“A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.”
An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. So he left them and departed. The sign of Jonah — the resurrection — is the only sign that will be given to the sign-seeking generation. The departure communicates the finality of Jesus' refusal: there is no point in remaining with those who have already determined to reject what they have seen. The evil and adulterous generation that seeks a sign will receive the ultimate sign and still reject it (Matthew 28:11–15).
Church Fathers on Matthew 16:4
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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