John Gill Bible Commentary

And from Jerusalem,.... The metropolis of the country of Judea; and from Idumea, or Edom, as the Syriac version reads it; a country that lay on the south of Judea, formerly inhabited by the sons of Edom, but now by Jews; or at least the inhabitants of it were proselytes to the Jewish religion. Mention is made of the plains of Idumea, along with Gazera, Azotus, and Jamnia, as in 1 Maccabees: "Howbeit all the hindmost of them were slain with the sword: for they pursued them unto Gazera, and unto the plains of Idumea, and Azotus, and Jamnia, so that there were slain of them upon a three thousand men.'' (1 Maccabees 4:15) Pliny (t) speaks of Idumea and Judea together, as a part of Syria; and Ptolemy says (u), this country lies on the west of the river Jordan; and it is here added, and from beyond Jordan; the country of Peraea, on the east of Jordan: and they about Tyre and Sidon; either the inhabitants of these places, as the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions favour, reading "a great company from Tyre and Sidon"; or those that lived near the borders, and upon the confines of these cities of Phoenicia: a great multitude; when all met together, from these several parts; who when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him: for his fame went through all the countries, for the miracles he wrought; which drew this vast concourse of people after him; and who, inquiring where he was, came to him at the sea of Galilee. (t) Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 12. (u) Geograph. l. 5. c. 16.