Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
All Commentaries on Matthew 4:12 Go To Matthew 4
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
When Jesus had heard, &c. Matthew ,, Mark , and Luke all omit the embassy of the Jews to John the Baptist, asking him if he were the Messiah. To this first year of Christ"s ministry pertain also the turning water into wine, the driving the buyers and sellers out of the temple, and the discourse with Nicodemus. These all took place before the imprisonment of the Baptist, and are related only by S. John. For before his imprisonment Christ had committed to John the work of preaching, but now He took that office upon Himself. Moreover, when Christ heard of John"s imprisonment, He departed out of Judæa into Galilee, because He fled from Herod, that he might not imprison Him as he had done John. In Galilee, therefore, he began solemnly to preach, that He might fulfil Isaiah"s prophecy, of which more presently.
You may say—Herod reigned in Galilee, not in Judæa. Why then did Christ, to avoid Herod, flee into Galilee? I reply, because John , preaching in Judæa, near Jericho, and gathering together the multitudes, was accused to Herod, probably by the Scribes and Pharisees. For they had been sharply rebuked by John , and called "a brood of vipers." In their anger they suggested to Herod, who they knew was hostile to John , that he should apprehend him, lest he should make a tumult, and incite the people to rebellion. Josephus (Ant, lib18 , c7), says that Herod slew John through fear of a rising of the people who flocked to John. The same Scribes and Pharisees were, it is probable, hostile to Christ, who had been pointed out by John , and who was wont, equally with John , freely and publicly to rebuke their vices. And although John had baptized in Judæa, he had perhaps passed into the neighbouring Peræa, which was subject to Herod. When Christ therefore heard of John"s apprehension, He fled from Judæa into Galilee, lest He should be delivered by the same Scribes and Pharisees, with the connivance of the Roman governor, to Herod. But Jesus was not afraid of Herod himself, because He had not offended him personally, as John had, by reproving his adultery. This Herod Antipas was the son of Herod of Ascalon, the murderer of the innocents.
This was the second departure of Christ from Juda into Galilee. The first is related in John i43 , and is the same which is referred to by S. Mark 1:14, S. Luke ( Luke 4:14), and S. John ( John 4:3, John 4:43.)
