Wherefore Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews; but he went into a country near the desert, unto a city that is called Ephrem, and there he abode with his disciples.

“(t. xxviii. 18.) After this resolution of the Chief Priests and Pharisees, Jesus was more cautious in shewing Himself among the Jews, and retired to remote parts, and avoided populous places: Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence into a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim.”

“(Tr. xlix. 28) Not that His power had failed Him; for, had He pleased, He might still have walked openly among the Jews, and they done nothing to Him. But He wished to shew the disciples, by His own example, that believers did not sin by retiring out of the sight of their persecutors, and hiding themselves from the fury of the wicked, rather than inflame that fury by their presence.”

“Here the Evangelist sets forth how Christ avoided their malice, and first he sets forth the manner of his avoidance on Christ's part; second, the effect of wonder on the part of the people, there where it says, "Now the Passover of the Jews was near." The manner of his avoidance was through hiding and Christ's withdrawal from the Jews. For after the council, observing himself more cautiously, he did not walk openly among the Jews, nor did he go to any populated city, but into a remote region, near the desert, to a city called Ephraim, and there he stayed with his disciples. But had his power failed, by which, if he had wished, he could have gone about openly among the Jews, and they would have done nothing to him? Far from it. But he did this not on account of a lack of power, but in order to show an example to his disciples. In this it appears that it is not a sin if his faithful withdraw themselves from the eyes of their persecutors, and by hiding rather avoid the fury of the wicked than, by showing themselves to them, inflame it the more: according to that word of Matthew 10:23, "If they persecute you in one city, flee into another." But Origen says that no one ought to thrust himself into dangers; nevertheless it is greatly praiseworthy that, when dangers are already imminent, one should neither avoid the confession of Jesus nor refuse to undergo death, for the sake of truth. And this for two reasons. First, because it is greatly presumptuous to thrust oneself into dangers on account of inexperience of one's own power, which is sometimes found to be fragile, and on account of the uncertainty of the future outcome; 1 Corinthians 10:12: "He who thinks he stands, let him take heed lest he fall." Second, lest we, by thrusting ourselves upon persecutors, furnish them an occasion to become more impious and harmful; 1 Corinthians 10:32: "Be without offense to the Jews, and to the Gentiles, and to the Church of God." The effect of wonder in the people is set forth, and first the occasion of wondering is set forth; second, the wonder itself is set forth; third, the reason for the wonder. Now the occasion for seeking and wondering is set forth as twofold. The first indeed is from the condition of the time, because the Passover of the Jews was near, in which the memory of the passage of the Hebrews out of Egypt is recalled; Exodus 12:11: "For it is the phase, that is, the passage of the Lord." Now he adds "of the Jews," because the Jews themselves celebrated this Passover badly and unduly: for when we celebrate the Passover devoutly, then it is called the Passover of God; Isaiah 1:13: "Your solemnities I will not bear." The second, indeed, is from the concourse of the people, because many went up to Jerusalem out of the country: for, as we read in Exodus 23, three times in the year, or feasts, the children of Israel were bound to present themselves to the Lord, among which the first was the Passover, and therefore a great multitude went up to Jerusalem, where the temple was. But because it was not yet the time of the Passover, at which they were bound to go up, the Evangelist accordingly assigns the cause of their going up, adding "that they might sanctify themselves": for no one dared to eat the lamb unless he was clean, and therefore they anticipated the time of the Passover, so that, purifying themselves in the meantime, they might duly eat the lamb at the Passover. In this an example is given to us, that in the season of Lent we should purify ourselves by fasts and good works, so that at Easter we might duly receive the body of our Lord. Now the wonder is set forth from the cause of the Lord's absence: and this is what he says, "They sought Jesus therefore" — not indeed to honor him, but to kill him — and "they spoke among themselves, standing in the temple: What do you think, that he has not come to this feast day?" But it must be noted that when a feast day is kept in holiness, the Lord is always present on the feast day; Matthew 18:20: "Wherever two or three shall be gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." And therefore let us, gathered together in the house of God, seek Jesus, mutually consoling one another and entreating that he come to our feast day. But when the feast is not kept in holiness, then Jesus does not come; Isaiah 1:14: "My soul hates your new moons and your solemnities." Now the reason for the wonder and for Jesus' absence is added: that the chief priests and Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where he was, namely Jesus, he should tell it, so that they might seize him, namely, in order to kill him. Above, John 8:21: "You seek me, and you shall die in your sin." But, as Augustine says, let us who know where Christ is — namely, at the right hand of the Father — tell it to them, so that thus, would that they might seize him through faith.”

“Jesus therefore,.... Knowing the resolution the sanhedrim had taken to put him to death, and the schemes they were forming to apprehend him: walked no more openly among the Jews; at, or near Jerusalem; he did not teach in their streets, nor work miracles, nor appear in public company: but went thence, from Bethany: unto a country near to the wilderness: whether this was the wilderness of Judea, where John came preaching, and near to which our Lord was before he came to Bethany, or the wilderness of Bethaven, Jos 18:12, is not certain: into a city called Ephraim; the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, call it Ephren, and so some copies; it seems to be the same with the Ephraim of the Misnic and Talmudic doctors; concerning which they say (r), "Micmas and Mezonicha are the first for fine flour, and the next to them is Ephraim in the valley.'' For it seems there were two Ephraims, one in the valley, and another in the mount (s) it was a place very fruitful for wheat; hence that saying of Jannes and Jambres, the magicians of Egypt, to Moses (t); "do you bring straw to Ephraim?'' which was a proverbial expression, the same with ours of carrying coals to Newcastle: they seeing Moses do signs and wonders, supposed he did them by enchantment; and the sense of their proverb is, do you bring enchantments into Egypt, where there are so many already? This Ephraim, the Jews say (u), is the same with that in Ch2 13:19, and as there Bethel is mentioned with it, it seems to have been in the tribe of Benjamin: and it may be observed, that Josephus (w) speaks of an Ephraim, along with Bethel likewise; so that they all seem to mean the same place; and according to the same writer, it was but a little city, and it may be an obscure one, for which reason Christ withdrew to it. Epiphanius (x) makes mention of the wilderness of Bethel and Ephraim, through which he travelled, accompanied by a Jew, as he came up from Jericho to the hill country; and is very likely the same wilderness which is here spoken of; and by some called Quarentana, and placed by the river Chereth, in the tribe of Benjamin, north east of Jerusalem; and the same writer elsewhere calls (y) Ephraim, the city of the wilderness: according to Jerom (z), it was twenty miles from Aelia, or Jerusalem; though according to Eusebius, it was but eight miles, which is thought to be the truest account; and by them both is said to be a very large village, and in which they may not differ from Josephus; for it might be a large village, and yet a little city. Jerom (a) takes notice of a place called Aphra, in the tribe of Benjamin, which he says at that time was called the village Effrem, and was five miles from Bethel eastward; and of another called Aphraim, a city in the tribe of Issachar, which in his time went by the name of the village Affarea, six miles from the legion, northward; the former agrees best with this Ephraim. And there continued with his disciples; spending his time in private conversation with them, teaching and instructing them in things concerning the kingdom of God, his time with them being now but short. (r) Misn. Menachot, c. 8. sect. 1. (s) Barlenora in ib. (t) T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 85. 1. Gloss. in ib. Tzcror Hammor, fol. 170. 2. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 86. fol. 75. 4. (u) Yom. Tob. in Misn. Menachot, c. 8. sect. 1. & Gloss. in T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 83. 2. (w) De Bello Jud. l. 4. c. 9. sect. 9. (x) Adv. Haeres. l. 1. Tom. II. Haeres. 30. (y) Ib. Haeres. 29. (z) De locis Hebraicis, fol. 91. A. (a) lb. fol. 88. H. I.”

“Walked no more openly - Παρῥησιᾳ, He did not go as before through the cities and villages, teaching, preaching, and healing the sick. Near to the wilderness - Some MSS. add, of Samphourein, or Samphourim, or Sapfurim. A city called Ephraim - Variously written in the MSS., Ephraim, Ephrem, Ephram, and Ephratha. This was a little village, situated in the neighborhood of Bethel; for the scripture, Ch2 13:19, and Josephus, War, b. iv. c. 8. s. 9, join them both together. Many believe that this city or village was the same with that mentioned, 1 Maccabees 5:46; 2 Maccabees 12:27. Joshua gave it to the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:9; and Eusebius and Jerome say it was about twenty miles north of Jerusalem. And there continued - Calmet says, following Toynard, that he stayed there two months, from the 24th of January till the 24th of March.”

“Ephrem was a small city or town in the neighbourhood of Bethel. Some suppose it to be the same as Ephron, mentioned in 2 Paralipomenon xiii. 19., and 1 Machabees v., 2 Machabees xii. 17.[27.?] Eusebius and St. Jerome say it was situated about 20 miles to the north of Jerusalem. (Calmet) — Here he remained with his disciples till the time in which he had resolved to deliver himself up into the hands of his enemies. (Bible de Vence)”