Matthew 4:25

Matthew 4:25 is the twenty-fifth, and final, verse of the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse is part of a brief summary of and introduction to Jesus' ministry in Galilee, which will be recounted in the next several chapters. This verse lists the many locations from which people came to see Jesus.

Content

The original Koine Greek, according to The [New Testament in the Original Greek|Westcott and Hort], reads:
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
The World [English Bible] translates the passage as:
For a collection of other versions see

Analysis

This verse reaffirms the author of Matthew's affinity for geography, and especially place names, as previously seen throughout Matthew 2 and in Matthew 4:13. This verse lists the places from which people came to follow Jesus. These are:

Galilee, Jesus' homeland where he is preaching at this time
The Decapolis, literally "the Ten Towns", largely Gentile Greek cities
Jerusalem, the political and spiritual capital of the region
Judaea, the heartland of the Jews to the south of Galilee
Peraea, an area to the east of the Jordan River

With the mention of Syria in the previous verse this covers the entirety of the Holy Land, with the notable exception of Samaria. Throughout his gospel the author of Matthew seems to view that area in a negative light, as in Matthew 10:5.

Commentary from the Church Fathers

Glossa Ordinaria: The crowds that follow the Lord, are they of the Church, which is spiritually designated by Galilee, passing to virtuousness; Decapolis is he who keeps the Ten Commandments; Jerusalem and Judæa, he who is enlightened by the vision of peace and confession; and beyond Jordan, he who having passed the waters of Baptism enters the land of promise.
Saint Remigius: Or, they follow the Lord from Galilee, that is, from the unstable world; from Decapolis, signifying those who break the Ten Commandments; and from Jerusalem, because before it was preserved unhurt in peace; and from Jordan, that is, from the confession of the Devil; and from beyond Jordan, they who were first planted in paganism, but passing the water of Baptism came to Christ.