““The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—”
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The citation is from Isaiah 9:1 in a form that blends the Hebrew and Greek texts. Zebulun and Naphtali were the northern tribes first conquered by Assyria (2 Kings 15:29), the regions most associated in Jewish consciousness with Gentile contamination and spiritual degradation. Galilee of the Gentiles was not a compliment in the first century. That Jesus begins his ministry precisely in this territory communicates the direction the whole gospel will move: toward those considered least likely, least pure, least central to the religious establishment. Matthew 15:24 will show Jesus extending his ministry to Gentiles even during his primarily Jewish mission.
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Matthew 4:15
““The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—”
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The citation is from Isaiah 9:1 in a form that blends the Hebrew and Greek texts. Zebulun and Naphtali were the northern tribes first conquered by Assyria (2 Kings 15:29), the regions most associated in Jewish consciousness with Gentile contamination and spiritual degradation. Galilee of the Gentiles was not a compliment in the first century. That Jesus begins his ministry precisely in this territory communicates the direction the whole gospel will move: toward those considered least likely, least pure, least central to the religious establishment. Matthew 15:24 will show Jesus extending his ministry to Gentiles even during his primarily Jewish mission.
Community Reflections
No reflections on this verse yet
Be the first to write a reflection about this verse.
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The citation is from Isaiah 9:1 in a form that blends the Hebrew and Greek texts. Zebulun and Naphtali were the northern tribes first conquered by Assyria (2 Kings 15:29), the regions most associated in Jewish consciousness with Gentile contamination and spiritual degradation. Galilee of the Gentiles was not a compliment in the first century. That Jesus begins his ministry precisely in this territory communicates the direction the whole gospel will move: toward those considered least likely, least pure, least central to the religious establishment. Matthew 15:24 will show Jesus extending his ministry to Gentiles even during his primarily Jewish mission.