What is the significance of Bethsaida in the Bible?

BETHSAIDA OF GALILEE, a town from whence came Philip, Andrew, and Peter, John 1:44; John 12:21; and against which the Lord pronounced a 'woe' because it had not repented at His mighty works. Matt. 11:21; Luke 10:13. After the Lord had fed the 5,000 on the east of Jordan He sent His disciples to Bethsaida on the western shore. Mark 6:45. It was near the shore on the west of the Sea of Galilee, in the same locality as Capernaum and Chorazin: there are ruins in the district, but its exact situation cannot be identified.

BETHSAIDA JULIAS, a town near the N.E. corner of the same lake. A blind man was cured there, Mark 8:22; and near to it the 5,000 were fed, Luke 9:10-17: also related in Matt. 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; John 6:1-14. It was called 'Julias,' because Philip the tetrarch enlarged the town, giving it the above name in honour of Julia, daughter of Augustus. It is identified by some with et Tell, 32 54' N, 35 37' E. A few rude houses and heaps of stones are all that mark the spot. (The context of the above passages shows that the events recorded could not have taken place at or near the Bethsaida on the west of the lake.)

The works of His grace had been most marked in the cities on the shares of Galilee, yet they had been no more receptive than Jerusalem. His censure of these cities is most solemn because they did not repent. He affirms that if Tyre and Sidon (Gentile cities) had witnessed there the mighty works He had done in Chorazin and Bethsaide, the Gentiles would have repeated in sackcloth and ashes long before. Why then did He not do these works there? Because He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and would give them every opportunity to repent. Tyre and Sidon's judgment therefore would be more tolerable then theirs.

The Lord recalled the memory of Tyre and Sidon (Matt. 11), but it was only to show the far greater guilt of the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done. "Woe to thee, Chorazin! woe to thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you." But there was another city still more favoured (elsewhere called His own city, Matt. 9:1), because it was where He then usually dwelt; and, therefore, was its case so aggravated in guilt. "And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works which were done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee." In other words, the measure of privilege is ever the measure of responsibility.

Bethsaida, in the history of the Gospel, I believe, illustrates this.

That city had a day of visitation. It had been greatly favoured. The Lord's mighty works had been done there, beyond the common measure — and Andrew, Peter, and Philip, three of the Lord's Apostles, had belonged to that town. (See John 1:44)

He takes the blind man by the hand, and leads him out of the town. This was significant. Bethsaida had, at this time, lost title to see the works of Christ. For He had called, and that place had not answered. He had done His works there already, and they had not repented. He now takes the blind man out of the town; as of old Moses had taken the tabernacle of the Lord out of the camp. (Ex. 33) Both of these acts were judicial. They spoke of a distance which the Lord had now, in righteousness, taken, whether from the camp or from the town.

Valuable, serious, weighty narrative! How do all His acts, in the days of His flesh here among us, illustrate some secret of the Divine grace and wisdom! Oh, the marvellous moral variety and fulness that are found in Scripture! Bethsaida was not a fresh material in the hand of Christ. It had been untrue to Him, and it must know, that this is felt by Him, though His grace abounds.

And when the mercy is perfected, and the blind man sees every man clearly, the Lord closes the scene by saying to him, "Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town." And this is still of a character with all the rest. As a town, Bethsaida's day was past. "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace! — but now they are hid from thine eyes." Its condition was sealed. Judgment because of slighted mercy was before it — as the Lord had already distinctly told of it, in Matthew 11:22. Therefore is it now said, "Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town."

Disembarking, with His disciples, He reached Bethsaida Julias, formerly a village, but rebuilt and adorned by Philip the Tetrarch, and raised to the dignity of a town, with the additional name of Julias, in honor of the daughter of the Emperor Augustus.

Here the Lord was met by some who desired His help on behalf of an afflicted one. A blind man was brought to Him, that He might touch him — as Mark alone records. When people have a real want, they are simple, for they are in earnest. Doubtless those in that vicinity had not enjoyed all the privileges of which those on the west side of the lake could boast. Bethsaida, on the western side of the lake, had been more highly favored with proofs of the Lord's divine mission than Bethsaida Julias. Yet, in this last-named town, they doubted not His power, nor asked for a sign to establish His divine mission: they wanted His power put forth in healing that blind man; and forthwith they brought him to the Lord. Cavillings and unbelief characterized the Pharisees. Faith was manifested by these people on the east of Jordan. The latter were in earnest the former were not.

1919 200 "And they come unto Bethsaida. And they bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him. And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, Seest thou aught? And he looked up, and said, I see men; for I behold them as trees, walking. Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked steadfastly, and was restored, and saw all things clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Do not even enter into the village" (Mark 8:22-26, R.V.).

In the course of His tour, the Lord and His party of followers reached Bethsaida. This appears to have been the town or village known as Bethsaida Julias, situated on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, near to which the first miracle of the multiplied bread was wrought. Here the Lord opened the eyes of a blind man in private, as Mark only records.

At the close of this chapter we have the Lord's loving invitation, and, in the beginning of the chapter which gives that magnificent description of Wisdom (Proverbs 8), you get her crying at the gates "Unto you, O men, I call." But here is a better invitation, "Come unto Me!" and here we get His rejection, the rejection of His Galilean ministry. This fits in with Isaiah 49. Most of the Lord's mighty works were done round the sea of Galilee, and He says there, "I have laboured in vain, and spent my strength for nought and in vain." That is just what we get here. So He upbraids the cities because they repented not, He upbraids His own because they believed not. This is the only place where Chorazin is named. Philip, Andrew, and Peter all belonged to Bethsaida. These verses are very solemn; we need to weigh them well. Repentance is real submission of soul to what God says in His word about me. There is a lot of subtle teaching about, about another chance deduced from that we have here. Let it be clear; everything about eternity is settled in this life. Nobody will be judged to see if they are saved or lost; the dead will be judged for their works. Condemned already (John 3:18), they are condemned then.

"On the morrow he would go forth into Galilee, and Jesus finds Philip and says to him, Follow me. And Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip finds Nathanael and says to him, We have found Him of whom Moses wrote in the law, and the prophets, Jesus, the son of Joseph, who is from Nazareth. And Nathanael said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip says to him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and says of him, Behold one truly an Israelite, in whom there is no guile. Nathanael says to Him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said to him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and said to Him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said to him, Because I said to thee, I saw thee under the fig tree believest thou? Thou shall see greater things then these. And He says to him, Verily, verily, I say to you, Henceforth ye shall see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man.” Thus far, the Word of God.