And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
Ver. 13. And leaving Nazareth] Where he had his conception and education; and did therefore in a special manner affect them, and seek their good, but they would not. For when he would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim broke out, as the leprosy in their foreheads, Hosea 7:1; they refused to be reformed, they hated to be healed. Some few sick folk he healed there, and that was all he could do for them, more than marvel at their unbelief. He "could do there no mighty work," saith St Mark, Mar 6:5-6 and therefore left them, saith St Matthew: than the which he could hardly have done them a greater displeasure, for "woe be unto you, if I depart from you," Hosea 9:12. In Ezekiel 9:3; Ezekiel 10:4; Ezekiel 10:18,19; Ezekiel 11:22,23, God makes various removes; and still as he goes out, some judgment comes in, till at length he was quite gone out of the city, Matthew 11:23. And then followed the fatal calamity in the ruin thereof. Oh, pray that the sun of that dismal day may never arise, wherein it shall be said, that our candlestick is removed, Revelation 2:5, that our sun is eclipsed, that the glory is departed from our English Israel, that Christ hath turned his back upon this our Nazareth; Mittamus preces et laerymas, cordis legatos, saith Cyprian. Currat poenitentia ne praecurrat sententia, saith Chrysologus. Wish we for our Church, as Forus did for the Romish synagogue, that we had some Moses to take away the evils and abuses therein. Nam non unum tantum vitulum, sed multos habemus. And then sing as another did,
" Ah, ne diem illum posteri
Vivant met, quo pristinum
Vertantur in lutum aurea
Quae nos bearunt soecula! "
He came and dwelt in Capernaum] Happy town in so sweet and precious an inhabitant! and is therefore said to be lifted up to heaven, Matthew 11:23; as, Revelation 7:4,8, among those that were sealed of the various tribes, Judah is first reckoned of all Leah's children, because our Lord sprang out of Judah: and Nephthalim (of all those of Rachel's side) because at Capernaum, in that tribe, he dwelt, Ut utrobique superemineat Christi praerogativa, saith an interpreter, that Christ may be all and in all. (Mede in Apocalyps.; Aquinas; Jerome in Mat 8:1-34) Here he dwelt in a house, either let or lent him; for of his own he had not where to rest his head, Matthew 8:20. Here he paid tribute as an inhabitant; and hither he resorted and retired himself, when he was tired at any time with preaching and journeying, and was willing to take rest; which yet hardly he could do through the continual concourse, but was glad to get into a ship or desert to pray, eat, or sleep.
Which is upon the sea coast] That is, hard by the lake of Gennesareth in Galilee of the Gentiles. Josephus calls it a town, κωμην, because it was without walls (belike). For Strabo writeth that Pompey had commanded the walls of all fenced cities in those parts to be pulled down. St Jerome also saith it was a town, and that it so continued till his times. But St Matthew and St Luke name it a city, wherein there was a synagogue of the Jews, and a garrison of Herod's soldiers, because it bordered upon Arabia. It had fifteen thousand inhabitants at least, there being no town in Galilee that had fewer, saith Josephus (B. J. iii. 2). The inhabitants might be of the same mind with those of the Hague in Holland, who will not wall their town, though it hath two thousand households in it, as desiring to have it counted rather the principal village of Europe than a lesser city.
In the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim] In the former whereof is Galilee, in the latter this Galilee of the Gentiles, where stands the town of Capernaum, and near unto it is a well of the same name, and of apt signification; for Capernaum, saith St Jerome, is by interpretation "the town of consolation." It was situated on this side Jordan, over against Bethsaida, otherwise called Julius, not far from Tiberius, and Tarichaea, famous places lying likewise upon the lake.