to get a few people healed.” [356]

[356] Kenneth Hagin, Hear and Be Healed (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Faith Library Publications, c1987, 1991), 1-4, 10.

Psa 107:20, “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

Psa 119:130, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

Joh 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Rom 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Arthur Pink states that these miracles of healing were part of the Messianic credentials (Isa 35:4-6; Isa 61:1-3). [357]

[357] Arthur W. Pink, An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1982), comments on Matthew 4:23.

Isa 35:4-6, “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing : for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.”

Isa 61:1-3, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”

Comments (The Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ) – We find a number of verses in the Gospel of Matthew where all of the people were healed.

Mat 4:23, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”

Mat 8:16, “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick .”

Mat 9:35, “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people .”

Mat 12:15, “But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all ;”

Mat 14:14, “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick .”

Mat 15:30, “And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them :”

Yet, there are many stories of when He only healed individuals as they reached out to Him in faith. This is because Jesus healed either by the individual’s faith or by a “healing anointing.” Note these words from the book Journey Into the Miraculous by Todd Bentley:

“While I was ministering in the Yukon, Canada I had a Holy Spirit visitation. ‘Do you want the healing anointing?’ God asked me. I had just finished doing a healing crusade. I said, ‘God, what do You mean, do I want the healing anointing?’ Then I remembered the story of Jack Coe, one of the most prominent healing ministers of the Voice of Healing revival. He once said to the Lord, ‘I’m not satisfied with the level of healing. How can I get more?’ God said, ‘You need a healing anointing.’ Jack asked, ‘What have I been doing all this time?’ God said that Jack had been healing by his faith and the faith of the people, which is good, but that He had an anointing for him so that it wouldn’t matter whether people believed, are saved or have faith. God told him that there can be such an atmosphere and manifestation of His presence that whoever comes into His glory gets healed. God was now asking me if I wanted that healing anointing so that it wouldn’t be so much about whether people believe the principles of healing (although that’s important). He was offering me an anointing that when I walked into a room people would be healed in an anointing that comes out of His presence and the grace of the Holy Spirit. I said, ‘Oh, gosh, let me think about it.’ NOT! I said, ‘Yes, God I want it now.’ God continued, ‘The anointing is because of My presence; where My presence is, people are healed.’ I said, ‘God, if I can get more of Your presence I know I can get more healings.’” [358]

[358] Todd Bentley, Journey Into the Miraculous (Victoria, BC, Canada: Hemlock Printers, Ltd., 2003), 151-2.

Thus, we understand that there were times that Jesus ministered under this “healing anointing” so that everyone present received healing. This means that when Jesus healed because of someone’s individual faith, then the “healing anointing” was not being manifested at that time.

Mat 4:24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Mat 4:24 “And his fame went throughout all Syria” Comments – God’s blessings never have been limited to Israel alone throughout Bible history. His love has always been available to all who loved and served Him. Note Job, Ruth, Namaan, the widow of Zarapath, etc.

Mat 4:25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

Mat 4:25 Comments – By this time in Jesus’ ministry, multitudes are now following Jesus. Later, at his trial, in the courtyard where Jesus was spit upon, only John was left. His followers went from a multitude to one man.

Paul, the apostle, knew this experience also:

2Ti 1:15, “This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.”

2Ti 4:10-11, “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.”

After Jesus’ healing crusade, multitudes follow Him. A healing ministry will grow a large church today, also.

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

With these men, as the nucleus of a loyal band of disciples, Jesus now entered upon His Galilean ministry, of which Matthew here gives a summary, in the form of an introduction to the succeeding chapters:

v. 23. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease among the people.

All of Galilee was His field of activity, not only Upper Galilee with its fertile valleys, but also Lower Galilee with its many prosperous villages dotting the landscape. In His journeyings back and forth Jesus was busily engaged, continually active, in the three functions of His ministry. He taught in the synagogues, or schools, of the Jews, principally by expounding the Old Testament; He preached the Gospel of the kingdom, the glorious news of the Messianic redemption; He healed the sick, not merely by mental suggestion, as many would have it, but by deliberate application of His divine power, for every form of disease and ailment was represented.

The Jewish Synagogue

The synagogues, or meeting-houses, which are mentioned so frequently in the New Testament, especially in the gospels and in the Acts, originated during, or in consequence of, the Babylonian captivity, probably as the result of the great need of common worship felt by all when the Temple lay in ruins. At the time of Jesus they were scattered over the whole country of Palestine, even in small towns, since ten persons of respectability were sufficient to compose a synagogue. Jerusalem was credited with 480, or at least 460, of these houses of worship. Generally, a community would build its own synagogue, or else depend upon the charitable assistance of neighbors, or even on private munificence, Luk 7:5.

So far as the arrangement and the furnishing of the synagogues is concerned, the form was usually rectangular, with a central nave and aisles on either side, outside the columns supporting the roof. There was usually a women’s gallery, supported on these colonnades. At one end of the structure was the holy chest, or ark, containing the scrolls of the Law and the prophets, which were written on long sheets of parchment or papyrus and rolled up on either end on a round rod. The ark was sheltered by a curtain, and stops led up to it. The holy lamp was never wanting, with its eternal light. The pulpit, or desk, from which the Law was read, was in the middle of the building. Those who read the Law stood, while he that preached or expounded the text sat down. Right before the ark, and facing the people, were the places of honor, where the elders sat, the seats or pews for the men filling the remaining space.

Public worship in the synagogue was opened with the Shema, Deu 6:4-9; Deu 9:13-21; Num 15:37-41. It was preceded in the morning and evening by two benedictions, and succeeded, in the morning by one and in the evening by two benedictions. These are prayers of singular beauty, in the general tone of the psalms. These prayers before and after the Shema are contained in the Mishnah, and have remained practically unchanged to the present day. Then followed the prayers before the ark. They consisted of eighteen eulogies or benedictions called Tephillah. The first three and the last three of the eulogies are very ancient, and may well be said to have been in use in the time of our Lord. The prayers were spoken aloud by one man selected for the occasion, and the congregation responded with Amen. The liturgical part of the service was concluded with the Aaronic benediction, spoken by the descendants of Aaron or by the leader of the devotions.

After this followed the reading of the Law. Seven persons were called upon to read, and the lectionaries were arranged so that the Pentateuch (Books of Moses) would be read twice in seven years. On week-days only three persons were called upon to read the Law. After the Law came the reading of the prophets. At the time of Christ all the reading was accompanied by a translation into Aramaic by a “meturgeman,” or interpreter.

After the reading of the prophets came the sermon or address. When a very learned rabbi gave a theological discussion, it was not spoken to the people directly, but a speaker gave a popular transcription of the discussion transmitted to him. The more popular sermon of a local elder or rabbi was termed a “ meamar , ” a speech or talk, based, as a rule, upon a Scripture-passage, Luk 4:17. After the sermon the services were closed with a short prayer.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Mat 4:23. Synagogues This is a general word, which in its originalmeaning signifies both civil and ecclesiastical assemblies, and also the places where these assemblies were kept. Here, as also chap. Mat 13:54 and almost all through the New Testament, it is taken for the places or buildings where the Jews met to pray, and to hear the interpretation of the law and the prophets; and this is a common acceptation of the word synagogue. It is manifest from Act 15:21 that there had been of a long time synagogues in each city, and that the Jews were accustomed to meet therein every Sabbath-day. These synagogues had several heads and officers, who performed different functions: that of the scribes was to teach and instruct the congregation; but it is evident from Act 13:15 that after the reading of the law and the prophets, the heads of the synagogue desired such learned and grave persons as happened to be there to make a discourse to the people; and by virtue of this custom it was, that the Lord Jesus Christ and St. Paul were allowed to preach in the synagogues: Act 9:20; Act 14:1. See Beausobre and Lenfant, and the authors referred to on chap. Mat 3:7. Respecting the different diseases, possessions, &c. mentioned in this and the next verse, we shall have occasion to speak more particularly when we come to those miracles of our Lord, where they are distinctly described. The Gospel, that is to say, the glad tidings, or joyous message, is the proper name of our religion, and will be amply verified as such to all who cordially embrace it. See Heylin, and more on this subject in the Inferences.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Mat 4:23-24 serve by way of introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, where the description is manifestly exaggerated as regards the time of the first ministry of Jesus, and betray the work of a later hand in the redaction of our Gospel. Comp. Mat 9:35 .

The synagogues were places of assembly for public worship, where on Sabbaths and feast days (at a later period, also on the second and fifth days of the week, Jerusalem Megillah , f. 75. 1; Babylonian Bava Cama , f. 82. 1) the people met together for prayer, and to listen to the reading of portions of the Old Testament, which were translated and explained in the vernacular dialect. With the permission of the president, any one who was fitted might deliver addresses. Vitringa, de synagoga veterum , Franecker 1696; Keil, Archol . 30; Leyrer in Herzog’s Encykl . XV. p. 299 ff.; Keim, Gesch. J . I. p. 432 ff.

] of the Galileans .

] every kind of sickness which was brought to Him. See Hermann, ad Viger . p. 728, , weakness, deprivation of strength through sickness . Herod. Vit. Hom . 36, and often in the LXX. Comp. and , Lobeck, ad Phryn . p. 389. In the N. T. only in Matthew (Mat 10:35 , Mat 10:1 ).

] belongs to . Comp. Act 5:12 ; Act 6:8 .

Observe that such summary accumulations of the activity of Jesus in healing as Mat 5:23 f. (Mat 8:16 , Mat 12:15 ) are not mentioned in John’s Gospel. They are, moreover, especially at so early a date, not in keeping with the gradual progress of the history, although explicable enough in the case of a simple historian, who, easily anticipating the representation which he had formed from the whole history, gives a summary statement in the account of a single portion of the narrative.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

D. Mat 4:23-25

Contents:Jesus passing through Galilee like an ordinary Rabbi, but manifesting Himself as the Saviour of all nations

23And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel21 of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease,among the people. 24And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. 25And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Mat 4:23. And Jesus went about all Galilee.The term probably implies only Upper Galilee. The passage may, however, be regarded as giving a summary or general view of Christs activity throughout Galilee. This activity formed part of His work in the various districts of Palestine, since Matthew also specially notes His labors in Pera and Juda. Galilee, in the more general sense of the term, formed the northernmost part of Palestine, being fifty English miles long and twenty to twenty-five English miles broad, and bounded on the west by the sea and Phnicia, on the north by Clesyria, on the east by the Jordan and the Lake of Tiberias, and on the south by Samaria, where in the west the brook Kishon, and farther east a line drawn from Mount Tabor to Scythopolis, and the promontory of Carmel, formed its boundary. Originally the name (Jos 20:7; Jos 21:32) was confined to the circuit of Upper Galilee; afterward the province was divided into Upper and Lower Galilee. The former was a mountainous country, the latter partly level. Upper Galilee extended from Beersheba to the village of Baca, and from the village of Thella, near Jordan, to Meroth. According to Strabo, it was partly inhabited by Gentiles (by Phnicians, Syrians, Arabs; according to Joseph., Vita, xii, also by Greeks); hence the name, Galilee of the Gentiles. The district is alpine, and of the chalk formation. Its mountains do not rise to any considerable height; the valleys are very romantic. Galilee was a most fertile country, equally adapted for agriculture and pasturage, besides having the lake within Its district. Hence the large number of its inhabitants (Joseph., De Bello Jud iii. 3, 1). It contained 404 towns and villages. The people of Galilee were brave, industrious, and intelligent; although the inhabitants of Juda proper looked down upon them on account of their contact with the heathen and their uncouth dialect. For further particulars, comp. Winer [Kitto, W. Smith], and the works on the Holy Land.

Teaching in their synagogues.The general sketch of Christs sphere of activity is followed by a description of its peculiar mode. Conforming to Jewish custom, He appeared as a travelling Rabbi in the various synagogues of Galilee. The (from , the congregation), in the Sept. for and . The name embodied the idea that each synagogue represented the congregation of Israel as a whole, just as we designate each particular Christian community a church, in the sense of its embodying and representing the whole Church. After the Babylonish exile, the solemn gathering in the temple, which could only be enjoyed on special occasions, and not without difficulty, led to the establishment of synagogues, accessible in every place and to all, which may be regarded as the revivalwithout the admixture of former errorsof the ancient monotheistic or orthodox worship of the high places, and which unconsciously served as the prototype for the arrangement and form of the Church under the New Testament. According to Jewish tradition, the institution of synagogues dates from a very early period (comp. the art. in Winers [W. Smith, vol. iii., 1396 sqq., and other] Bibl. Encycls., ad especially Vitringa, De Synagoga vetere, 1696). The statement is correct, in so far as it implies that a provision for religious communion and edification must have existed even previous to the temple. During the Babylonish exile, when the Jews were shut out from the Holy Land and from the appointed sanctuary, the want of places for religious meetings, in which the worship of God, without sacrifices, could be celebrated, must have been painfully felt. Thus synagogues may have originated at that ominous period. When the Jews returned from Babylon, synagogues were planted throughout the country for the purpose of affording opportunities for publicly reading the law, independently of the regular sacrificial services of the temple (Neh 8:1, etc.). At the time of Jesus there was at least one synagogue in every moderately sized town of Palestine (such as Nazareth, Capernaum, etc.), and in the cities of Syria, Asia Minor, and Greece, in which Jews resided (Act 9:2 sqq.). Larger towns possessed several synagogues; and it is said that there were no fewer than 460, or even 480, of them in Jerusalem itself.Winer. A kindred institution were the , or places where prayer was wont to be madeoratories, commonly situate in the immediate vicinity of some river, for the sake of lustrations (Act 16:13); while synagogues were generally built in some elevated situation (in allusion to the position of the temple). The synagogue may be regarded as forming in every respect the germ of our local Christian churches. 1. Their foundation: by communities, or by private individuals. 2. Character: sanctuaries. 3. Time of meeting: on the Sabbath, on feast days; afterward also on the second and fifth days of the week. 4. Arrangement: seats, separation of sexes. 5. Mode of worship: prayer, reading of portions of Scripture (the Law, the Prophets, and other Old Testament booksParashoth, Haphtharoth, Megilloth) by a priest or elder; exposition of the section read, and address; liberty of putting questions, of expressing opinions, and of delivering addresses (the prophetic element); at the close, the priestly blessing and prayer of the congregation. 6. Officials of the synagogue: the president, or chief ruler ( , ); the elders (, ), who administered the affairs of the synagogue; then the servant or messenger of the congregation (legatus ecclesi), who acted as precentor, clerk, and messenger; and the officer, or [the attendant or minister who handed the volume to the reader and returned it to its place, Luk 4:20]; with the addition, probably, of officials to collect the alms. 7. Furniture: seats, pulpit or desk, and bookcase. 8. Discipline: greater and lesser excommunication, and bodily punishments. Every Jewish town possessed its Sanhedrim, which was subordinate to the great Sanhedrim in Jerusalem. These Sanhedrims were no doubt attached to the various synagogues (comp. Winer, sub Synedrium) Thus, in the providence of God, the synagogue was destined to form a transition from the symbolical worship of the Old, to the worship in spirit and in truth of the New, Testament. Hence the circumstance, that the Lord and His Apostles made use of the arrangements of the synagogue, must be regarded not only as an act of legal obedience, but also of missionary foresight.

From various passages we infer that at first Jesus was regarded by His disciples as a Rabbi (Mar 9:5; Joh 1:38, etc.). But in their minds this title implied acknowledgment of His claims as prophet and Messiah, and it gradually gave place to full recognition of Jesus as the Son of God (Mat 16:16). The people also regarded the Lord at first as a Rabbi (Mar 10:51; Joh 20:16), although the leading men in Jerusalem were not willing to accede to Him that designation (Joh 7:15). The title Rabbi (, vir amplissimus) was the honorary designation given to Jewish teachers of the law and scribes (Magister, Doctor). At the time of Christ, there was no formal graduation, as at a later period; although several characteristics served to distinguish the regular order of scribes. These were, 1. adherence to a certain school, and to scholastic traditions; 2. a peculiar method of explaining the law and interpreting the Scriptures; 3. connection with the hierarchy and the orthodoxy of the time (Pharisaism), although a number of the scribes belonged to the sect of the Sadducees; 4. the commencement of a regular organization of the order. Some of the Rabbins were members or assessors of the Sanhedrim; others presided over schools; while yet others were employed as legal advisers, etc. The Rabbins were regarded by the people as successors of the ancient prophets, with certain modulcations adapting their office to the wants of the time. Accordingly, Ezra already bears the title of . When the Lord Jesus therefore appeared as a Rabbi, without having previously passed through a regular scholastic training, He only asserted the ancient right and title of a prophet.

And preaching the gospel of the Kingdom.Here it is more definitely called the Gospel of the kingdom of heaven; i.e., the Gospel which constituted the kingdom of heaven, and which increasingly manifested itself as the Gospel concerning Christ, the Lord of the kingdom of heaven, and concerning reconciliation through Him for the kingdom of heaven.. The meaning of the term in classical Greek is, primarily, reward for good tidings; and, secondarily, the good tidings themselves; in the New Testament, it is used simply for good tidings. The announcement, that the kingdom of Messiah was at hand, made throughout the synagogues of Galilee, was of such deep and decisive importance as to require some confirmation of the prophetic character of Him who declared it. Hence Jesus proved by His miracles that He was able to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease; thereby confirming His word. But the ultimate aim of these miracles was the manifestation of Jesus Himself, and of the kingdom of heaven, whereby the kingdom of darkness was vanquished.

Mat 4:24. His fame went throughout all Syria.On the one hand, throughout Palestine; and, on the other, beyond its limits to Phnicia and Syria proper. Probably His fame spread along the road frequented by caravans, which led from Damascus to the Mediterranean by the Sea of Galilee.

And they brought unto Him all sick people.The passage must, of course, be taken in a restricted sense: as far as faith in His miraculous power extended, they brought such sufferers to Him.

That were taken with divers diseases and torments.The latter term, though referring to a distinct class of suffering, is still a general expression. Three peculiar kinds of disease are specially mentioned: viz., those which were possessed with devils (demoniacs, ), lunatics (epileptics, ), and those that had the palsy (nervous disorders, ). Formerly, commentators were wont to regard the demoniacs as persons whose bodies were possessed by the devil, or by devils, but who labored under no physical ailment. Rationalistic interpreters, on the other hand, applied these expressions to bodily or mental diseases exclusively, as to mania, epilepsy, melancholy, etc., whichaccording to their statementpopular ignorance and prejudice regarded as a possession by devils. Of late, however, sounder views have obtained; and we have learned to recognize both elements in these unfortunate persons, viz., demoniac influences, and excitements produced by unclean spirits, along with bodily or mental derangements (see the authors Leben Jesu, ii. 1, p. 285). Meyer (note to p. 115) disposes rather summarily of this view, and repeats the old rationalistic theory.22 The difference between the three classes consists in this, that the demoniacs were subject to disease through the influence of unclean spirits, the lunatics through that of the sidereal bodies (change of the moon, etc.), the palsied through that of atmospheric changes. The common characteristic of all these afflictions was, that their victims were under the absolute control of some outward influence, whether spiritual, psychical, or physical. They were, so to speak, the representatives of those more obscure and refined psychical and physical sufferings and dissonances which have been introduced in the psychical and external world by the moral power of darkness. (For a list of books on Pastoral Medicine or Cure of Souls, see Heubner, p. 43.)

Mat 4:25. And there followed Him great multitudes.Even at this stage of His ministry, multitudes had gathered, who externally followed the Lord. These were drawn in the first instance from Galilee itself, and swelled by others coming from Decapolis, and even from Jerusalem, from the land of Juda, and from beyond Jordan, i.e., Pera. Decapolis, or the Ten Cities, chiefly inhabited by Gentile settlers: see Plinius, Hist. Nat. 16, and the Encyclops. According to Ritter, the Decapolis was founded principally by veterans from the army of Alexander (hence one of the towns was called Pella, from the city of that name in Macedonia). The expression, Pera, refers probably to the northern part of that province. On the division of Pera into three distinct districts, comp. von Raumer, Palestine, p. 205.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. Note the contrast between Jesus going from place to place, and the Baptist remaining stationary. It seems to represent the moving and kindly character of the Gospel, as embodied in a personal form.
2. From the conduct of Jesus, we infer that He recognized the use and place of the synagogue in the arrangement of Divine Providence. The Apostles also observed the same line of conduct.

3. The Lord now proclaimed everywhere the Gospel of the kingdom of heaven. The announcement, that a new spiritual order of things was at hand, was everywhere received as a message of coming salvation. But the Lord also proclaimed at the same time the fundamental laws and promises of the kingdom of heaven, as appears from the Sermon on the Mount. By the numerous miracles which Jesus now wrought, He proved that the kingdom of heaven was really at hand; that its character was spiritual; that it was a kingdom of regeneration; and that this new spiritual life consisted in a heavenly influence and a Divine power, which restored not only the diseased and departed life, but also the dead and diseased heart. Thus it also clearly appeared that the kingdom of heaven was indissolubly connected with the person of Jesus. By His miracles, He revealed Himself in His glory as the centre of the kingdom of heaven. On miracles, comp. below, Matthew 8.

4. Like John, Jesus produced by His preaching a general impression upon the people, but in a higher measure. John remained stationary, Jesus went about; John announced the wrath to come, Jesus brought to light the life-giving power of the Gospel; John displayed only one miracle, that of self-renunciation and the moral greatness of a true prophet as exhibited in his own history; he did no wonders; while it appeared as the inmost and distinguishing characteristic of Christs life to work miracles of healing, of deliverance, of comfort, and of salvation.To John the people flocked in numbers, again to return to their homes; while of those who betook themselves to Jesus, many remained to follow Him whithersoever He went.
5. In measure as the kingdom of heaven shall appear in the Church, the same Divine powerthe same power of faith, of love and of life, and the same heavenly courage which ascends to heaven and descends from it, to diffuse that which is heavenly, will also manifest itself.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

Christ went about doing good to all.1. He went about in the omnipotence of His love. 2. He did good to all in the omnipotence of His love.The labors of ministers should extend to all within the sphere of their activity.Galilee, or the circuit of the Gentiles, becomes the circuit of the new life.In preaching the Gospel, we should follow up Gods preparatory agencies and dispensations.Evangelists should endeavor to find proper starting-points for their work.The teaching of Jesus in its fulness. It Isaiah , 1. a preaching (an appeal to the heart, announcing something new); 2. it is Gospel; 3. it is the Gospel of the kingdom; 4. it conveys salvation.Defects to be avoided in the Church: 1. It is sad when teaching ceases to be preaching; 2. more sad when preaching ceases to be teaching; 3. most sad when preaching ceases to be the Gospel of the kingdom; 4. not less sad when destitute of the power of life.In our days also, demonstration of the truth of the Gospel which we preach is indispensable.The practical demonstration of the truth of the Gospel should be as follows: 1. Our preaching should always bear the impress of the love of Christ, of the Holy Spirit, and of power. 2. It should always be adapted to the wants of the age.The secret of Christs power of helping His people lay in their spiritual boldness: 1. Based on spiritual humility; 2. springing from spiritual faith; 3. manifesting itself in spiritual love; 4. evidenced by spiritual life.Spiritual cowardice opens the door to the enemy.Jesus still removes every manner of sickness and disease.The fame of Jesus prepares the way for the word of Jesus.The Saviour from sin is also the Saviour from evil.He healed all that came unto Him.In trouble and necessity we learn to know our Deliverer.The kingdom of Christ commencing amidst poverty and misery. The relation between those who follow the wonder-worker, and those who follow the Crucified One.Conversion the evidence of true awakening.Jesus gathers His people. 1. How? 2. For what purpose?

Starke:Christ extends His kingdom by the Gospel, not with carnal weapons.It is a small thing for Him who gives us eternal life to restore our bodily life.All Christs miracles are blessings.

Heubner:These cures of Jesus are important; as being so many blessings and deliverances of wretched and needy persons; as revelations of His goodness and love; as evidence of His divine mission; as pointing to the spiritual deliverance which He wrought.

Footnotes:

[21] Mat 4:23.[Lange likewise translates: Das Evangelium. I cannot agree with Dr. Conant and others who think that where occurs in its original literal sense, it should always be translated good news, or glad tidings, and that gospel should be retained only where the Greek has taken a later tropical sense. This change is unnecessary; for gospel (Gods spell, or good spell = good news) is the old Saxon equivalent for the Gr. , and so universally understood. The E. V. always translates the noun gospel (in 77 passages), but renders the verb sometimes to preach the gospel, sometimes to bring or to declare glad tidings. Comp. Luk 1:19; Luk 2:10; Act 13:32; Rom 10:15; 1Th 3:6.P. S.]

[22][Meyers view is thus stated by him: Besessene waren characteristiche natrliche KrankeManie, Fallsucht, Melancholie, Zustnde der Contractheit, temporre Stummheit u. dergl.deren Leiden man bei schcinbar physischer Gesundheit nicht im abnormen Organismus oder in naturlichen Strungen des physigchen Habitus, sondern in teufelischer Besessenheit begrndet glaubte. He urges, among four reasons against the old orthodox view, mainly the entire silence of St. John, which he regards the more significant, as John lays special stress on the destruction of the works of the devil by Christ. But this silence concerning the healing of demoniacs must be accounted for on the same ground as the omission of other and more important facts in the Gospel of John, such as the parabolic discourses of Christ, the institution of baptism, and the Lords Supper, etc. This silence is rather the silence of approval of what was already generally known and read in the churches when he wrote his Gospel. Aside from doctrinal considerations connected with the personal existence of Satan and his supernatural agents, Meyers and de Wettes view is even exegetically untenable, unless we choose to involve Christ in a popular error, on to reflect on His veracity, which is not to be thought of for a single moment. For the are clearly and repeatedly distinguished in the Gospels from ordinary physical diseases, and represented as persons who are spiritually afflicted and possessed or interpenetrated as it were by a double consciousness and a double will, the one being foreign to them and taking forcible possession of their physical frame for a time. Christ moreover addresses the evil spirits as distinct from the persons possessed by them; and these spirits pass out from one person into another, or even into a herd of swine. Comp. also, on the general subject, the remarks of Dr. Trench, on the Miracles, p. 160, and Dr. Alford on Mat 8:32 (4th ed. vol. i. p. 79 sq.).P. S.]

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

What a lovely picture is here drawn of the SON of GOD! Behold him thus going about preaching the kingdom, and healing everywhere. And, Reader! do not fail to connect with this view, that he is still the same, JESUS CHRIST, yesterday, and today, and forever! What diseases of his people doth he not know? And what sicknesses are there, that JESUS cannot cure? Read, I beseech you, what was said of him ages before his birth. Isa 63:7-9 . Call to mind what is said of him in the days of his flesh. Joh 13:1 . And follow him by faith to glory. Rev 7:17 , and behold him feeding the church, where all tears are wiped away from all faces. And then ask, will he forget you; Oh, ye of little faith! Precious LORD JESUS! wherefore was it that it behoved thee to be made like unto thy brethren? Was it not that thou mightest be both a merciful and a faithful High Priest in things pertaining to GOD? And art thou not all this, and more, that thy redeemed might come at all times boldly unto thy throne of grace, and obtain mercy, and find grace to help in all times of need?

REFLECTIONS

READER! Let you and I pause over the view of CHRIST’S temptations, and ponder well the wonderful subject. And was it needful that CHRIST should be thus exercised? Yes! The HOLY GHOST has said; that in all things it behoveth him to be made like unto his brethren. For as much as the Children are partakers of. flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same. The destruction of the devil was folded up in this. And the deliverance of his people from the power of hell was accomplished in the same. Hence therefore, in the victory of CHRIST in his seasons of temptations, the children of CHRIST discover their victory in their seasons and temptations in and by Him. And during the exercise, they know how JESUS, from fellow-feeling can, and will, minister to them every suited relief. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. The issue therefore is never doubtful. The children may be tempted, as Jesus was, to unbelief, to a distrust of GOD, yea, to self-murder. Perhaps there never was a child of GOD but what, more or less, hath been so tempted. Yea, it should seem to be a sweet testimony of our fellowship with Jesus, as members with the Head. Blessed is the man, saith the HOLY GHOST by James, That endureth temptation. But the issue is never doubtful. As CHRIST overcame every assault of Satan, so Christ’s redeemed must also in him. Reader let you and I carry all our trials and temptations to Jesus. He knows them all before. But by our taking them to Him, we testify that we are looking wholly for strength from Him, and engaging CHRIST on our behalf. And, oh! the blessedness having JESUS for our strength. The devil will leave us as he did Him, and the LORD of angels himself will come and minister every suited relief to our necessity!

Behold Reader! on the close of this chapter, how He, who in the opening of it, is said to have been assaulted by hell, is here manifesting forth his sovereignty as God. Oh! That that dear LORD, who thus in the days of his flesh, went about preaching his gospel, and healing the bodies of the deceased, would now, in the day of his Almighty power, come forth in a preached gospel, and heal the souls of his redeemed. Precious LORD JESUS! behold the diseased state of thy church, and in compassion to Zion take the glorious cause into thine own Almighty hand. And as then, so now, LORD, cause the multitudes of thy people to come to thy standard, until thou shalt have brought all thy blood-bought children home to thy church, and all the blessed purposes of thy temptations and ministry be abundantly answered in the salvation of thy chosen. Amen.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Ver. 23. And Jesus went about all Galilee ] Not (as the Circumcelliones of old) to make show of their holiness; nor as the Jesuits (into whom the Pharisees have fled and hidden themselves) to gain proselytes and passengers that go right on their ways, Pro 9:15 ; but “he went about doing good,” saith St Peter, Act 10:38 . The chiefest goods are most active; the best good a mere act. And the more good we do, the more God-like we are, and the more we draw nigh to the heavenly pattern. Religion is not a name, goodness a word; but as the life of things stands in goodness, so the life of goodness in action. So much we live, as we do. “O Lord, by these things men live,” saith Hezekiah, “and in all these things is the life of my spirit,” Isa 38:16 . And he that keepeth my commandments shall live in them, as the lamp lives in the oil, the flower in the earth, the creature by food. Nos non eloquimur magna, sed vivimus, said the ancient Christians. And holy Bradford accounted that hour lost wherein he had not done some good with tongue, pen, or hand. God hath set us our time and our task, Job 14:5-6 . David is said to serve out his time; and John Baptist, to finish his course,Act 13:25Act 13:25 . Up, therefore, and be doing, that ye be not taken with your task undone. Fruitless trees shall be cut down: short shooting loseth many a game. The master is an austere man, and looketh for his own with usury. ( Dies brevis est, et opus multum et operarii pauci, et paterfamilias urget. Rab. Simeon.) It is an easy thing when the candle is out, and all still without din, to fall a napping: which will prove to your cost when God shall send forth summons for sleepers.

Teaching in their synagogues ] Houses dedicated to the worship of God, wherein it was lawful (and usual) to pray, preach, and dispute, but not to sacrifice, Act 15:21 . The temple at Jerusalem was the cathedral church; the synagogues as petty parish churches belonging thereunto. There were 480 of them in Jerusalem, as Manahen the Jew reporteth.

And preaching ] Which is a further matter than teaching, and is therefore set after it here as an addition. It signifieth to publish, and (as a herald, ) to deliver a matter in the hearing of a multitude with greatest majesty, constancy, fidelity, and liberty of speech; not budging or balking any part of the truth; not huckstering the word of God or handling it deceitfully, but as of sincerity, as of God, in the sight of God, speaking in Christ. , 2Co 2:17 ; corrupting, as men do by their false wares, or mixed wines.

And healing all manner of sickness and disease ] Both acute and chronic. None came amiss to this Jehovah Rophe, the Lord that healeth, as he styleth himself; this “Sun of righteousness, that hath healing under his wings.” ( proprie significat ignaviam stomachi. , morbum vehementiorem et intensiorem,Exo 15:26Exo 15:26 ; Mal 4:2 ) To an Almighty Physician, saith Isidore, no disease can seem incurable. ( Omnipotenti medico nullas insanabilis occurrit morbus. ) He healeth with a wet finger (as we say) such patients as all the physicians in the country cast their caps at, and could not tell what to say to.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

23 25. ] HE MAKES A CIRCUIT OF GALILEE. (Mar 1:39 . Luk 4:44 , ordinarily: but qu.? There is no necessity for believing this circuit of Galilee to be identical with those, even if we read in the passage in Luke. Our Lord made many such circuits .)

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

23. ] These were the places of religious assembly among the Jews after the return from the captivity. Tradition, and the Targums, ascribe a very early origin to synagogues; and Deu 31:11 , and Psa 74:8 , are cited as testimonies of it. But the former passage does not necessarily imply it: and it is doubtful whether that Psalm was not itself written after the captivity. They are generally supposed to have originated in Babylon, and thence to have been brought, at the return, into the mother land. See Neh 8:1-8 . At the Christian era there were synagogues in every town, and in some larger towns several. See Act 9:2 ; Act 9:20 . In Jerusalem, according to the Rabbinical writings, there were upwards of 450. (See Act 6:9 , and note.) The people assembled in them on sabbath and festival days, and in later times also on the second and fifth days of each week, for public prayer and the hearing of portions of Scripture. . Philo, Fragm. vol. ii. p. 630 (Euseb. Prep. Evang. viii. 7, vol. iii. p. 359). See Luk 4:16 ; Act 13:15 . The officers of the synagogues were (1) the , Luk 8:49 ; Luk 13:14 ; Act 18:8 ; Act 18:17 , who had the care of public order, and the arrangement of the service; (2) the Elders, Luk 7:3 , Mar 5:22 ; Act 13:15 , who seem to have formed a sort of council under the presidency of the ; (3) the legatus or angelus ecclesi , who was the reader of prayers, and also secretary and messenger of the synagogues; (4) the ( Luk 4:20 ), or chapel clerk, whose office was to prepare the books for reading, to sweep, open, and shut the synagogue. Besides these, there appear to have been alms-gatherers. The synagogue was fitted up with seats, of which the first row ( ) were an object of ambition with the scribes (ch. Mat 23:6 ). A pulpit for the reader, lamps, and a chest for keeping the sacred books, appear to complete the furniture of the ancient synagogue. Punishments, e.g. scourging, were inflicted in the synagogues. (See ch. Mat 10:17 ; Mat 23:34 : Luk 9:49 ; Act 22:19 ; Act 26:11 .) The catechizing also of children seems to have taken place there (Lightfoot, xi. 281), as also disputations on religious questions. Our Lord was allowed to read and teach in the synagogues, although of mean extraction according to the flesh, because of His miracles, and His supposed character as the professed leader and teacher of a religious sect.

] viz. of the Galilans: the subject being taken up out of preceding. See reff., and Winer, 22, 3.

. ] For the exact meaning of these words, compare the declaration in the synagogue at Nazareth, Luk 4:16-30 .

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Mat 4:23-25 . Summary account of the Galilean ministry . A colourless general statement serving as a mere prelude to chapters 5 9. It points to a ministry in Galilee, varied, extensive, and far-famed, conceived by the evangelist as antecedent to the Sermon on the Mount; not necessarily covering a long period of time, though if the expression “teaching in their synagogues” be pressed it must imply a good many weeks ( vide on Mk.). The ministry embraced three functions: , , (Mat 4:23 ), teaching, preaching, healing. Jesus was an evangelist, a master, and a healer of disease. Matt. puts the teaching function first in accordance with the character of his gospel. The first gospel is weak in the evangelistic element compared with the third: is more prominent than . The healing function is represented as exercised on a large scale: , every form of disease and ailment. Euthy. Zig. defines as the chronic subversion of health ( ), as the weakness in which it begins ( , ). The subjects of healing are divided into two classes, Mat 4:24 . They brought to Him . . . , all who were Afflicted with various diseases (such as fever, leprosy, blindness); also those , seized with diseases of a tormenting nature, of which three classes are named the in T. R. before . is misleading; the following words are epexegetical: , , = demoniacs, epileptics (their seizures following the phases of the moon), paralytics. These forms of disease are graphically called torments. ( , first a touch-stone, lapis Lydius , as in Pindar, Pythia, x. 105: ; then an instrument of torture to extract truth; then, as here, tormenting forms of disease.) The fame, , of such a marvellous ministry naturally spread widely, , throughout the whole province to which Palestine belonged, among Gentiles as well as Jews. Crowds gathered around the wonderful Man from all quarters: west, east, north, south; Galilee, Decapolis on the eastern side of the lake, Jerusalem and Judaea, Peraea. With every allowance for the exaggeration of a popular account, this speaks to an extraordinary impression.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat 4:23

23Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

Mat 4:23 “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee” This involved three specific ministries: (1) teaching; (2) preaching; and (3) healing. It is interesting to note that they responded to the third, but not always to the first and second. The third was simply a confirmation of the vitality and power of the first two. It was possible to be healed and not be saved (cf. John 5).

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

all = the whole. Put by Pig. Synecdoche (of the Whole) for all parts. App-6.

synagogues. See App-120.

the gospel = the glad tidings.

of = relating to.

all manner of = every. Put by Pig. Synecdoche (of the Whole), for some of all kinds.

disease. Greek. malakia. Occurs only in Matthew: here; Mat 9:35; Mat 10:1.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

23-25.] HE MAKES A CIRCUIT OF GALILEE. (Mar 1:39. Luk 4:44, ordinarily: but qu.? There is no necessity for believing this circuit of Galilee to be identical with those, even if we read in the passage in Luke. Our Lord made many such circuits.)

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Mat 4:23. , …, And Jesus went about, etc.) Thus, also, clearly in ch. Mat 9:35.[161]-, preaching) His teaching in the synagogues was public, but His preaching more public still.-See ch. Mat 10:27, and Mat 11:1; comp. also Luk 8:39 : Joh 3:2; Joh 3:4.- , the Gospel) The chief teaching of Christ was the Gospel: the other things which He taught concerned only the removing impediments [to its saving reception].- , of the kingdom) sc. of God. In Holy Scripture God is the perpetual object of contemplation.-, every) No one sick or dead, whom Jesus met, remained in sickness or death.- disease) ; signifies a disease of the whole body: , an infirmity of any particular part, attended with pain: (Mat 4:24), a torture, or malady accompanied by excruciating pain: (Luk 7:21), a scourge.- , among the people) Among the people of Israel: and it was among the people, [i.e., in public,] that, as the sick were promiscuously brought to Him, even those were healed whose disease was a matter of public notoriety; see Joh 9:8, and Act 3:10. But in the case of miracles of later times, men, or dumb images, to whom they are pretended to have happened, are thrust forth from some obscure nook or other by collusion.

[161] See also Mar 6:6; Act 10:38, etc. It was by this system that He, in so short a mininstry, benefited a vast multitude of men by His teaching and miracles; thereby He the more trained His disciples; and, moreover, produced this effect, that men, so far from being weary of Him, even from time to time conceived the stronger yearning desire after Him.-Harm., p. 235, 236.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Mat 4:23-25

3. THE THEME OF HIS PREACHING:

GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM

Mat 4:23-25

23 And Jesus went about in all Galilee.-Here we have Jesus making a circuit of Galilee; he did this on two other occasions later. (Mat 9:35 to Mat 11:1; Luk 8:1-3.) Matthew does not give the details of this circuit here but does later. It may be that “Galilee” as used here implied only “Upper Galilee”; some so think; others think that all Galilee was included in this circuit. Galilee formed the northernmost part of Palestine; it was about ten miles long and four to five miles broad, bounded on the west by the Mediterranean Sea and Phoenicia, on the north by Coelesyria, on the east by the Jordan and the Sea of Galilee, and on the south by Samaria. It was considered mountainous and rugged, yet it was the most fertile part of the country, being well adapted to pasturage and agriculture. It is claimed that it contained 404 towns and villages.

Teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom.-Jesus “taught” in the synagogues and “preached” the gospel of the kingdom. Jesus is called the “Great Teacher” because he instructed people who frequented the synagogue; he interpreted the law of Moses to them and gave them information as to the facts of God’s word and instructed them with respect to its principles. “Synagogues” were common at that time; much of the teaching of the Jews was received in the synagogue; Jews were commanded to teach their children at home on all occasions (Deu 6:4-10), but at this time many homes neglected the teaching and sent their children to the synagogue. The Greek word which is designated by “synagogue” signifies a collection of objects or persons; the synagogue came into use during the Babylonian captivity and became very common by the time of the advent of the Messiah. To preach means to proclaim; not necessarily to proclaim for the first time, but it includes the first proclamation of the gospel.

Much of the Jewish worship was carried on in the synagogue; this gave Jesus an opportunity to preach “the gospel of the kingdom.” The “gospel of the kingdom” was the good news of the approaching reign of the Messiah; his kingdom was “at hand,” “it drew nigh.” The word “gospel” is composed of two words, “god” and “spell,” which means good tidings and corresponds to the Greek word which means “good news.” The Jews associated the idea of joy with the coming of the Messiah; now Jesus proclaimed “the good news” that the kingdom or the reign of the Messiah was near. The gospel as preached by Jesus here does not have the same content that the word “gospel” later had.

Healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people.-Jesus confirmed his teaching and his preaching by miracles; the ultimate aim of these miracles was the manifestation of Jesus himself, and of the kingdom of heaven; while the diseased were blessed in that they were healed, yet Jesus had a higher motive than merely curing the ailments of the physical body. Matthew is general in narrating the miracles of Jesus; he healed “all manner of disease” and “all manner of sickness”; the word for “disease” seems to denote infirmity or such diseases as produce feebleness rather than positive suffering, while the word for “sickness” includes those severe, violent, and dangerous ailments. “Disease” expresses something stronger than “sickness.” The miracles of Jesus cannot be separated from his teaching and preaching. The spiritual teachings, the perfect character, and the miracles of Jesus all support each other, and together form the foundation of our faith and hope.

24 And the report of him went forth into all Syria.-Such miracles which brought healing to the people naturally would attract the attention; hence the fame of Jesus passed to the north and east, rather than to the south. Galilee was connected by trade with Damascus, rather than with Jerusalem; however “Syria” was a name of variable extent, denoting in general a country east of .the Mediterranean, between Asia Minor and Arabia. We are to understand Matthew to mean that the report of Jesus’ miracles of healing passed beyond the bounds of Galilee and went far away into the districts northward. Mark says “the report of him went out straightway everywhere into all the region of Galilee round about.” (Mar 1:28.)

And they brought unto him all that were sick.-In consequence of what they had heard of his great power to heal, all others who were afflicted were anxious to be healed. Those who could not come of their own strength were brought by relatives and friends. It seems that they had not heard so much of the teachings of Jesus as his power to heal; naturally people would be more interested in the physical comfort and ease than they would in the good news of the approaching kingdom. There were many kinds of diseases then and Jesus healed them; some of these diseases were attended with excruciating pain; others were “possessed with demons” and were healed. It seems that the difference between this and other diseases was in its cause and not its symptoms. We find violent madness (Mar 5:4; Luk 8:29), epilepsy (Mar 9:18; Luk 9:39), dumbness (Mat 9:32; Luk 11:14), blindness (Mat 12:22), all ascribed to persons who were possessed with demons. There were diseases among them which were not caused by evil spirits. There seems to have been certain moral and physical conditions in which demons gained possession both of the body and of the mind, bringing disease upon the body, and insanity to the mind. All these were brought to Jesus for his help.

25 And there followed him great multitudes from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judaea and from beyond the Jordan.-Great crowds followed him; possibly a confused crowd or throng of people followed Jesus wherever he went. “Multitudes” means “crowds” without designating the number; this should be understood throughout the record of Matthew. The miracles of Jesus for a season attracted such crowds and excited so many that they saw and heard but little else than the power of Jesus to cure diseases many did not appreciate his teaching, neither did they look forward with great anxiety to the coming kingdom. The miracles of Jesus, if properly understood, would mean that he who wrought the miracle had the power of God, and if he had the power of God in working miracles, God was with him in his teachings. God was manifested in the teaching and preaching of Jesus as much as he was in the healing of all manner of diseases.

Great crowds came from “Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judaea and from beyond the Jordan.” It seems that the crowds were drawn first from Galilee, where Jesus was teaching then the crowds were increased by others coming from Decapolis, which was a section of country with ten cities these “ten cities” very likely varied at different times it was a region in the northeastern part of Palestine, on the east and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. The crowds also came from Jerusalem and Judea and “from beyond the Jordan”; this means the other side of the Jordan from Jerusalem, and it was usually called Perea. Syria was north of Galilee, Decapolis southeast of the Sea of Galilee, “beyond the Jordan” or Perea was east of the Jordan and Judea was the southern division of Palestine. Jesus had retired from Judea to Galilee, but many followed him to Galilee.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

kingdom

(See Scofield “Mat 3:2”).

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

Jesus: Mat 9:35, Mar 6:6, Joh 7:1, Act 10:38

teaching: Mat 12:9, Mat 13:54, Psa 74:8, Mar 1:21, Mar 1:39, Mar 6:2, Luk 4:15, Luk 4:16, Luk 4:44, Luk 13:10, Act 9:20, Act 9:13, Act 9:14-43, Act 18:4

the gospel: Mat 13:19, Mat 24:14, Mar 1:14, Luk 4:17, Luk 4:18, Luk 8:1, Luk 20:1, Rom 10:15

healing: Mat 8:16, Mat 8:17, Mat 10:7, Mat 10:8, Mat 11:5, Mat 15:30, Mat 15:31, Psa 103:3, Mar 1:32-34, Mar 3:10, Luk 4:40, Luk 4:41, Luk 5:17, Luk 6:17, Luk 7:22, Luk 9:11, Luk 10:9, Act 5:15, Act 5:16

Reciprocal: 2Ch 17:7 – to teach Mat 4:24 – all sick Mat 11:1 – he departed Mat 13:24 – good Mat 16:3 – the signs Mat 19:2 – General Luk 4:14 – and there Luk 4:23 – whatsoever Luk 4:37 – the fame Luk 5:15 – went Luk 6:6 – he Luk 23:5 – beginning Joh 4:38 – other Joh 4:45 – the Galilaeans Joh 10:41 – many Joh 18:20 – I spake Act 1:1 – of Act 20:25 – preaching Act 28:31 – Preaching

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

WHAT CHRIST JOINED TOGETHER

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Mat 4:23

The ministry of Christ is begun, and He begins with blessing men in their souls and their bodies. Let us consider the Union of Teaching and Healing which the ministry of Christ joined together.

I. Christ regarded man in his whole nature.He did not sink the spiritual in the material; He did not sink the material in the spiritual. He regarded man as God had made him, with his material body and his reasonable soul, and addressed Himself to the wants and woes of the spirit and the flesh. In dealing with mans higher nature, Christ taught in the synagogues, and preached the Gospel of the kingdom. The one is not a reiteration, a variation of the other; there is a real distinction. Christ addressed Himself to the intelligence of His hearers, showing from the Scriptures the mind and will of God; but He also preached a Gospel to men, offered sinful men mercy, called them to enter His kingdom of grace. The world needs teaching, instruction, in the things of God, an intelligent declaration of truth; but the world also needs preaching, an earnest enforcement of the truth upon the conscience and the heart. The one is not enough. Teaching without preaching often leaves men unmoved. Preaching without teaching is unsatisfactory, is superficial and transient in its influence, is attended with many evils.

II. The union of teaching and healing.Healing demonstrated the truth of the teaching. Men could not consistently deny the latter where they beheld the former. Rabbi, said Nicodemus, we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Christs healing made clear and real to men the invisible and spiritual truths He taught. Men found less difficulty in believing what they could not see, because they saw so much that was wonderful, and wise, and good. This was the force of Christs memorable challenge when in the face of an act of Divine power there were muttered charges of blasphemy on the part of Pharisee and Scribe.

III. A pattern for his church.The religion of Christ teaches us to respect mans entire nature. Nothing human is common and unclean. The work of teaching and healing began with Christianity. The Christian Church must not stand aloof from, but lead, efforts for relieving human need and suffering. Christs work on the bodies of men is an image of His work in the souls of men. Sin continues in itself all the evils that afflict the bodies of men. It is blindness, palsy, leprosy, death itself. But as Christ healed all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease, so is He able also to conquer sins power and sins effects in human souls.

Illustration

The Rev. R. Hack, c.m.s., Central Provinces of India, narrates the following instructive experience: The people received our party most churlishly, refusing to give one of our number a drink of water or to supply the ordinary necessities of our camp. Before our preaching commenced I noticed that the rajahs father-in-law was suffering from fever and in some pain. I at once attended to him, and sent for the medicine chest. Almost immediately everybody seemed to change his attitude towards us; chairs were brought out, profuse apologies given for all the inconvenience to which we had been put, and not only had we an attentive audience, but also a ready sale for all our books.

Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary

4:23

The word synagogue occurs many times in the New Testament and I will give Thayer’s definition of the original Greek: “In the N. T. 1. an assembly of men. 2. a synagogue, i. e. a. an assembly of Jews formally gathered together to offer prayer and listen to the reading and exposition of the Holy Scriptures. b. the building where those solemn assemblies are held.” The first meaning of the word is virtually the same as a congregation and then it came to be applied to the building in which the people met. Thayer says the following historically on the subject: “Synagogues seem to date their origin from the Babylonian exile. In the time of Jesus and the apostles every town, not only in Palestine but also among the Gentiles, if it contained a considerable number of Jewish in-habibtants, had at least one synagogue, the larger towns several or even many.

“

The law of Moses made no provision for these buildings, yet there was nothing in its teaching that would prohibit them. The national worship was conducted at Jerusalem where the tabernacle and later the temple were located. Such services, which consisted in the animal sacrifices and burning of incense, also the service of the show-bread and burning of oil on the golden candlestick, must all be conducted at Jerusalem only. But other items of Jewish worship might be performed in any place available and hence these many synagogues that are mentioned throughout the New Testament.

The word gospel is from EUAGGELION, and its universal definition in the lexicons is “glad tidings” or “good news.” Any specific additional meaning to be attached to it must be obtained through the connection in which it is used. Hence in the present verse the words gospel of the kingdom simply means the good news that the kingdom is at hand. There is not much difference between sickness and disease. The first especially refers to the symptoms of nausea and the second to some bodily weakness. In taking care of all manner of ailments Jesus proved his superhuman power.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

[Teaching in their synagogues.] Since we meet with very frequent mention of synagogues every where in the books of the Gospel, it may be needful to know something more clearly what the customs and institutions of the synagogues were, for the better understanding very many things which have some reference thereunto in the New Testament; let us here despatch the history of them as briefly as we may, now when the mention of synagogues first occurs.

Of the Synagogues.

I. A synagogue was not formed anywhere but where there were ten learned men professedly students of the law. 1. Let that of the Talmud be observed. “What is a great city? That in which were ten men of leisure. If there be less than this number, behold, it is a village.” 2. Observe that of Maimonides; “Wheresoever there be ten of Israel, there a house must needs be built, to which they may resort to prayers in the time of prayer, and this house is called a synagogue.” Not that any ten of Israel made a synagogue; but wheresoever were ten learned men, and studious of the law, these were called Batlanin, men of leisure; “who were not to be esteemed for lazy and idle persons, but such who,” not being encumbered with worldly things, “were at leisure only to take care of the affairs of the synagogues; and to give themselves to the study of the law.”

The reason of the number of ten, though lean and empty enough, is given in the Talmud: and it is this; A congregation consists of ten; which they prove hence, because it is said, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation; etc. (Num 14:27). Take away Joshua and Caleb, and there remain only ten”; namely, of the spies of the land.

II. Of these ten men:

1. Three bear the magistracy, and were called The bench of three; whose office it was to decide the differences arising between the members of the synagogue, and to take care about other matters of the synagogue. These judged concerning money-matters, thefts, losses, restitutions, ravishing a virgin, of a man enticing a virgin, of the admission of proselytes, laying on of hands; and divers other things, of which see the tract Sanhedrim. These were properly, and with good reason, called rulers of the synagogue; because on them laid the chief care of things, and the chief power.

2. Besides these there was ‘the public minister of the synagogue,’ who prayed publicly, and took care about the reading of the law, and sometimes preached, if there were not some other to discharge this office. This person was called the angel of the church; and the Chazan or bishop of the congregation. The Aruch gives the reason of the name: “The Chazan (saith he) is the angel of the church (or the public minister ), and the Targum renders…[it as] one that oversees; for it is incumbent on him to oversee how the reader reads, and whom he may call out to read in the law.” The public minister of the synagogue himself read not the law publicly; but, every sabbath, he called out seven of the synagogue (on other days, fewer) whom he judged fit to read. He stood by him that read, with great care observing that he read nothing either falsely or improperly; and calling him back and correcting him if he had failed in any thing…Certainly the signification of the word bishop; and angel of the church; had been determined with less noise, if recourse had been made to the proper fountains, and men had not vainly disputed about the signification of words, taken I know not whence. The service and worship of the Temple being abolished, as being ceremonial, God transplanted the worship and public adoration of God used in the synagogues, which was moral, into the Christian church; to wit, the public ministry, public prayers, reading God’s word, and preaching, etc. Hence the names of the ministers of the Gospel were the very same, the angel of the church; and the bishop; which belonged to the ministers in the synagogues.

3. There were also three deacons, or almoners, on whom was the care of the poor; and these were called Parnasin; or Pastors. And these seven perhaps were reputed the seven good men of the city; of whom there is frequent remembrance in the Talmudists.

Of these Parnasin we shall only produce these things. There were two, who demanded alms of the townsmen; and they were called, the two collectors of alms. To whom was added a third to distribute it.

“R. Chelbo in the name of R. Ba Bar Zabda saith, They do not make fewer than three Parnasin. For I see the judgments about many matters to be managed by three: therefore much more these which concern life. R. Josi in the name of R. Jochanan saith, They do not make two brethren Parnasin. R. Josi went to Cephar, intending there to set Parnasin over them, but they received him not. He went away, after he had said these words before them, Ben Bebai was only set over the threaded [linen of the lamps], and yet he was reckoned worthy to be numbered with the eminent men of that age. Ye who are set over the lives of men, how much more are ye so! R. Chaggai, when he appointed the Parnasin; argued to them out of the law, all dominion that is given is given from the law. By me kings reign. R. Chaiia Bar Ba set rulers; over them, that is, he appointed Parnasin. R. Lazar was a Parnas.”

This perhaps holds out a light to those words of the apostle, 1Ti 3:13; “They that have performed the office of a deacon well have obtained to themselves a good degree”: that is, being faithful in their care and provision for the poor, as to their corporal life, they may well be probationers for the care of souls. For when those Parnasin; as also all the ten, were learned and studious, they might with good reason be preferred from the care of bodies to that of souls. The apostles’ deacons are to be reckoned also of the same learned and studious rank. And now let us turn our eyes a little from the synagogues to Christian churches, in the history of the New Testament. When the Romans permitted the Jewish synagogues to use their own laws and proper government, why, I pray, should there not be the same toleration allowed to the apostolical churches? The Roman censure had as yet made no difference between the Judaizing synagogues of the Jews, and the Christian synagogues or churches of Jews; nor did it permit them to live after their own laws, and forbid these. I am not, therefore, afraid to assert, that the churches of that first age were wanting to themselves, if they took not up the same liberty of government as the Romans allowed the Jewish synagogues to use. And I do not think that was said by the apostle, 1Co 6:2-3; etc. without this foundation. Therefore, this power of their own government being allowed them, if so be they were minded to enjoy what they might, how easily may those words of the apostle be understood, which have so racked learned men (shall I say?), or which have been so racked by them, 1Ti 5:17; “Let the elders that rule well,” etc.

4. We may reckon the eighth man of these ten to be the interpreter in the synagogue; who, being skilled in the tongues, and standing by him that read in the law, rendered in the mother-tongue, verse by verse, those things that were read out of the Hebrew text. The duty of this interpreter, and the rules of his duty, you may read at large in the Talmud.

The use of such an interpreter, they think, was drawn down to them from the times of Ezra, and not without good reason. “And they read in the book of the law: that was the text. Explaining: that was the Targum. And added the meaning; they are the accents: and they understood the text: that was the Masoreth.” See Neh 8:8; see also Buxtorf’s Tiberias, chapter 8.

5. We do not readily known whom to name for the ninth and tenth of this last three. Let us suppose them to be the master of the divinity-school; and his interpreter; of whom we shall have a fuller occasion of inquiry. And thus much concerning the head of the synagogue, that learned Decemvirate, which was also the representative body of the synagogue.

III. The days wherein they met together in the synagogue were the sabbath, and the second day and the fifth of every week. Of the sabbath there is no question. They refer the appointment of the second and fifth days to Ezra. “Ezra (say they) decreed ten decrees. He appointed the public reading of the law in the second and fifth days of the week. Also on the sabbath at the time of the sacrifice. He appointed washing to those that had the gonorrhea. He appointed the session of the judges in cities on the second and fifth days of the week,” etc. Hence, perhaps, it will appear in what sense that is to be understood, Act 13:42. “The Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath; or the sabbath between”; that is, on the days of that intervening week, wherein they met together in the synagogue.

IV. Synagogues were anciently builded in fields. “To the evening recital of the phylacteries are to be added two prayers going before, and two following after.” Where the Gloss thus; “The Rabbins instituted that prayer that they might retain their colleagues in the synagogue. And this certainly respected their synagogues at that time; because they were situated in the fields, where they might be in danger.” And so Rabbenu Asher upon the same tract; “Anciently their synagogues were in fields: therefore they were afraid to tarry there, until the evening prayers were ended. It was therefore appointed that they should recite some verses, in which a short sum of all the eighteen prayers had been compacted”…

But the following times brought back their synagogues for the most part into the cities; and provision was made by sharp canons, that a synagogue should be built in the highest place of the city, and that no house should be built higher than it.

V. The like provision was made, that every one at the stated times of prayer should frequent the synagogue. “God does not refuse the prayers, although sinners are mingled there. Therefore it is necessary that a man associate himself with the congregation, and that he pray not alone when an opportunity is given of praying with the congregation. Let every one therefore come morning and evening to the synagogue.” And “It is forbidden to pass by the synagogue in the time of prayer, unless a man carry some burden upon his back: or unless there be more synagogues in the same city; for then it may be judged that he goes to another; or unless there be two doors in the synagogue; for it may be judged that he passed by one to go in at another. But if he carry his phylacteries upon his head, then it is allowed him to pass by, because they bear him witness that he is not unmindful of the law.” These things are taken out of the Babylonian Talmud: where these are also added: “The holy blessed one saith, Whosoever employeth himself in the study of the law, and in the returning of mercy, and whosoever prays with the synagogue, I account concerning him, as if he redeemed me and my sons from the nations of the world. And whosoever prays not with the synagogue is called an ‘ill neighbour,’ as it is said, ‘Thus saith the Lord of all my evil neighbours,’ ” etc. Jer 12:14.

VI. When they were met together in the synagogue on the sabbath-day (for this being observed, there is no need to speak any thing of the other days), the service being begun, the minister of the church calls out seven, whomsoever he pleases to call out, to read the law in their order. First, a priest, then a Levite, if they were present; and after these five Israelites. Hence it is, O young student in Hebrew learning, that in some editions of the Hebrew Bible you see marked in the margin of the Pentateuch, 1. The priest. 2. The Levite. 3. The third. 4. The fourth. 5. The fifth. 6. The sixth. 7. The seventh; — denoting by these words the order of the readers, and measuring out hereby the portion read by each one. Thus, I suppose, Christ was called out by the angel of the church of Nazareth, Luk 4:16; and reading according to the custom as a member of that synagogue.

There is no need to mention that prayers were made publicly by the angel of the church for the whole congregation, and that the congregation answered Amen to every prayer: and it would be too much particularly to enumerate what those prayers were, and to recite them. It is known enough to all that prayers, and reading of the law and the prophets, was the chief business in the synagogue, and that both were under the care of the angel of the synagogue.

I. There seemed to have been catechizing of boys in the synagogue. Consider what that means, “What is the privilege of women? This, that their sons read in the synagogue. That their husbands recite in the school of the doctors.” Where the Gloss thus, “The boys that were scholars were wont to be instructed [or to learn] before their master in the synagogue.”

II. The Targumist; or Interpreter; who stood by him that read in the law, and rendered what was read out of the Hebrew original into the mother-tongue, — sometimes used a liberty of enlarging himself in paraphrase. Examples of this we meet with in the Talmud, and also in the Chaldee paraphrast himself.

III. Observe that of the Glosser, Women and the common people were wont to meet together to hear the exposition or the sermon. But of what place is this better to be understood than of the synagogue? That especially being well weighed which immediately followeth, And they had need of expounders [or preachers] to affect their hearts; which is not much unlike that which is said Act 13:13; If ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

IV. Service being done in the synagogue, they went to dinner. And after dinner to the school; or the church; or a lecture of divinity; call it by what name you will. It is called also not seldom by the Talmudists The synagogue. In this sense, it may be, is upper synagogue to be taken, mentioned in the Talmud; if it be not to be taken of the Sanhedrim. In this place a doctor read to his auditors some traditional matter, and expounded it. In the Beth Midrash they taught traditions, and their exposition.

There are three things to be taken notice of concerning the rites used in this place.

1. He that read to the auditors spake not out with an audible voice, but muttered it with a small whisper in somebody’s ear; and he pronounced it aloud to all the people. So that here the doctor had his interpreter in this sense, as well as the reader of the law his in the synagogue. “Rabh went to the place of R. Shilla, and there was no interpreter to stand by R. Shilla; Rabh therefore stood by him.” Where the Gloss hath these words, “He had no speaker; that is, he had no interpreter present, who stood before the doctor when he was reading the lecture. And the doctor whispered him in the ear in Hebrew; and he rendered it in the mother-tongue to the people.” Hither that of our Saviour hath respect, Mat 10:27; “What ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the house-tops.” Consult the same place.

2. It was customary in this place, and in these exercises, to propound questions. In that remarkable story of removing Rabban Gamaliel of Jafne from his presidentship, which we meet with in divers places of both Talmuds: when they met together in the Beth Midrash, “The questioner stood forth and asked; The evening prayer, is it observed by way of duty, or of free will?” And after a few lines, the mention of an interpreter occurs: “The whole multitude murmured against it, and said to Hotspith the interpreter, ‘Hold your peace’; and he held his peace,” etc.

3. While the interpreter preached from the mouth of the doctor, the people sat upon the earth. “Let not a judge go upon the heads of the holy people.” The Gloss is, “While the interpreter preached the synagogue [or the whole congregation] sat on the ground: and whosoever walked through the middle of them to take his place, seemed as if he walked upon their heads.”

One may safely be of opinion that the word synagogue; was used sometimes in the New Testament in this sense; and that Christ sometimes preached in these divinity-schools, as well as in the synagogues.

But by what right was Christ permitted by the rulers of the synagogue to preach, being the son of a carpenter, and of no learned education? Was it allowed any illiterate person, or mechanic, to preach in the synagogues, if he had the confidence himself to it? By no means. For it was permitted to none to teach there but those that were learned. But there were two things especially that gave Christ admission to preach in every synagogue; namely, the fame of his miracles, and that he gave out himself the head of a religious sect. For however the religion of Christ and his disciples was both scorned and hated by the scribes and Pharisees, yet they accounted them among the religious in the same sense as they did the Sadducees; that is, distinguished from the common people; or the seculars; who took little care of religion. When, therefore, Christ was reckoned among the religious, and grew so famous by the rumour of his miracles, and the shining rays of his doctrine, no wonder if he raised among the people an earnest desire of hearing him, and obtained among the governors of the synagogues a liberty of preaching.

Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels

Mat 4:23. And he went about in all Galilee. The sphere of His ministry is thus marked; its character is thus described. Galilee here probably includes the whole fertile and well peopled district thus named, not upper Galilee alone. The people of Judea looked down on the Galileans partly because of their contact with the heathen, partly because of their dialect (comp. chap. Mat 26:73). The inhabitants of a sacred capital city would have unusual contempt for provincials.

Teaching. The people recognized Him as a Rabbi (see below).

In their synagogues. During the Babylonish exile, when the Jews were shut out from the Holy Land, and from the appointed sanctuary, the want of places for religious meetings, in which the worship of God, without sacrifices, could celebrated, must have been painfully felt. The synagogues may have originated at that ominous period. When the Jews returned from Babylon, synagogues were planted throughout the country for the purpose of affording opportunities for publicly reading the law, independently of the regular sacrificial services of the temple (Neh 8:1, etc.). At the time of Jesus there was at least one synagogue in every moderately sized town of Palestine (such as Nazareth, Capernaum, etc.), and in the cities of Syria, Asia Minor, and Greece, in which Jews resided (Act 9:2, sqq.). Larger towns possessed several synagogues; and it is said that there were no fewer than 460, or even 480, of them in Jerusalem itself. Winer.The service was simple, and our Lord availed himself of the opportunity of making remarks usually given (comp. Luk 4:16-27; Act 13:15). Neither Christ nor His Apostles attempted to subvert the established order of worship. They attended the synagogue service, with which, however, Christian worship has more in common than with that of the temple. The influence that revolutionized the world was not revolutionary. When the tree is made good, it grows according to its God-given form, hacking from without only mars it. A hint for politicians and would-be reformers.

Preaching (heralding), teaching and proclaiming, the gospel of the kingdom. The glad tidings about the kingdom of heaven, or which introduced this kingdom. On the word gospel, see Introd. p. 14. The good-tidings of the kingdom consist of facts about the King (comp. Rom 1:1-4). As our Lord was a wise Teacher, He did not publicly proclaim Himself the Messiah. His preaching was preparatory; the full gospel could not be preached until after the occurrence of the facts it presents (comp. note on the Sermon on the Mount). As a Rabbi, the Galileans would hear Him; they looked for a less lowly King.

To confirm this preaching, of a new and startling character, our Lord wrought miracles: Healing every disease and every sickness, etc. His doing good in this lower form had a higher purpose, to prove a Saviour in a higher sense. On the miracles of our Lord, see chap. 8. The two words, disease and sickness include all forms of bodily affliction. The first word occurs again in Mat 4:24, hence we render it disease here.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Our Savior having called Peter, James, Andrew, and John, to be disciples in order to their being apostles to preach the gospel, in the foregoing verses; this verse acquaints us how he went himself along them forth as his curates to labour, and lie at home himself upon his couch at ease. What shall we say to those lazy fishermen who can set others to the drag, and care only to feed themselves with the fish, not willing to wet their hands with the net?

Our blessed Savior, when he sent forth his apostles, went along with them, and laboured himself as much as any of them.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Mat 4:23. And Jesus went about all Galilee Accompanied, it seems, by the four disciples above named; teaching in their synagogues The word, , rendered, synagogue, may either signify the congregation, or the place in which they assembled. But it seems here, and generally, to mean the latter. Synagogues were in every city, from the time of the Babylonish captivity, and perhaps before that time. For, it is certain, the Jews neither did nor could assemble in the temple at Jerusalem for public worship every sabbath day, and therefore it is probable they had other places throughout the country to assemble in. This seems, indeed, to have been absolutely necessary, not only that the people might join in prayer together, but to bring them, in some degree, acquainted with the law of God. For, as copies of it were very scarce, the body of the people must, of necessity, have remained ignorant of it, unless it were read to them in public, and that in other places besides the temple, which the women in general could not visit at all, and the men but very seldom. Accordingly, in the 74th Psalm, which, by whomsoever it was composed, plainly speaks of the destruction of the temple, of Jerusalem, and of the Jews, by the Chaldeans, we read of all the synagogues of the land being burned up, which certainly implies that there were synagogues in the land before they were thus destroyed; and therefore before the captivity of Babylon. After the restoration from Babylon, they became very frequent. Even in Jerusalem itself, where one would have imagined they were less necessary, on account of the temple being there, the Hebrew doctors and other ancient and learned writers inform us, that there were above four hundred. It was usual to have service in them thrice a day, on three days of the week, when public prayer was put up, and the Scriptures were read and expounded. And though it belonged chiefly to the priests, Levites, and scribes to teach, yet it was the custom for any one of ability to do it. Preaching the gospel of the kingdom Namely, that doctrine whereby the kingdom of heaven, that is, of grace here and glory hereafter, is revealed and offered to men, and, by obedience to which, they come to partake of it. Healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people Intending by these beneficent actions to confirm his doctrine, at the same time that he relieved the temporal distresses of mankind.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

XXXIII.

JESUS MAKES A PREACHING TOUR

THROUGH GALILEE.

aMATT. IV. 23-25; bMARK I. 35-39; cLUKE IV. 42-44.

b35 And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose up went out [i. e., from the house of Simon Peter], and departed into a desert place, and there prayed. [Though Palestine was densely populated, its people were all gathered into towns, so that it was usually easy to find solitude outside the city limits. A ravine near Capernaum, called the Vale of Doves, would afford such solitude. Jesus taught ( Mat 6:6) and practiced solitary prayer. We can commune with God better when alone than when in the company of even our dearest friends. It is a mistaken notion that one can pray equally well at all times and in all places. Jesus being in all things like men, except that he was sinless ( Heb 2:17), must have found prayer a real necessity. He prayed as a human being. Several reasons for this season of prayer are suggested, from which we select two: 1. It was a safeguard against the temptation to vainglory induced by the unbounded admiration and praise of the multitude whom he had just healed. 2. It was a fitting preparation on the eve of his departure on his first missionary tour.] c42 And when it was day, he came out and went into a desert place. [Mark has in mind the season when Jesus sought the Father in prayer, and so he tells us it was “a great while before day.” Luke has in mind the hour when Jesus faced and spoke to the multitude, so he says, “When it was day.”] b36 And Simon. [As head of the house which Jesus had just left, Simon naturally acted as leader and guide to the party which sought Jesus] and they that were with him [they who were stopping in Simon’s house; viz.: Andrew, James, and John] followed after him [172] [literally, “pursued after him.” Xenophon uses this word to signify the close pursuit of an enemy in war. Simon had no hesitancy in obtruding on the retirement of the Master. This rushing after Jesus in hot haste accorded with his impulsive nature. The excited interest of the people seemed to the disciples of Jesus to offer golden opportunities, and they could not comprehend his apparent indifference to it]; 37 and they found him, and say unto him, All are seeking thee. [The disciples saw a multitude seeking Jesus for various causes: some to hear, some for excitement, some for curiosity. To satisfy the people seemed to them to be Christ’s first duty. Jesus understood his work better than they. He never encouraged those who sought through mere curiosity or admiration ( Joh 6:27). Capernaum accepted the benefit of his miracles, but rejected his call to repentance– Mat 11:23.] 38 And he saith unto them, Let us go elsewhere into the next towns [the other villages of Galilee], that I may preach there also; for to this end came I forth. [I. e., I came forth from the Father ( Joh 16:28) to make and preach a gospel. His disciples failed to understand his mission. Afterwards preaching was with the apostles the all-important duty– Act 6:2, 1Co 1:17.] cand the multitudes sought him after him, and came unto him, and would have stayed him, that he should not go from them. [They would have selfishly kept his blessed ministries for their own exclusive enjoyment.] 43 But he said unto them, I must preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God to the other cities also: for therefore was I sent. [Jesus sought to arouse the entire nation. That which the disciples regarded as a large work in Capernaum was consequently in his sight a very small one. Those who understand that it is God’s will and wish to save every man that lives upon the earth will not be overelated by a successful revival in some small corner of the great field of labor.] b39 And he aJesus went about in all Gailiee [The extreme length of Galilee was about sixty-three miles, and its extreme width about thirty-three miles. Its average [173] dimensions were about fifty by twenty-five miles. It contained, according to Josephus, two hundred and forty towns and villages. Its population at that time is estimated at about three millions. Lewin calculates that this circuit of Galilee must have occupied four or five months. The verses of this paragraph are, therefore, a summary of the work and influence of Jesus during the earlier part of his ministry. They are a general statement, the details of which are given in the subsequent chapters of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke–the Gospel of John dealing more particularly with the work in Juda], binto their synagogues throughout all Galilee, ateaching in their synagogues [The word “synagogue” is compounded of the two Greek words “sun,” together, and “ago,” to collect. It is, therefore, equivalent to our English word “meeting-house.” Tradition and the Targums say that these Jewish houses of worship existed from the earliest times. In proof of this assertion Deu 31:11, Psa 74:8 are cited. But the citations are insufficient, that in Deuteronomy not being in point, and the seventy-fourth Psalm being probably written after the Babylonian captivity. It better accords with history to believe that the synagogue originated during the Babylonian captivity, and was brought into the motherland by the returning exiles. Certain it is that the synagogue only came into historic prominence after the books of the Old Testament were written. At the time of our Saviour’s ministry synagogues were scattered all over Palestine, and also over all quarters of the earth whither the Jews had been dispersed. Synagogues were found in very small villages, for wherever ten “men of leisure,” willing and able to devote themselves to the service of the synagogue, were found, a synagogue might be erected. In the synagogues the people met together on the Sabbaths to pray, and to listen to the reading of the portions of the Old Testament, and also to hear such instruction or exhortation as might be furnished. With the permission of the president of the synagogue any one who was fitted might deliver an address. Thus the synagogues furnished Jesus (and in later times his disciples also) with a congregation [174] and a suitable place for preaching. We find that on week days Jesus often preached in the open air. But the synagogues are thus particularly mentioned, probably, because in them were held the most important services, because they were necessary during the rainy and cold season, and because their use shows that as yet the Jewish rulers had not so prejudiced the public mind as to exclude Jesus from the houses of worship], and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, band casting out demons [Mark singles out this kind of miracle as most striking and wonderful], aand healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people. 24 And the report of him went forth into all Syria [caravans passing through Galilee back and forth between the Mediterranean seaports on the west and the Persian cities on the east, and between Damascus on the north and Egypt on the south, would carry the reports concerning Jesus far and wide]: and they brought unto him all that were sick, holden with divers diseases and torments, possessed with demons, and epileptic, and palsied; and he healed them. [Thus, by his actions, Jesus showed that the kingdom of God had come. The wonders of Moses were mostly miracles of judgment, those of Jesus were acts of compassion. The diseases here enumerated are still among the most difficult for physicians to handle. The term “palsy” included all forms of paralysis, catalepsy, and cramps.] 25 And there followed him great multitudes [these popular demonstration, no doubt, intensified the erroneous notion of his disciples that the kingdom of Jesus was to be one of worldly grandeur] from Galilee and Decapolis [Decapolis is formed from the two Greek words “deka,” ten, and “polis,” city. As a geographical term, Decapolis refers to that part of Syria lying east, southeast, and south of the Lake of Galilee. There is some doubt as to which were the ten cities named, for there seem at times to have been fourteen of them. Those commonly reckoned are 1. Damascus. 2. Philadelphia. 3. Raphana. 4. Sycthopolis. 5. Gadara. 6. Hyppos. 7. Dion. 8. Pella. 9. Galas. 10. Kanatha. The [175] other four are Abila and Kanata (distinct from Kanatha), Csarea Philippi, and Gergesa. None of these were in Galilee save Sycthopolis. According to Ritter, these cities were colonized principally by veterans from the army of Alexander the Great. A reminiscence of their Macedonian origin is found in the fact that there was a city named Pella in Macedonia. These cities are said to have been formed into a confederacy by Pompey the Great. In the time of Jesus they were chiefly inhabited by Greeks or heathens, and not by Jews. Josephus expressly calls Gadara and Hyppos Greek cities] and Jerusalem and Juda and from beyond the Jordan. [The land beyond Jordan was called Pera, which means “beyond.” According to Josephus, it included territory between the cities of Pella on the north and Machrus on the south. That is to say, its northern boundary began on the Jordan opposite the southern line of Galilee, and its southern boundary was at Moab, about the middle of the east shore of the Dead Sea.] c44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

[FFG 172-176]

Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)

Mat 4:23-25. Summary of Work in Galilee (cf. Mar 1:39, Luk 4:44).Mt. here departs from Mk.s order; he is about to give an account of the teachings of Jesus (Mat 4:5-7) before an account of His healings (Mat 8:1-17). Cf. the rsum at Mat 9:35. The note of good tidings omitted in Mat 4:17 (Mar 1:15) is here (Mat 4:23) introduced. The cures are confined to the people, Jews. The legend of king Abgar of Edessa and his correspondence with Jesus is based on the mention of Syria (Mat 4:24).

Mat 4:25. Decapolis.Certain Hellenised towns, originally ten in number (hence the name), all, except Scythopolis, lying E. of Jordan. For purposes of trade and to guard against absorption by their Semitic neighbours they formed a league, but were subjugated by Alexander Jannus (10478 B.C.). Pompey in 6463 B.C. gave them municipal freedom and other rights, but brought them into the Roman province of Syria, whence some of them were later transferred to the direct authority of Herod. Cf. p. 33.

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

Verse 23

Synagogues; edifices erected in the principal cities and towns, and used for religious worship, and for other ecclesiastical purposes.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

4:23 And {4} Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in {h} their {i} synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the {k} kingdom, and healing {l} all manner of sickness and all manner of {m} disease among the people.

(4) Christ assures the hearts of the believers of his spiritual and saving virtue, by healing the diseases of the body.

(h) Their, that is, the Galilaeans.

(i) Synagogues, that is, the Churches of the Jews.

(k) Of the Messiah.

(l) Diseases of all kinds, but not every disease: that is, as we say, some of every kind.

(m) The word properly signifies the weakness of the stomach: but here it is taken for those diseases which make those that have them faint and wear away.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

4. A summary of Jesus’ ministry 4:23-25 (cf. Mar 1:35-39; Luk 4:42-44)

This brief résumé (cf. Mat 9:35-38) stresses the varied activities and the geographical and ethnic extent of Jesus’ ministry at this time. It sets the stage for the discourse to follow (chs. 5-7) implying that this is but a sample of Jesus’ teaching (cf. Mat 9:35).

Galilee (Mat 4:23) covered an area of about 2,800 square miles (roughly 70 by 40 miles) and contained approximately 3,000,000 people who lived in 204 cities and villages. [Note: Josephus, The Wars . . ., 3:3:2.] As an itinerant preacher, Jesus engaged in three primary activities: teaching His disciples, preaching good news to the multitudes, and healing many who were infirm. Matthew never used the verb didasko ("teach") of the disciples until after Jesus had departed from them. He presented Jesus as the teacher during His earthly ministry. This is also Matthew’s first of only four uses of euangelion ("gospel," "good news," cf. Mat 9:35; Mat 24:14; Mat 26:13). His ministry was to the Jewish people. This is clear, first, since he preached in the Jewish synagogues of Galilee. Second, He preached a Jewish message, the good news about the messianic kingdom. Third, he practiced His healing among the Jews. The Greek word laos ("people") refers specifically to "the people," that is, the Jews. [Note: M’Neile, p. 47.] Matthew was hyperbolizing when he wrote that Jesus healed "all who were ill;" He could not have healed every single individual, though His healing ministry was extensive (cf. "all Galilee").

Syria (Mat 4:24), to the Jews in Galilee, meant the area to the north. However the Roman province of Syria covered all of Palestine except Galilee, which was then under Herod Antipas’ administration. Regardless of the way Matthew intended us to understand "Syria," Jesus’ popularity spread far north. Matthew described the painfully diseased people who sought Jesus out in three categories. There were those whom demons oppressed. Others had ailments that resulted in mental and physical imbalances that demons did not induce. Still others suffered paralyses of various kinds. Jesus’ miracles dealt with "incurable" afflictions, not just trivial maladies (cf. Isa 35:5-6).

". . . both Scripture and Jewish tradition take sickness as resulting directly or indirectly from living in a fallen world . . . . The Messianic Age would end such grief (Isa 11:1-5; Isa 35:5-6). Therefore Jesus’ miracles, dealing with every kind of ailment, not only herald the kingdom but show that God has pledged himself to deal with sin at a basic level (cf. Mat 1:21; Mat 8:17)." [Note: Carson, "Matthew," pp. 121-22.]

When Matthew wrote that multitudes followed Jesus, he did not mean that they were all thoroughly committed disciples, as the text will show. Some were undoubtedly ardent disciples, but others were simply needy or curious individuals who followed Jesus temporarily. These people came from all over Galilee, Decapolis (the area to the east of Galilee as far north as Damascus and as far south as Philadelphia), Jerusalem, Judea, and east of the Jordan River. Many of these had to be Gentiles. Matthew made no reference to Jesus ministering in Samaria or to Samaritans.

"While Jesus begins His ministry with the Jews only, His fame becomes so widespread that both Jews and Gentiles respond. This is clearly a foreview of the kingdom. The King is present with both Jews and Gentiles being blessed, the Gentiles coming to the Jewish Messiah for blessing (Zec 2:10-12; Zec 8:18-23; Isa 2:1-4)." [Note: Toussaint, Behold the . . ., p. 85.]

This section (Mat 4:12-25) constitutes a fitting introduction to the discourse that follows. The King has summoned disciples to follow Him, and huge crowds seek Him out anticipating great supernatural blessings from His hand. He has appealed mainly to the Jews, but multitudes of Gentiles seek Him and experience His blessing too. No case was too difficult for Him.

"The evangelist wants us quickly to sense the great excitement surrounding Jesus at the beginning of his ministry, where he began to preach ’the good news of the kingdom,’ before presenting him in more detail as the master teacher (chaps. 5-7) and charismatic healer (chaps. 8-9)." [Note: Hagner, p. 81.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

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