Matthew 4:13

And leaving Nazareth
Where he was educated, and had lived many years together; and where he preached first to the good liking of the people, who

wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth:
though afterwards they were so much displeased with him, that they thrust him out of their city; and intended to have destroyed him, by casting him down headlong from the brow of an hill; and which seems to be the reason of his leaving this city; see ( Luke 4:16-31 )

he came and dwelt in Capernaum
a city of Galilee. ( Luke 4:31 )

which is upon the sea-coast
by the sea of Tiberias, or Genesareth

in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
it bordered on both these tribes; it signifies "the village of consolation" ^F20; and so it was, whilst the consolation of Israel dwelt there. The Jews speak very evilly of it: no doubt because it was the dwelling place of Christ; and because there might be some in it who believed in him: they represent the inhabitants of it as very great sinners, heretics, and dealers in magic art. Chanina, the brother's son of R. Joshua, they say ^F21, went to Capernaum, and the heretics did something to him; according to the gloss, they bewitched him: and elsewhere ^F23 explaining the words in ( Ecclesiastes 7:26 )

Who so pleaseth God
; this, they say, is Chananiah, the brother's son of R. Joshua; and "the sinner"; these are the "children", or inhabitants of Capernaum. Thus they show their spite against the very place in which Christ dwelt.