4:12–16 The imprisonment of John the Baptist marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee. In chapter 11 Matthew tells of John’s concern while in prison regarding the messiahship of Jesus (vv. 1–6), and in chapter 14 he records John’s death at the request of Herodias (vv. 1–12). Jesus’ return to Galilee was in no way a flight from danger, as some have suggested because of the way the Greek verb anachōreō (“to go away”) is used in passages such as Matthew 2:14, 22; 12:15. Galilee, as well as Transjordania, was under the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas (the “fox” according to Luke 13:32), who had ordered the Baptist to be beheaded (Matt. 14:1–12). Jesus moved into Galilee to take over the work of John, and in a certain sense, challenged the action of Herod.

For several reasons it …