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Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town.
Matthew 9:1 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB He entered into a boat, and crossed over, and came into his own city.
  • KJV And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
  • BSB Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own town.
  • NKJV So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.
  • NASB Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee and came to His own city.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jesus crosses back to Capernaum, his adopted home base. The verse transitions to a new series of encounters revealing his authority.

Overview

After being asked to leave the Gentile region, Jesus returns to 'his own city,' Capernaum, the center of his Galilean ministry. The brief travel note moves the narrative forward to the healing of the paralytic. It shows Jesus continuing his mission undeterred by rejection.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 7

  • Matt 4:13Leaving Nazareth, he came and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
  • Luke 8:37All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. He entered into the boat, and returned.
  • Matt 8:18Now when Jesus saw great multitudes around him, he gave the order to depart to the other side.
  • Rev 22:11He who acts unjustly, let him act unjustly still. He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He who is righteous, let him do righteousness still. He who is holy, let him be holy still.”
  • Matt 7:6“Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
  • Mark 5:21When Jesus had crossed back over in the boat to the other side, a great multitude was gathered to him; and he was by the sea.
  • Matt 8:23When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 9:1YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 9:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.