Chapter LI.—Of Matthew’s Declaration That, on Leaving These Parts, He Came into the Coasts of Magedan; And of the Question as to His Agreement with Mark in that Intimation, as Well as in the Notice of the Saying About Jonah, Which Was Returned Again as an Answer to Those Who Sought a Sign.

106. Matthew continues as follows: “And He sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magedan;” and so on, down to the words, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it but the sign of the prophet Jonas.”583    Matt. xv. 39-xvi. 4. This has already been recorded in another connection by the same Matthew.584    Matt. xii. 38. Hence again and again we must hold by the position that the Lord spake the same words on repeated occasions; so that when any completely irreconcilable difference appears between statements of His utterances, we are to understand the words to have been spoken twice over. In this case, indeed, Mark also keeps the same order; and after his account of the miracle of the seven loaves, subjoins the same intimation as is given us in Matthew, only with this difference, that Matthew’s expression for the locality is not Dalmanutha, as is read in certain codices, but Magedan.585    Mark viii. 10–12. There is no reason, however, for questioning the fact that it is the same place that is intended under both names. For most codices, even of Mark’s Gospel, give no other reading than that of Magedan.586    [“Magdala,” as the Authorized Version reads in Matthew, is poorly supported, and was probably substituted by some ignorant scribe for “Magadan” (comp. Revised Version). In Mark viii. 10, however, the reading “Dalmanutha” is well attested. Augustin refers to Latin codices.—R.] Neither should any difficulty be felt in the fact that Mark does not say, as Matthew does, that in the answer which the Lord returned to those who sought after a sign, He referred to Jonah, but mentions simply that He replied in these terms: “There shall no sign be given unto it.” For we are given to understand what kind of sign they asked—namely, one from heaven. And he has simply omitted to specify the words which Matthew has introduced regarding Jonas.

CAPUT LI. Quod dicit Matthaeus inde eum venisse in fines Magedan, quomodo congruat Marco; et in eo quod petentibus signum respondit iterum de Jona.

106. Sequitur Matthaeus, et dicit: Et dimissa turba ascendit in naviculam et venit in fines Magedan, etc. usque ad illud ubi ait, Generatio mala et adultera signum quaerit, et signum non dabitur ei, nisi signum Jonae prophetae (Matth. XV, 39; XVI, 4). Hoc jam et alibi dixit idem Matthaeus (Id. XII, 39). Unde etiam atque etiam retinendum est, saepius Dominum eadem dixisse; ut quod existente contrario solvi non potuerit, bis dictum intelligatur. Hunc sane ordinem etiam Marcus tenens, post illud de septem panibus miraculum, hoc idem subjicit quod Matthaeus, nisi quod Dalmanutha, quod in quibusdam codicibus legitur, non dixit Matthaeus, sed Magedan (Marc. VIII, 10-12). Non autem dubitandum est eumdem locum esse sub utroque nomine. Nam plerique codices non habent etiam secundum Marcum, nisi Magedan. Nec illud moveat, quod Marcus non dicit responsum esse quaerentibus signum de coelo, idem quod Matthaeus de Jona, sed ait Dominum respondisse, Signum non dabitur ei. Intelligendum est enim quale petebant, hoc est, de coelo: praetermisit autem dicere de Jona, quod Matthaeus commemoravit.