“The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.”
And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. The joint approach of Pharisees and Sadducees — normally opponents — communicates the unified nature of the religious establishment's opposition to Jesus. The sign from heaven request parallels the sign request of Matthew 12:38, and Jesus' response will be similar: the only sign is the sign of Jonah.
Church Fathers on Matthew 16:1
As the Lord sent the multitudes away after the miracle of the five loaves, so also now, not on foot, but by boat, that the multitudes may not follow Him; 'And He sent away the multitude, and entered into a ship, and came into the coasts of Magedan.'
Mark says Dalmanutha; no doubt the same place under a different name; for many copies of the Gospel according to Mark have Magedan.
This Magedan is the country opposite Gerasa, and is interpreted 'fruits,' or 'a messenger.' It signifies a garden, of which it is said, 'A garden enclosed, a fountain sealed,' [Song of Songs 4:!2] wherein the fruits of virtues grow, and where the name of the Lord is announced.
Read all 16 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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