Matthew 4:12
Encyclopedia
Matthew 4:12 is the twelfth verse of the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew
in the New Testament
. The temptation
scene has just ended, and this verse begins the introduction to the discussion of Jesus' ministry, which makes up the bulk of the gospel.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
The World English Bible
translates the passage as:
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 4:12
According to the theory of Markan Priority
this verse is based closely on the very similar Mark 1:14. The verse refers to John the Baptist
, the central character of Matthew 3
. It refers to his arrest by Herod Antipas
. The Gospel of Matthew does not go into greater detail about his arrest until chapter 14.
Jesus returns to Galilee where he was raised, but left to be baptized in Matthew 3:13
. Schweizer notes that the text does not make clear that the arrest of John the Baptist was the cause of Jesus' return to Galilee
, only that the two events occurred at the same time. However, France notes that the word withdrew in Matthew almost always refers to a retreat from hostile forces, implying that is what is happening here. Both Judea and Galilee were under the control of Herod Antipas at this point, so unlike Matthew 2:22
this is not a move to the domain of a different ruler. It is perfectly plausible that distant Galilee would be safer for John's followers than the area around the Jordan.
Matthew also says nothing about what occurred between the temptation and arrest of John. Jones, and most others readers, believe that some months likely elapse. There is no historical record of exactly when John was arrested, which would clarify the dating.
Jesus is often portrayed as serving as one of John's disciples during this period. France agrees with this theory. He thus sees the arrest as causing an important change in Jesus' ministry. In the area by the Jordan it is presumed that Jesus adopted John's baptism based ministry. France argues the flight to Galilee induced a transition to a ministry based on itinerant preaching.
The term translated as "cast into prison," or more accurately "delivered up" is one that will reappear frequently in the reports of Jesus' own imprisonment. Though Nolland notes that Matthew does not contain the same extensive John/Jesus parallels as Mark.
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. The temptation
Temptation
A temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual. It is usually used to describe acts with negative connotations and as such, tends to lead a person to regret such actions, for various reasons: legal, social, psychological , health, economic, etc...
scene has just ended, and this verse begins the introduction to the discussion of Jesus' ministry, which makes up the bulk of the gospel.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- Now when Jesus had heard that John was
- cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
The World English Bible
World English Bible
The World English Bible is a public domain translation of the Bible that is currently in draft form. Work on the World English Bible began in 1997 and was known as the American Standard Version 1997...
translates the passage as:
- Now when Jesus heard that John was
- delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee.
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 4:12
According to the theory of Markan Priority
Markan priority
Markan priority is the hypothesis that the Gospel of Mark was the first written of the three Synoptic Gospels, and that the two other synoptic evangelists, Matthew and Luke, used Mark's Gospel as one of their sources. The theory of Markan priority is today accepted by the majority of New Testament...
this verse is based closely on the very similar Mark 1:14. The verse refers to John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
, the central character of Matthew 3
Matthew 3
thumb|left|The Baptism of Christ, by [[Piero della Francesca]], [[1449]]Matthew 3 is the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It is the first chapter dealing with the ministry of Jesus with events taking place some three decades after the close of the infancy narrative...
. It refers to his arrest by Herod Antipas
Herod Antipas
Herod Antipater , known by the nickname Antipas, was a 1st-century AD ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch...
. The Gospel of Matthew does not go into greater detail about his arrest until chapter 14.
Jesus returns to Galilee where he was raised, but left to be baptized in Matthew 3:13
Matthew 3:13
Matthew 3:13 is the thirteenth verse of the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. The verse introduces the section describing the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist....
. Schweizer notes that the text does not make clear that the arrest of John the Baptist was the cause of Jesus' return to Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
, only that the two events occurred at the same time. However, France notes that the word withdrew in Matthew almost always refers to a retreat from hostile forces, implying that is what is happening here. Both Judea and Galilee were under the control of Herod Antipas at this point, so unlike Matthew 2:22
Matthew 2:22
Matthew 2:22 is the twenty-second verse of the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. The young Jesus and the Holy Family have just left Egypt after hearing of the death of King Herod....
this is not a move to the domain of a different ruler. It is perfectly plausible that distant Galilee would be safer for John's followers than the area around the Jordan.
Matthew also says nothing about what occurred between the temptation and arrest of John. Jones, and most others readers, believe that some months likely elapse. There is no historical record of exactly when John was arrested, which would clarify the dating.
Jesus is often portrayed as serving as one of John's disciples during this period. France agrees with this theory. He thus sees the arrest as causing an important change in Jesus' ministry. In the area by the Jordan it is presumed that Jesus adopted John's baptism based ministry. France argues the flight to Galilee induced a transition to a ministry based on itinerant preaching.
The term translated as "cast into prison," or more accurately "delivered up" is one that will reappear frequently in the reports of Jesus' own imprisonment. Though Nolland notes that Matthew does not contain the same extensive John/Jesus parallels as Mark.