And leaving Nazareth,.... Where he was educated, and had lived many years together; and where he preached first to the good liking of the people, whowondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth: though afterwards they were so much displeased with him, that they thrust him out of their city; and intended to have destroyed him, by casting him down headlong from the brow of an hill; and which seems to be the reason of his leaving this city; see Lu 4:16he came and dwelt in Capernaum a city of Galilee.
Lu 4:31which is upon the sea-coast by the sea of Tiberias, or Genesarethin the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: it bordered on both these tribes; it signifies "the village of consolation" ; and so it was, whilst the consolation of Israel dwelt there.
The Jews speak very evilly of it: no doubt because it was the dwelling place of Christ; and because there might be some in it who believed in him: they represent the inhabitants of it as very great sinners, heretics, and dealers in magic art.
Chanina, the brother's son of R. Joshua, they say , went to Capernaum, and the heretics did something to him; according to the gloss, they bewitched him: and elsewhere explaining the words in Ec 7:26Who so pleaseth God,....
; this, they say, is Chananiah, the brother's son of R. Joshua; and "the sinner"; these are the "children", or inhabitants of Capernaum. Thus they show their spite against the very place in which Christ dwelt.
Vid. Benjamin Tudelens. Itinerar. p. 37. & L'Empereur, not. in ib. & Hieron. in Mar. i. 21. & Origen. Comment. in Matt. p. 317. vol. 1. Ed. Huet. Midrash Koheleth. fol. 63. 1. Ib. fol. 77.