And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelled in Capernaum, which is on the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
leaving.
Luke 4:30,31 But he passing through the midst of them went his way, …
Capernaum.
Matthew 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Matthew 17:24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?
Mark 1:21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
Zabulon.
Joshua 19:10-16 And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid: …
Zebulun.
Joshua 19:32-39 The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families…
Naphtali.
He went and lived in Capernaum
Capernaum becomes the central hub for Jesus' ministry in Galilee. It was a larger and more influential town than Nazareth, located on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum was a strategic location for reaching a diverse population, including Jews and Gentiles. It was also the home of several of Jesus' disciples, such as Peter, Andrew, James, and John (Mark 1:21, 29). The choice of Capernaum fulfills the need for a base of operations for His teaching, healing, and miracles.
which is by the sea
The "sea" refers to the Sea of Galilee, a freshwater lake that was central to the region's economy and daily life. The lake supported a thriving fishing industry, which is why many of Jesus' disciples were fishermen. The proximity to the sea allowed Jesus to teach large crowds from boats (Mark 4:1) and perform miracles, such as calming the storm (Mark 4:39) and walking on water (Matthew 14:25).
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali
This geographical reference connects Jesus' ministry to Old Testament prophecy. Zebulun and Naphtali were two of the twelve tribes of Israel, and their territories were located in the northern part of Israel, encompassing parts of Galilee. Isaiah 9:1-2 prophesied that this region, once in darkness, would see a great light, pointing to the coming of the Messiah. Jesus' presence in this area fulfills this prophecy, symbolizing the light of His teaching and salvation reaching those who lived in spiritual darkness.
Jesus’ departure from the small hill town where He grew up (Matthew 2:23) marks a decisive turning point.
• He fulfills His own teaching that “a prophet has no honor in his own country” (John 4:44).
• Luke 4:16-30 shows Nazareth rejecting Him after His synagogue message; moving on displays obedience rather than discouragement.
• The shift reminds us that God sometimes removes us from familiar settings to advance His purposes, just as He called Abram out of Ur (Genesis 12:1).
Rather than merely passing through, Jesus “lived” in this northern lakeside town, making it His ministry headquarters.
• Matthew 9:1 calls Capernaum “His own city.”
• Mark 2:1 records the house where crowds gathered to hear Him.
• Luke 4:31 notes that He taught in its synagogue each Sabbath.
Why Capernaum?
– Strategic crossroads: trade routes (Via Maris) brought diverse listeners.
– Spiritual need: Isaiah 9:1-2 foretold light dawning here; Jesus embodies that light (John 8:12).
– Accessible base: from here He could reach Galilee’s villages while returning nightly.
The Sea of Galilee set the scene for much of Jesus’ ministry.
• Here He called fishermen—Peter, Andrew, James, and John—while “walking by the Sea of Galilee” (Matthew 4:18-22).
• Miracles on these waters (Mark 4:35-41; John 6:16-21) revealed His authority over creation.
• The lake’s economy meant constant crowds and ready illustrations: nets, boats, storms, harvests.
Being “by the sea” demonstrates how God places His message where people naturally gather.
These tribal lands (Joshua 19:10-16, 32-39) in northern Israel had long been a mixture of Jew and Gentile influence.
• Isaiah 9:1-2 prophesied that “Galilee of the nations” would see a great light—fulfilled when Jesus settled there (Matthew 4:14-16).
• The setting underscores the gospel’s reach beyond ethnic Israel, anticipating the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).
• By ministering in a region once humbled by Assyrian invasion (2 Kings 15:29), Jesus turns shame into honor, proving God redeems history.
Matthew 4:13 shows Jesus intentionally relocating from hometown obscurity to Galilean visibility. Leaving Nazareth, He plants Himself in Capernaum—an ideal, bustling lakeside hub within Zebulun and Naphtali—so that Isaiah’s promise of light shining in dark places could unfold. The verse underscores Christ’s purposeful movements, the Father’s prophetic precision, and the gracious extension of salvation to a diverse, needy populace.
(13) Leaving Nazareth.--The form of the name in the older MSS. is Nazara. St. Matthew records the bare fact. St. Luke (Luke 4:16-30) connects it with His rejection by the men of this very place, where He had been brought up, and their attempt upon His life. St. John (John 2:12) states a fact which implies (1) that Capernaum had not been before the home of the mother of our Lord and of His brethren, and (2) that there were ties of some kind drawing them thither for a temporary visit. The reasons for the choice of that city lie, some of them, on the surface.(1.) The exact site of Capernaum has long been one of the vexed questions of the topography of Palestine, but the researches of the Palestine Exploration Society have identified it with the modern village of Tell-H-m, where their excavations have disinterred the remains of an ancient building of the Roman period, which is supposed to have been the synagogue of the city; possibly, therefore, the very synagogue, built by the believing centurion (Luke 7:5), in which our Lord worshipped and taught (John 6:59). Its position on the shore of the lake, as a town with a garrison and a custom-house, made it the natural centre of the fishing-trade of the Lake of Galilee. As such, it fell in with the habits of the four first-called disciples, who, though two of them were of Bethsaida, were already partly domiciled there. (2.) It was within an easy day's journey of Nazareth, and so admitted either of another visit thither, as if to see whether those who dwelt there were more capable of faith than they had shown themselves at first (Matthew 13:54), or, as in Matthew 12:46-50, of visits from His mother, and His brethren, when they were anxious to restrain Him from teaching that seemed to them perilous. (3.) Even the presence of the "publicans and sinners"--the latter term including Gentiles, the class of those who had flocked to the preaching of John, and were to be found in the half-Romanised city, and were not to be found in the more secluded villages--may have been one of the elements which led to the decisive choice. (4.) Lastly, St. John's narrative supplies another link. The healing of the son of one of the Tetrarch's officers at Capernaum (John 4:46-54) had secured there a certain degree of protection and of influence. . . .
Verse 13. - And leaving Nazareth. Finally as a place of residence. The form Ναζαρά occurs only here and Luke 4:16, which in itself well suits the opinion that Luke 4:16-30 is only a fuller account of this sojourn at Nazareth (cf. Weiss, ' Matthaus-Evang.'). He came and dwelt; i.e. made his home in (cf. Matthew 2:23). Not as having a house of his own there, so that he could take shelter in it as of right (cf. Matthew 8:20, "The foxes have holes," etc.); but probably settling his mother there, and being himself generally admitted to some one's house (perhaps Peter's, cf. Matthew 8:14, 16) when he came to the town. In Capernaum. Most probably the modern Tell-hum, upon the north-western shore, two miles from where the Jordan enters the lake. On the interesting relic of the synagogue, presumably that built by the centurion (Luke 7:5), vide especially Bishop Westcott on John 6:59. The identification with Tell-Hum can, however, hardly be considered as absolutely settled. "Some of the narratives of pilgrims of the sixth and seventh centuries appear to place Capernaum here. Jewish authors mention a place called Karat Tankhum, or Nakhum; and as the Arabic Tell ("hill") might easily be substituted for the word Kaphar ("village"), and Nakhum corrupted to Hum, Capernaum and Tell-Hum may be identical. On the other hand, Sepp supposes that the name of the Minim (Jewish Christians), who are known to have been numerous at Capernaum down to the time of Constantine, has been preserved in the Khan Minyeh" (Socin's ' Baedeker,' p. 373). Which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim. The details are mentioned to show the accordance with the following prophecy. Neubauer ('Geogr. du Talm.,' p. 222, edit. 1868) points out that, according to Joshua 19:33, 34, and the notices in the Talmud, the whole western side of the lake was in Naphtali, and that hence Capernaum could not, strictly speaking, be "in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim." He himself explains the discrepancy by saying that St. Matthew imitates the Haggadistic methods in accommodating the geography to the text he quotes. But it is clear that the expression is satisfied by the fact that Zebulun was really near Capernaum, and that numbers of those who frequented the town must have come from Zebulun. The position of Capernaum thus formed quite a sufficient reason for quoting the prophecy in Isaiah. Our evangelist, who (ch. 2.) had noticed the coining of distant heathen to worship Messiah, though he was persecuted by the then ruler of the nation, found it very significant that his public activity should begin at a distance from the home of the hierarchy, and in a district which had been the first to suffer from heathen attacks in the past, and had at the present moment a population in which there was a great mixture of the heathen element (cf. Weiss, 'Matthiaus-Evang.').