Jesus teaches in the synagogue (Notes)

Saint Matthew - Chapter 4

Jesus teaches in the synagogue. J-J Tissot

[23] Et circuibat Jesus totam Galilaeam, docens in synagogis eorum, et praedicans Evangelium regni : et sanans omnem languorem, et omnem infirmitatem in populo.
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom: and healing all manner of sickness and every infirmity, among the people.

And Jesus went about, &c. Sickness—Greek, νόσος,—an habitual, organic, or incurable disease, says Euthymius. Disease—Greek, μαλακίον—i.e., languor, infirmity, failure of strength.

[24] Et abiit opinio ejus in totam Syriam, et obtulerunt ei omnes male habentes, variis languoribus, et tormentis comprehensos, et qui daemonia habebant, et lunaticos, et paralyticos, et curavit eos :
And his fame went throughout all Syria, and they presented to him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and such as were possessed by devils, and lunatics, and those that had palsy, and he cured them:


And his fame. Greek, ἀκοὴ—i.e., rumour, report. Torments (Gr. βασάνοις. This word means, properly, examination under torture, when an accused person was tormented on the little horse, to make him confess his crime and accomplices. Lunatics are sick persons, who suffer from the changes of the moon, either by sickness, or delirium, or madness, especially epilepsy. Tho. Valesius (Sac. Philos. c. 71) denies that the moon has any such effect.

And healed them. From none of these did Christ require faith, says S. Chrysostom, for He had not yet manifested His power; and those who came from far had as yet but small faith in Him. But afterwards He required faith on the part of the sick, as will appear in the sequel. “Clouds of miracles,” says S. Chrysostom, “does S. Matthew pass over in few words, a few of which he afterwards relates more at length.”

Mystically, lunatics are mutable and inconstant persons, who at one time serve God and religion, at another the devil and their lusts, according to the words in Ecclus. 27:12—“A holy man abides in wisdom like the sun, but a fool changes like the moon.”

[25] et secutae sunt eum turbae multae de Galilaea, et Decapoli, et de Jerosolymis, et de Judaea, et de trans Jordanem.
And much people followed him from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Followed him. Hear S. Bernard (Serm. 1 de omnibus Sanc.): “From the cities and villages the people followed the preaching of the Lord. He saved their souls; He healed their bodies. They clave to Him, being delighted both by the sight of Him and by His words. His voice was sweet, His face was comely, as it is written, ‘Thou art fairer than the children of men; full of grace are thy lips.’ Such is He whom we follow, to whom we adhere—who is altogether desirable, upon whom not the people only, but the holy angels themselves desire to look.”

Decapolis—i.e., the region of ten cities—from δέκα ten, and πόλις, a city. The names of these ten cities, according to Burchard, were Tiberias, Saphet, Asor, Kedesh, Cæsarea Philippi, Capernaum, Jotapata (which Josephus defended against the Romans), Bethsaida, Corozaim, and Beth-shan, or Scythopolis.

Beyond Jordan—i.e., in respect of Galilee, which was on this side Jordan. These regions were Gilead, Trachonitis, Abilene, Seir, Cœlosyria, and Batanæa, the ancient Bashan, formerly the dominions of King Og.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam