Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 15:29

"And Jesus departed thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there." — Matthew 15:29 (ASV)

Jesus departed from there. As Mark gives the narrative (in the better manuscripts), His journey actually led Him through Sidon. It was the one instance in which He visited a distinctly pagan city, walked by the shore of the Great Sea, and looked out toward the isles of Chittim—the isles of the Gentiles—to which His name would come in later years as the message of joy, peace, and life.

It is significant that He extended His journey in this way, since Sidon lay to the north of Tyre, as though seeking a longer period of rest for Himself and His disciples for prayer and meditation. His return to Galilee must have been through some of the mountain passes of the Hermon range, bringing Him down to the eastern shore of the lake.