Gospel of Matthew Chapter 4 Vs. 13

 Jesus Begins His Ministry

Matthew 4:13 “And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zebulon and Naphtali:”

And leaving Nazareth... Some time elapsed between verses 12 and 13. Jesus’ stay in Nazareth ended abruptly when He was violently rejected by the people of Nazareth, who tried to murder Him (see Luke 4:16-30).

dwelt in Capernaum... Capernaum lay on the northwest shore of Galilee. The exact site has been confirmed in modern times through archaeology. Though two sites had been traditionally claimed, only one (Tell Hum) possesses archaeological evidence that dates it as early as the New Testament.

Capernaum is never mentioned in the Old Testament and is found in the New Testament only in the Gospels. Yet it was a central city in Christ’s ministry; most of the time Christ spent in Galilee was in Capernaum.

When Jesus began His public ministry He made it His home base (verse 13; 9:1), partly because of its prominence in Galilee. It housed a tax collector (9:9), a high government official (John 4:46), and a centurion with his soldiers (8:5-9). It became the home of Peter and Andrew, and probably James and John (Mark 1:29; Luke 5:10).

Jesus performed many miracles in Capernaum including healings of the centurion’s servant, the nobleman’s son, Peter’s mother-in-law, the paralytic, and probably the raising of Jairus’s daughter (also Luke 4:23). Later, Jesus condemned the people of Capernaum, for despite His many miracles, they still disbelieved (11:23).

When Jesus learned of John’s imprisonment, He went from Nazareth and settled in Capernaum (Luke 4:16-30 explains why He left Nazareth). This region was the area settled by the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali after the conquest of Joshua’s time.