Matthew 12 · Verse 15

Matthew 12:15

But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
Matthew 12:15, King James Version

Matthew 12:15 in other translations

BSBAware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them all,
WEBJesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,
ASVAnd Jesus perceiving it withdrew from thence: and many followed him; and he healed them all,
YLTand Jesus having known, withdrew thence, and there followed him great multitudes, and he healed them all,
DARBYBut Jesus knowing it, withdrew thence, and great crowds followed him; and he healed them all:
BBEAnd Jesus, having knowledge of this, went away from there, and a great number went after him; and he made them all well,
WebsterBut when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all.

What does Matthew 12:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
15. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence--whither, our Evangelist says not; but Mark (Mr 3:7) says "it was to the sea"--to some distance, no doubt, from the scene of the miracle, the madness, and the plotting just recorded. and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all--Mark gives the following interesting details: "A great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things He did, came unto Him. And He spake to His disciples, that a small ship"--or "wherry"--"should wait on Him because of the multitude, lest they should throng Him. For He had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon Him for to touch Him, as many as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And He straitly charged them that they should not make Him known" (Mr 3:7-12). How glorious this extorted homage to the Son of God! But as this was not the time, so neither were they the fitting preachers, as Bengel says. (See on Mr 1:25, and compare Jas 2:19). Coming back now to our Evangelist: after saying, "He healed them all," he continues:

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 15. Jesus--withdrew himself, etc. He knew the design against his life. He knew that his hour was not yet come; and he therefore sought security. By remaining, his presence would only have provoked them farther, and endangered his own life. He acted, therefore, the part of Christian prudence, and withdrew. Mt 10:23.

Mark adds, that he withdrew to the sea; that is, to the sea of Galilee, or Tiberius. He names, also, the places from which the multitude came; an important circumstance, as it throws light on the passage quoted by Matthew, Mt 13:21 "In his name shalt the Gentiles trust."

Pressed by the crowd, Mk 3:9 he went aboard a small vessel, or boat, called by Mark a ship. This he did for the convenience of being separated from them, and more easily addressing them. We are to suppose the lake still and calm; the multitudes, most of whom were sick and diseased, standing on the shore, and pressing to the water's edge; and Jesus thus healing their diseases, and preaching to them the good news of salvation. No scene could be more sub- lime than this.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 Jesus - withdrew himself from thence - It is the part of prudence and Christian charity not to provoke, if possible, the blind and the hardened; and to take from them the occasion of sin. A man of God is not afraid of persecution; but, as his aim is only to do good, by proclaiming every where the grace of the Lord Jesus, he departs from any place when he finds the obstacles to the accomplishment of his end are, humanly speaking, invincible, and that he can not do good without being the means of much evil. Yield to the stream when you cannot stem it. Great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all - The rejection of the Gospel in one place has often been the means of sending it to and establishing it in another. Jesus healed all that followed him, i.e. all who had need of healing, and who desired to be healed; for thus the passage must be understood: - and is he not still the same? No soul shall ever implore his healing power in vain; but let it be remembered, that only those who follow Christ, and apply to him, are healed of their spiritual maladies.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 12:14-21

The Pharisees took counsel to find some accusation, that Jesus might be condemned to death. Aware of their design, as his time was not come, he retired from that place. Face does not more exactly answer to face in water, than the character of Christ drawn by the prophet, to his temper and conduct as described by the evangelists. Let us with cheerful confidence commit our souls to so kind and faithful a Friend. Far…

Read the full comment on Matthew 12:14-21 →

Matthew 12:15 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὉHo<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424
γνοὺςgnoushaving knownG1097
ἀνεχώρησενanechōrēsenHe withdrewG402
ἐκεῖθεν,ekeithenfrom there,G1564
καὶkaiAndG2532
ἠκολούθησανēkolouthēsanfollowedG190
αὐτῷautōHimG846
ὄχλοιochloimultitudesG3793
πολλοί,polloigreat,G4183
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐθεράπευσενetherapeusenHe healedG2323
αὐτοὺςautousthemG846
πάνταςpantasallG3956

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 12:15

  • Mark 3:7-12

    But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea, And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. …

  • Matthew 10:23

    But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

  • John 7:1

    After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

  • Matthew 19:2

    And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.

  • John 11:54

    Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

  • John 10:40-42

    And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode. And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. And many believed on him there.

  • Matthew 4:23-25

    And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.

  • Mark 6:56

    And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

  • Luke 6:17-19

    And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

  • John 9:4

    I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

  • Galatians 6:9

    And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

  • Luke 6:12

    And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he withdrew.
10:23; Lu 6:12; Joh 7:1; 10:40-42; 11:54
great.
4:24,25; 19:2; Mr 3:7-12; 6:56; Lu 6:17-19; Joh 9:4; Ga 6:9
1Pe 2:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 12:14

    Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

  • Matthew 12:15

    But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

  • Matthew 12:16

    And charged them that they should not make him known:

Read all of Matthew 12

Matthew 12:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas sabiéndo lo Jesús, se apartó de allí: y le siguieron muchas gentes, y sanaba á todos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		mais Jésus, le sachant, se retira de là; et de grandes foules le suivirent, et il les guérit tous.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Als aber Jesus es erkannte, entwich er von dannen; und es folgte ihm eine große Volksmenge, und er heilte sie alle.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Jesus autem sciens recessit inde: et secuti sunt eum multi, et curavit eos omnes: