King James Bible
"The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;"
Matthew identifies two ancient tribal territories in northern Israel, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy about where the Messiah's ministry would begin. These regions had suffered Assyrian conquest centuries earlier, making them spiritually and politically marginalized areas ripe for restoration. This describes the Via Maris trade route along the Sea of Galilee and the broader Transjordan region. The geographical markers emphasize this was a crossroads of commerce and cultures, not the religious center of Jerusalem. The region's mixed Jewish-Gentile population earned it this title, highlighting its reputation as less purely Jewish than Judea. Matthew underscores that Jesus' light would dawn first in this despised, cosmopolitan frontier rather than in the religious establishment's stronghold.