Matthew 9:1
And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
And he entered into a ship,.... Or "the ship", the selfsame ship he came over in, with his disciples. The Gergesenes, or Gadarenes, or both, having desired him to depart their coasts, showing an unwillingness to receive him, and an uneasiness at his company, he immediately turned his back upon them, as an ungrateful people, being no better than their swine; and who, by their conduct, judged themselves unworthy of his presence, ministry, and miracles: he returned to the sea side, took shipping, and
passed over the sea of Tiberias again,
and came into his own city; not Bethlehem, where he was born, nor Nazareth, as Jerom thought, where he was educated, but Capernaum, as is clear from Mark 2:1 where he much dwelt, frequently conversed, and his disciples: here he paid tribute as an inhabitant, or citizen of the place, which he was entitled to by only dwelling in it twelve months, according to the Jewish canons; where it is asked {d},
"how long shall a man be in a city ere he is as the men of the city? It is answered, "twelve months"; but if he purchases a dwelling house, he is as the men of the city immediately;''
that is, he is a citizen, and obliged to all charges and offices, as they are: though they seem to make a distinction between an inhabitant and a citizen {e}.
"A man is not reckoned ryeh ynbk, "as the children of the city", or as one of the citizens, in less than twelve months, but he may be called, or accounted, ryeh ybvwym, "as one of the inhabitants" of the city, if he stays there thirty days.''
One or other of these Christ had done, which denominated this city to be his, and he to be either an inhabitant, or a citizen of it.
{d} Misn. Bava Bathra, c. 1. sect. 5.
{e} Gloss. in T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 112. 1.