Now when Jesus had heard, &c.— John the Baptist was not imprisoned till after the temptation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Between these two events, there happened what is related in the three first Chapter s of St. John's Gospel. It is commonly supposed, that the ministry of John the Baptist lasted but about eighteen months at most, and that he was in prison a year after Christ's baptism. We will just transcribe out of St. John's Gospel, for the sake of connection, what is here omitted in the history of Christ. He went from Nazareth into Judaea, where he was baptized by John, Mark 1:9. From Judaea he returned into Galilee, John 1:43; John 2:1. He went again into Judaea, and there celebrated the passover at Jerusalem, John 2:13. He baptized in Judaea while John was baptizing at Enon, John 3:22. All this time John was at liberty, ib. Matthew 4:24.; but the Pharisees having conspired against Jesus, John 4:1-3 and Jesus hearing that John had been put into prison by Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, Mark 1:14 he went again into Galilee. See Beausobre and Lenfant. Instead of, he departed, in this verse, we may read, he retired.
Related Commentaries of Matthew 4:12
Matthew 4:12
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;