But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; Jump to: Alford • Barnes • Bengel • Benson • BI • Calvin • Cambridge • Chrysostom • Clarke • Darby • Ellicott • Expositor's • Exp Dct • Exp Grk • Gaebelein • GSB • Gill • Gray • Guzik • Haydock • Hastings • Homiletics • ICC • JFB • Kelly • King • Lange • MacLaren • MHC • MHCW • Meyer • Parker • PNT • Poole • Pulpit • Sermon • SCO • TTB • VWS • WES • TSK EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE) (15) He withdrew himself from thence.—The coalition of the two dominant parties led to a temporary retirement from Capernaum as the usual scene of His labours. In this matter He was setting forth in act, as an example, the rule which He had previously given as a precept (Matthew 10:23).He healed them all—i.e., all that had need of healing, and fulfilled its conditions. 12:14-21 The Pharisees took counsel to find some accusation, that Jesus might be condemned to death. Aware of their design, as his time was not come, he retired from that place. Face does not more exactly answer to face in water, than the character of Christ drawn by the prophet, to his temper and conduct as described by the evangelists. Let us with cheerful confidence commit our souls to so kind and faithful a Friend. Far from breaking, he will strengthen the bruised reed; far from quenching the smoking flax, or wick nearly out, he will rather blow it up into a flame. Let us lay aside contentious and angry debates; let us receive one another as Christ receives us. And while encouraged by the gracious kindness of our Lord, we should pray that his Spirit may rest upon us, and make us able to copy his example.But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself ... - He knew of the plot which they had formed against his life; but his hour was not yet come, and he therefore sought security.By remaining, his presence would only have provoked them further and endangered his own life. He acted, therefore, the part of prudence and withdrew. Compare the notes at Matthew 10:23. Mark adds that he withdrew "to the sea;" that is, to the Sea of Galilee. or Tiberias. He states also Matthew 3:7-8 that "a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard what great things he did, came unto him." As some of these places were without the limits of Judea or inhabited by "Gentiles," this statement of Mark throws light on the passage quoted by Matthew Mat 12:21, "In his name shall the Gentiles trust." Pressed by the crowd Mark 3:9, Jesus went aboard a "small vessel," or "boat," called by Mark a "ship." This he did for the convenience of being separated from them and more easily addressing them. We are to suppose the lake still and calm; the multitudes, most of whom were sick and diseased, on the shore and pressing to the water's edge; and Jesus thus healing their diseases, and preaching to them the good news of salvation. No scene could be more sublime than this. 15. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence—whither, our Evangelist says not; but Mark (Mr 3:7) says "it was to the sea"—to some distance, no doubt, from the scene of the miracle, the madness, and the plotting just recorded.and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all—Mark gives the following interesting details: "A great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things He did, came unto Him. And He spake to His disciples, that a small ship"—or "wherry"—"should wait on Him because of the multitude, lest they should throng Him. For He had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon Him for to touch Him, as many as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And He straitly charged them that they should not make Him known" (Mr 3:7-12). How glorious this extorted homage to the Son of God! But as this was not the time, so neither were they the fitting preachers, as Bengel says. (See on [1271]Mr 1:25, and compare Jas 2:19). Coming back now to our Evangelist: after saying, "He healed them all," he continues: See Poole on "Matthew 12:16".But when Jesus knew it,.... Their consultation against him, as he did, not by any discovery made to him by men, but as the omniscient God; he withdrew himself from thence; from the synagogue and city, where he was, to the sea of Galilee, and his disciples with him, as Mark observes; not through fear, but because his time was not yet come, that he must suffer and die for his people; he had some other work to do first, and therefore rightly and wisely provides for his safety. And great multitudes followed him; from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and from beyond Jordan; and were joined by another multitude of people, who came from about Tyre and Sidon, as Mark relates: so that his departure was not so very private; nor was he forsaken by the common people, though the Pharisees were so offended with him. And he healed them all; that stood in need of healing, as many as had plagues and unclean spirits; practising agreeably to his doctrine, that it was lawful to do good on the sabbath day, and to heal the bodies as well as the souls of men. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES) Matthew 12:15 ff. Matthew 12:17-21 are peculiar to Matthew.αὐτοὺς πάντας] all the sick who were among the multitudes. Indefinite expression. On the condensed style of Matthew , 15 f., comp. Mark 3:7 ff.; Luke 6:17 ff. Matthew 12:16. He gave them strict injunctions, in order that, and so on (Matthew 16:20, Matthew 20:31); for He did not wish, by creating too great a sensation, to provoke His enemies to proceed to extremities before the time. Comp. on Matthew 8:4. Matthew 12:17. This ἐπετίμ. αὐτοῖς was designed, in accordance with the divine order in history, to fulfil the prophecy that the Messiah was to act without anything like ostentatious display in His proceedings. On the silent majesty of Jesus, comp. Dorner, Jesu sündlose Vollkommenh. p. 28 ff. Matthew 12:15-21. Jesus retires; prophetic portraiture of His character. Matthew 12:15-16 are abridged from Mark 3:7-12, which contains an account of an extensive healing ministry. The sequel of the Sabbatic encounter is very vague. The one fact outstanding and noteworthy is the withdrawal of Jesus, conscious of having given deep offence, but anxious to avoid tragic consequences for the present. It is to that fact mainly that the evangelist attaches his fair picture of Jesus, in prophetic language. It is happily brought in here, where it gains by the contrast between the real Jesus and Jesus as conceived by the Pharisees, a miscreant deserving to die. It is not necessary to suppose that the historical basis of the picture is to be found exclusively in Matthew 12:15-16, all the more that the statement they contain is but a meagre reproduction of Mark 3:7-12, omitting some valuable material, e.g., the demoniac cry: “Thou art the Son of God”. The historic features answering to the prophetic outline in the evangelist’s mind may be taken from the whole story of Christ’s public life as hitherto told, from the baptism onwards. Luke gives his picture of Jesus at the beginning (Matthew 4:16-25) as a frontispiece, Matthew places his at the end of a considerable section of the story, at a critical turning point in the history, and he means the reader to look back over the whole for verification. Thus for the evangelist Matthew 12:18 may point back to the baptism (Matthew 3:13-17), when the voice from heaven called Jesus God’s beloved Son; Matthew 12:19 to the teaching on the hill (Matthew 12:5-7), when the voice of Jesus was heard not in the street but on the mountain top, remote from the crowd below; Matthew 12:20 to the healing ministry among the sick, physically bruised reeds, poor suffering creatures in whom the flame of life burnt low; Matthew 12:21 to such significant incidents as that of the centurion of Capernaum (Matthew 8:5-13). Broad interpretation here seems best. Some features, e.g., the reference to judgment, Matthew 12:20, second clause, are not to be pressed. The quotation is a very free reproduction from the Hebrew, with occasional side glances at the Sept[73] It has been suggested that the evangelist drew neither from the Hebrew nor from the Sept[74], but from a Chaldee Targum in use in his time (Lutteroth). It is certainly curious that he should have omitted Isaiah 42:4, “He shall not fail nor be discouraged,” etc., a most important additional feature in the picture = Messiah shall not only not break the bruised reed, but He shall not be Himself a bruised reed, but shall bravely stand for truth and right till they at length triumph. Admirable historic materials to illustrate that prophetic trait are ready to our hand in Christ’s encounters with the Pharisees (Matthew 9:1-17, Matthew 12:1-13). Either Matthew has followed a Targum, or been misled by the similarity of Isaiah 42:3-4, or he means Matthew 12:20 to bear a double reference, and read: He shall neither break nor be a bruised reed, nor allow to be quenched either in others or in Himself the feeble flame: a strong, brave, buoyant, ever-victorious hero, helper of the weak, Him self a stranger to weakness.—ᾑρέτισα (Matthew 12:18), an Ionic form in use in Hellenistic Greek, here only in N. T., often in Sept[75] = αἱρέομαι. Hesychius under ᾑρετισάμην gives as equivalents ἠγάπησα, ἐπιθύμησα, ἠθέλησα, ἠράσθην.—κραυγά. σει (Matthew 12:19), late form for κράζω. Phrynichus, p. 337, condemns, as illiterate, use of κραυγασμός instead of κεκραγμός. On the words οὐδὲ κρ. Pricaeus remarks: “Sentio clamorem intelligi qui nota est animi commoti et effervescentis”. He cites examples from Seneca, Plutarch, Xenophon, etc.—ἀκούσει is late for ἀκούσεται. Verbs expressing organic acts or states have middle forms in the future (vide Rutherford, New Phrynichus, pp. 138, 376–412).—ἕως, Matthew 12:20, followed by subjunctive, with ἄν, as in classics, in a clause introduced by ἕως referring to a future contingency.—τῷ ὀνόματι, Matthew 12:21, dative after ἐλπιοῦσιν; in Sept[76], Isaiah 42:4, with ἐπί. This construction here only in N. T. [73] Septuagint. [74] Septuagint. [75] Septuagint. [76] Septuagint. 15. he withdrew himself from thence] See ch. Matthew 10:23. Jesus follows the principle which He laid down for His disciples’ guidance. Matthew 12:15. Ἀνεχῶρησεν, He departed This is especially referred to in Matthew 12:19. Our Lord avoided noise. Verses 15-21. - Jesus withdraws, and although many follow him and are healed by him, he charges them not to make him known, thus fulfilling the prophecy of the Ideal Israelite, who is the object of God's love and delight, and will receive his Spirit and declare the revelation of him to the Gentiles; he will not strive or exalt himself, or use harshness towards the weak; and his meekness shall last until he has succeeded in his purpose of revealing God to men; for he shall succeed, and he shall be the object of the Gentiles' hope. Verse 15. - Vers. 15, 16 are found essentially in Mark 3:7, 12; the remainder of this section, the application of prophecy. here only. But when Jesus knew it; and Jesus perceiving it (Revised Version). Whether by his own unaided powers, or by intelligence brought him, is not stated. He withdrew himself (cf. Matthew 4:12, he departed, note) from thence. We see from the next clause that this withdrawal was not into any very retired spot, but rather away front the town in which he had been. His motives may have been partly to carry on his work more quietly elsewhere (fulfilling his own injunction, Matthew 10:23), and partly to avoid stirring up the excitement of partisans like those who a little later wished to seize him by force and make him king (John 6:15, where observe "withdrew"). And great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all. Almost verbally in Matthew 19:2. 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