“Post hoc descendit Capharnaum ipse, et mater ejus, et fratres ejus, et discipuli ejus : et ibi manserunt non multis diebus.”
“After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.”
“After this, He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and His disciples, and they stayed there a few days.”
“After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they stayed there a few days.”
“After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples; and there they abode not many days.”
I. The short visit Christ made to Capernaum, v. 12. It was a large and populous city, about a day's journey from Cana; it is called his own city (Matt 9 1), because he made it his head-quarters in Galilee, and what little rest he had was there. It was a place of concourse, and therefore Christ chose it, that the fame of his doctrine and miracles might thence spread the further. Observe,
Verses 12-22 The first public work in which we find Christ engaged, was driving from the temple the traders whom the covetous priests and rulers encouraged to make a market-place of its courts. Those now make God's house a house of merchandise, whose minds are filled with cares about worldly business when attending religious exercises, or who perform Divine offices for love of gain. Christ, having thus cleansed the temple, gave a sign to those who demanded it, to prove his authority for so doing. He foretells his death by the Jews' malice, Destroy ye this temple; I will permit you to destroy it. He foretells his resurrection by his own power; In three days I will raise it up. Christ took again his own life. Men mistake by understanding that according to the letter, which the Scripture speaks by way of figure. When Jesus was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered he has said this. It helps much in understanding the Divine word, to observe the fulfilling of the Scriptures.