Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 11:1

"And it came to pass when Jesus had finished commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and preach in their cities." — Matthew 11:1 (ASV)

He departed from there—that is, from the place where He had sent out the Twelve. Matthew does not tell us where this was, but Matthew 9:36 makes it probable that it was not in Capernaum or any other city, but from some spot in the open country where He had rested with them.

Their return is described, or at least implied, in Matthew 11:25. From this, we must infer that the Baptist’s messengers arrived while Jesus was carrying on His work without the disciples. The phrase Their cities might seem, grammatically, to refer to the towns where the Twelve had been or to which they belonged. However, it is probable that the term was used here as a general reference to the cities of Galilee.