Throughout this section only pronouns are used of Jesus, thus suggesting a close connection in the Greek text between it and the story of the temptation. Mark (1.14-15) too begins his account of Jesus’ ministry immediately following the temptation, but he does not make specific reference to Capernaum as the place where Jesus settled (Matt 4.13). However, Matthew is concerned to show that Jesus’ activities are the fulfillment of God’s purpose, and that his ministry takes place among the “heathen” of Galilee, not in Jerusalem and Judea, and so he identifies the place where Jesus went to live.
Now when shows that the text is moving on to a new episode but, as we said, one that follows closely after the temptation story. At the same time the phrase indicates that the readers were already familiar with the fact of John’s arrest. Translators can do several things to introduce this passage: “Shortly after, Jesus heard that John had been put in prison,” “John had been arrested. When Jesus heard of it, he…,” “At that time, John was arrested. When people told Jesus about it….”
He heard may need to be expressed in some languages as “When people told Jesus.”
John is John the Baptist, and there are translators who have found it helpful to say that.
Had been arrested (Good News Translation “had been put in prison”) translates a verb which has as its first meaning “to be handed over (to police or court).” The King James Version (King James Version) translates “was cast into prison,” and Barclay “had been committed to prison.” Most translations apparently prefer the less specific rendering “had been arrested.” It is the same verb used of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas (26.15), and it is also used of the arrest of believers (see 10.17, 19, 21; 24.9, 10). Had been arrested often needs to be made into an active sentence: “The authorities put John in prison” or “King Herod sent soldiers to arrest John.”
Withdrew (so also New English Bible, New American Bible) is the same verb translated “departed” ( Good News Bible “returned”) in 2.12. But “withdrew” may have negative connotations; Good News Translation has “went away,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “returned.” Translations can also put “he went” or “he traveled.”
This is the second mention of Galilee in the Gospel (see 2.22). To avoid confusion with Lake Galilee, many translations put “the province (or, region) of Galilee.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .