Expositor's Bible Commentary 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)

Mark 7:31 has Jesus traveling to the Decapolis on the southeastern side of the lake, still outside Herod’s jurisdiction (cf. Matthew 14:13), where he does many miracles. Matthew seems to assume the same location: (1) the clause “they praised the God of Israel” (v.31) could be naturally said only by Gentiles; (2) the remoteness of the place (v.33) suggests the eastern side of the lake; and (3) the number of “basketfuls of broken pieces” (v.37) left over avoids the symbolic “twelve” (cf. 14:20).