Jerome and Augustine on Matthew 9:1

This theme is also treated on the main page under Sailing Toward Nazareth. In brief, that section argues that Matthew 9:1 may preserve a Nazareth-facing memory, while this page gathers two early Christian witnesses often cited in support of that reading.

The sources below are often cited in discussions of the phrase 'his own city' (Matthew 9:1) and whether it may be read as Nazareth. Short excerpts are provided with links to full public domain editions.

The value of this page is that the Nazareth reading is not left as a modern apologetic claim; it appears within earlier Christian attempts to explain Matthew's wording and reconcile the Gospel accounts.

Jerome (Commentary on Matthew)

Latin: Civitatem ejus non aliam intelligimus quam Nazareth, unde et Nazaraeus appellatus est.

Jerome identifies the 'own city' of Matthew 9:1 with Nazareth, linking it with the designation 'Nazarene.'

Full text: Commentaria in Matthaeum (Wikisource), and a parallel excerpt in Catena Aurea (Christian Classics Ethereal Library, CCEL).

Augustine (Harmony of the Gospels)

English (public domain translation): Mark speaks of the incident as taking place not in His own city, which indeed is called Nazareth, but in Capharnaum.

If we adopt this supposition, we must say that Matthew has omitted all that was done from the time that Jesus entered into His own city till He came to Capharnaum.

In this chapter Augustine discusses how Matthew and Mark may be reconciled on the location of the paralytic episode. In that context, he treats a Nazareth reading as possible and then considers the implications for Matthew's narrative sequencing.

Full text: Harmony of the Gospels, Book II, Chapter 25 (New Advent), and the same excerpts in Catena Aurea (Christian Classics Ethereal Library, CCEL).