Matthew 4:15–16

Context

The verses belong to the section of Matthew running from 4:12 to 4:17. On hearing that John the Baptist had been arrested, Jesus left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. Matthew explains this move as taking place "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet" (Matthew 4:14) and then quotes verses 1–2 of Isaiah 9. In the Hebrew Bible these verses correspond to Isaiah 8:23–9:1.

Scholars commonly call this way of introducing an Old Testament text with the words "that it might be fulfilled" a fulfillment quotation (a citation indicating that an Old Testament word has come to pass in Jesus). Matthew 1:22–23 follows the same pattern. Immediately after the quotation comes Jesus' first proclamation: "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17).

Zebulun and Naphtali were the territories of northern tribes of Israel. According to 2 Kings 15:29, this region was the first to fall when Assyria invaded in the latter part of the eighth century BC. "Galilee of the Gentiles" refers to this area, where many Gentiles lived alongside the Israelite population.

Interpretation

• Reading as prophetic fulfillment: Many church traditions read the passage as testimony that messianic prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus. Because Isaiah 9 goes on to speak of "a child" and the throne of David, they connect the whole of Isaiah's prophecy with the coming of Jesus.
• Reading as a foreshadowing of the Gentile mission: Focusing on the phrase "Galilee of the Gentiles," this reading sees the passage as one link in the movement of Matthew's Gospel, which opens with the account of the wise men from the East and closes with the command to go to all nations (Matthew 28:18–20). This reading is often discussed together with "a light to the Gentiles" in Isaiah 49:6.
• Reading as a symbol of light: This reading takes the light shining into darkness and the shadow of death as a metaphor for the person and ministry of Jesus. It is frequently explained alongside "I am the light of the world" in John 8:12.
• Historical-critical reading: Some scholars hold that the Isaiah text originally spoke of the restoration of the northern region that had suffered the Assyrian invasion and of a Davidic king expected in that era. In their view, Matthew applied these words afresh in light of Jesus' ministry. Jewish tradition also includes interpretations that read the text differently from Christian interpretation.

Questions of Application

The passage is not the subject of significant controversy between denominations. Two questions, however, are frequently discussed.

• Differences in the quotation: Matthew's quotation does not match either the Hebrew text or the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, word for word. Which text Matthew used, and how he abridged and shaped it, is therefore a subject of scholarly study.
• Understanding the place names: Interpretations differ on exactly which regions are meant by "beyond Jordan" and "the way of the sea."

In the Korean Church

In churches that follow the lectionary of the church year (a table assigning the Scripture readings for each feast and Sunday), this section is sometimes read together with Isaiah 9 during the season of Epiphany. It is also commonly cited as a New Testament passage showing the fulfillment of Isaiah 9 when that chapter is preached during Advent and at Christmas.

Related Passages

• Isaiah 9:1–2
• Matthew 4:17
• Isaiah 49:6
• John 8:12
• Matthew 28:18–20