[1] The book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that Matthew composed this Gospel.

[2] Jesus commences his final journey to Jerusalem in this chapter, ministering through Perea.

[6] The writer of the Pulpit Commentary confidently asserts that at this point Jesus "set out from Peraea, journeying towards Jerusalem",[7] and theologian John Gill agrees with this interpretation.

The Greek: και εγενετο οτε ετελεσεν ο ιησους τους λογους τουτους (kai egeneto ote etelesen o Iēsous tous logous toutous) contains a formula which Matthew has already used several times: in Matthew 7:28, 11:1 (when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples) and 13:53 (when Jesus had finished these parables).

[18] Arthur Carr, in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, describes Jesus' ruling as "a revolution in thought brought to pass by Christ".