Matthew 4:23

Ministry in Galilee

23 Jesus was going ¹throughout all Galilee, ²teaching in their synagogues and ³proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and ⁴healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

Matthew 4:23 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 4:23

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 ^F12, 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", ( Acts 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 ( Matthew 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 In vita ejus.

Matthew 4:23 In-Context

21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.

22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

23 Jesus 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.

24 The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill , those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.

25 Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.

Cross References

• 1. Mark 1:39; Luke 4:14, 44
• 2. Matthew 9:35; Matthew 13:54; Mark 1:21; Mark 6:2; Mark 10:1; Luke 4:15; Luke 6:6; Luke 13:10; John 6:59; John 18:20
• 3. Matthew 3:2; Matthew 9:35; Matthew 24:14; Mark 1:14; Luke 4:43; Luke 8:1; Luke 16:16; Acts 20:25; Acts 28:31
• 4. Matthew 8:16; Matthew 9:35; Matthew 14:14; Matthew 15:30; Matthew 19:2; Matthew 21:14; Mark 1:34; Mark 3:10; Luke 4:40; Luke 7:21; Acts 10:38

Footnotes

• [a] Or "good news"