Matthew 19:1

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

XIX.

(1) He departed from Galilee.—The verse covers a considerable interval of time which the materials supplied by St. Luke and St. John enable us to fill up. From the former we get the outlines of what has been called, as being “beyond Jordan,” our Lord’s Peræan ministry, from Luke 9:51 to Luke 18:30; from the latter, according to the arrangement of the best harmonists, His visit to Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2), and again at that of the Dedication (John 10:22). To keep these facts in mind will throw some light on the narrative that follows here. The journey from Galilee to Peræa appears from Luke 17:11 to have led our Lord through Samaria.

Benson Commentary

Matthew 19:1-2. When Jesus had finished these sayings — Had delivered the instructions contained in the preceding chapter, to his disciples at Capernaum; he departed from Galilee — Where he had long dwelt, and through which he had made repeated journeys, but in which, from henceforward, he walked no more; and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan — “Properly speaking, no part of Judea was on the farther side of Jordan; for though, after the Jews returned from the captivity, the whole of their land was called Judea, especially by foreigners who happened to mention their affairs, it is certain that in the gospels Judea is always spoken of as a particular division of the country. We may therefore reasonably suppose, that Matthew’s expression is elliptical; and may supply it from Mark 10:1, thus, And came into the coasts of Judea, δια του περαν του Ιορδανου, through the country beyond Jordan. See John 10:40. In this journey, our Lord passed through the country beyond Jordan, that the Jews living there might enjoy the benefit of his doctrine and miracles. And great multitudes followed him — Namely, from Galilee into Perea, for his fame having become exceeding great, he was everywhere resorted to, and followed by the sick who wished to be healed; by their friends who attended them; by those whose curiosity prompted them to see and examine things so wonderful; by well-disposed persons, who found themselves greatly profited and pleased with his sermons; by enemies who watched all his words and actions with a design to expose him as a deceiver; lastly, by those who expected that he would set up the kingdom immediately: besides, at this time the multitude may have been greater than ordinary, because, as the passover was at hand, many, going thither, may have chosen to travel in our Lord’s train, expecting to see new miracles.” — Macknight.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

19:1,2 Great multitudes followed Christ. When Christ departs, it is best for us to follow him. They found him as able and ready to help elsewhere, as he had been in Galilee; wherever the Sun of Righteousness arose, it was with healing in his wings.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Coasts of Judea beyond Jordan - The narrative here refers to the last journey of the Saviour from Galilee to Jerusalem, to attend the last Passover which he celebrated.

A considerable lapse of time occurred between his last discourse in the preceding chapter and what is recorded here, and several important events have been recorded by Luke and John which occurred in the interval, as the sending out of the seventy disciples Luke 10:1-16; the Saviour's going up to the feast of Tabernacles, and his final departure from Galilee, passing through Samaria Luke 9:51-56; John 7:2-10; the healing of the ten lepers Luke 17:11-19; the public teaching of Jesus at the feast of Tabernacles John 7:11-53; the account of the woman taken in adultery John 8:1; the reproof of the unbelieving Jews, and the escape of the Saviour from their hands John 8:12-59; the instruction of the lawyer, and the parable of the good Samaritan Luke 10:28-37; the incidents in the house of Martha and Mary Luke 10:38-42; the return of the seventy Luke 10:17-24; the healing of the blind man on the Sabbath John 9:1-41; the festival of the Dedication John 10:22-42; the raising of Lazarus John 11:1-46; and the counsel of Caiaphas against Jesus, and the retiring of Jesus from Jerusalem John 11:47-54. See Robinson's Harmony. Matthew and Mark now resume the narrative by relating that after Jesus had left Galilee he approached Jerusalem by passing through the country beyond Jordan. The country was, in general, called Perea, and appertained to Judea, being the region formerly occupied by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. The word "coasts" means regions or parts. See the notes at Matthew 2:16.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 19

Mt 19:1-12. Final Departure from Galilee—Divorce. ( = Mr 10:1-12; Lu 9:51).

Farewell to Galilee (Mt 19:1, 2).

1. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee—This marks a very solemn period in our Lord's public ministry. So slightly is it touched here, and in the corresponding passage of Mark (Mr 10:1), that few readers probably note it as the Redeemer's Farewell to Galilee, which however it was. See on the sublime statement of Luke (Lu 9:51), which relates to the same transition stage in the progress of our Lord's work.

and came into the coasts—or, boundaries

of Judea beyond Jordan—that is, to the further, or east side of the Jordan, into Perea, the dominions of Herod Antipas. But though one might conclude from our Evangelist that our Lord went straight from the one region to the other, we know from the other Gospels that a considerable time elapsed between the departure from the one and the arrival at the other, during which many of the most important events in our Lord's public life occurred—probably a large part of what is recorded in Lu 9:51, onward to Lu 18:15, and part of Joh 7:2-11:54.Matthew 19:1-2 Christ healeth the sick,

Matthew 19:3-12 answereth the question of the Pharisees concerning

divorce, and the objection of his disciples to the

expediency of marriage,

Matthew 19:13-15 receiveth little children with tenderness,

Matthew 19:16-22 instructs a young man how to attain eternal life, and

how to become perfect,

Matthew 19:23-26 showeth how hard it is for a rich man to enter into

the kingdom of God,

Matthew 19:27-30 and promises great rewards to his disciples, and to

all who have forsaken aught to follow him.

See Poole on "Matthew 19:2".

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings,.... Concerning humility, avoiding offences, the methods to be taken in reproving offenders, and the forgiveness that is to be exercised towards them:

he departed from Galilee; where he had chiefly preached and wrought his miracles, no more to return thither till after his resurrection:

and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan; that is, to that country which was called "beyond Jordan", and bordered on Judea; coming still nearer and nearer to Jerusalem, where he had told his disciples, a little while ago, he must come, and suffer, and die. Rather, it should be rendered, "on this side Jordan", as also in John 1:28 for the coasts of Judea were on this side; so , is rendered in

Geneva Study Bible

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he {a} departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;

(a) Passed over the water out of Galilee into the borders of Judea.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Matthew 19:1 f. With his usual formula, κ. ἐγέν. ὅτε ἐτέλ., κ.τ.λ. (Matthew 7:28, Matthew 11:1, Matthew 13:53), Matthew here introduces the account of the closing stage in Christ’s ministry by mentioning His departure from Galilee to Judaea. It does not follow (comp. note on Matthew 16:21) that there may not have been previous visits to Judaea (in answer to Baur), but, in order to give to this journey, above all, the prominence due to its high significance, it was necessary that the Synoptists should confine their view to the Galilaean ministry until the time came for this final visit to the capital.

The conversation concerning divorce and marriage is likewise given in Mark 10:1 ff., and, on the whole, in a more original shape.

μετῆρεν ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλ.] Comp. Matthew 17:22; Matthew 17:24.

πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου] This expression cannot be intended to define the locale of εἰς τὰ ὄρια τῆς Ἰουδαίος, for the reader knew, as matter of course, that Peraea and Judaea (Matthew 4:15; Matthew 4:25) meant different districts, although, according to Ptolem. v. 16. 9, several towns east of the Jordan might be reckoned as included in Judaea; neither can it belong to μετῆρεν ἀπὸ τ. Γαλ. (Fritzsche: “Movens a Galilaea transiit fluvium”), for κ. ἦλθεν εἰς τ. ὄρ. τ. Ἰουδ. is not of the nature of a parenthesis; rather is it to be regarded as indicating the route (Mark 10:1) which Jesus took, thus defining ἦλθεν (Mark 7:31) somewhat more precisely, lest it should be supposed that He was on this side Jordan, and therefore approached Judaea by going through Samaria, whereas, being on the farther side of the river, He went by Peraea, and reached the borders of Judaea by crossing over to the west side of the Jordan (somewhere in the neighbourhood of Jericho, Matthew 20:29). The expression is not awkward (Volkmar); nor, again, is it to be erroneously understood as showing that the Gospel was written in some district east of the Jordan.

Further, the narrative of Matthew and Mark cannot be reconciled with that of Luke, who represents Jesus as keeping to this side of the Jordan (Luke 9:51, and see note on Luke 17:11); nor with the account of John, who, John 10:22, says nothing about the journey to Jerusalem, but represents Jesus as already there, and in John 19:40 as setting out from that city to make a short sojourn in Peraea.

ἐκεῖ] that is, in Peraea, just mentioned, and through which He was travelling on His way to the borders of Judaea, Matthew 19:1. On αὐτούς (their sick), see Winer, p. 139 [E. T. 183]. Instead of the healing, Mark speaks of the teaching that took place on this occasion.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Matthew 19:1-2. Introductory, cf. Mark 10:1.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ch. Matthew 19:1-2. Jesus goes to Judæa from Galilee

Mark 10:11. came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan] From the parallel passage in Mark we learn that this means: Came into Judæa by the trans-Jordanic route through Peræa, thus avoiding Samaria. It does not mean that any portion of Judæa lay beyond Jordan. St Matthew here omits various particulars, of which some are to be supplied from Luke 9:51 to Luke 17:11; others from John—two visits to Jerusalem (John 7:8-10 and John 10:22-39); the raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-30); the retirement to Ephraim (John 11:54).

Bengel's Gnomen

Matthew 19:1. Ἐτέλεσεν, κ.τ.λ., finished, etc.) All the discourses addressed to the people in Galilee have a great connection with each other, and form a perfect course.[851]—ΜΕΤῆΡΕΝ, he departed[852]) having concluded His perambulation through Galilee.[853]

[851] He was wont to break off nothing abruptly, but to bring all things to a complete conclusion; ch. Matthew 26:1.—V. g.

[852] “Migravit.” Cf. Gnomon and footnotes on ch. Matthew 13:53, where the same word occurs.—(I. B.)

[853] We may reasonably infer, from this departure, that the events which are recorded, Luke 13:31 to Luke 18:14 (for Jesus was not wont to stay long in Samaria), occurred in the space of those three days, of which mention occurs in Luke 13:32.—Harm., p. 421.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 1-12. - The beginning of the last journey to Jerusalem. The question concerning divorce. (Mark 10:1-12.) Verse 1. - When Jesus had finished these sayings. This is the beginning of a new section of the history, commencing, as usual, with the formulary, And it came to pass. "These sayings" must refer to what was recorded in ch. 18. But St. Matthew's narrative omits many events that happened in the interval between the account of the Galilaean ministry and the history of these last days, that is, from the autumn of one year to the spring of the next. The transactions of this time, which are omitted also by St. Mark, are given by St. Luke (Luke 9:51-17:11) and St. John (John 7:2-11:54), comprising many things that occurred at Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles and on other occlusions. He departed from Galilee. Not visiting it again till he appeared there after his resurrection. There was no part of the Holy Land in which he did not at some time sojourn, and now, as the final consummation drew nigh, he resolutely set his face towards Jerusalem. Came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan. Coasts should be borders. Judaea was bounded by the river, and there was no part of it beyond, that is, on the east of Jordan. The words, "beyond Jordan," belong to the verb "came," and the clause signifies that the object of Christ's journey was the vicinity of Judaea, and that, instead of entering the province by the direct road through Samaria, he took the more lengthy but safer route through Peraea. This was the name of the region on the east of the Jordan (πέραν, beyond), extending at this time from the river Hieromax, or Jarmouk, on the north, to the Arnon on the south, i.e. to the middle of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. The ruler of this district was Herod Antipas, and it was at this era in a most flourishing condition, notably fertile, and containing many fine towns ornamented with magnificent buildings. Here the simple, pastoral country people were less influenced by the narrow bigotry of the Pharisaic party, and in the towns the ban which excluded Jesus from the synagogues of Galilee and Judaea was either not recognized or not enforced. A quiet opportunity for preaching the gospel was thus offered. This may possibly be the sojourn in Peraea mentioned by St. John (John 10:40-42). Matthew 19:1

Vincent's Word Studies

Coasts (ὅρια)

Better Rev., borders; though it is easy to see how the translation coasts arose, coast being derived from the Latin costa, a side, and hence a border generally, though now applied to the sea-side only.