Matthew 10
Lexham English Bible
The Twelve Commissioned and Sent Out
10 And summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could expel them[a] and could heal every[b] disease and every[c] sickness. 2 Now these are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James[d] the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, 3 Philip, and Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, 4 Simon the Zealot,[e] and Judas Iscariot—the one who also betrayed him.
5 Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them saying, “Do not go on the road to the Gentiles, and do not enter into a city of the Samaritans, 6 but go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you[f] are going, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near!’ 8 Heal those who are sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, expel demons. Freely you have received; freely give. 9 Do not procure gold or silver or copper for your belts. 10 Do not take a traveler’s bag for the road, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff, for the worker is deserving of his provisions. 11 And into whatever town or village you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there until you depart. 12 And when you[g] enter into the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whoever does not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you[h] are going out of that house or that[i] town. 15 Truly I say to you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town!
Persecution of Disciples Predicted
16 “Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 But beware of people, because they will hand you over to councils, and they will flog you in their synagogues. 18 And you will be brought before both governors and kings because of me, for a witness to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But whenever they hand you over, do not be anxious how to speak[j] or what you should say, for what you should say will be given to you at that hour. 20 For you are not the ones who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father who is speaking through you.
21 “And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his children, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end—this one will be saved. 23 And whenever they persecute you in this town, flee to another, for truly I say to you, you will never finish going through the towns of Israel until the Son of Man comes.
24 “A disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor a slave superior to his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household?
Fear God Rather Than People
26 “Therefore do not be afraid of them, because nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not become known. 27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear in your ear, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but instead be afraid of the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?[k] And one of them will not fall to the ground without the knowledge and consent[l] of your Father. 30 And even the hairs of your head are all numbered! 31 Therefore do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 “Therefore everyone who acknowledges me before people, I also will acknowledge him before my Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before people, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven.
Not Peace, But a Sword of Divisiveness
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth! I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And the enemies of a man will be the members of his household.[m] 37 The one who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and the one who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it.
On Rewards
40 “The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he will never lose his reward.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 10:1 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 10:1 Or “every kind of”
- Matthew 10:1 Or “every kind of”
- Matthew 10:2 Some manuscripts have “and James”
- Matthew 10:4 Literally “the Cananean,” but according to BDAG 507 s.v., this term has no relation at all to the geographical terms for Cana or Canaan, but is derived from the Aramaic term for “enthusiast, zealot” (see Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13)
- Matthew 10:7 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are going”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 10:12 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“enter”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 10:14 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are going”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 10:14 A repetition of “that” is supplied in English; the single Greek term is understood to modify both “house” and “town”
- Matthew 10:19 Here “to speak” has been supplied for stylistic reasons, since “how to speak” is more natural in English than “how to say”; in Greek the same verb works with both expressions (“how or what you should say”) and also occurs again at the end of the verse
- Matthew 10:29 Literally, “an assarion,” a Roman coin worth about 1/16 of a denarius
- Matthew 10:29 Literally “without”; the phrase “the knowledge and consent” is implied when this term is used of God
- Matthew 10:36 An allusion to Mic 7:6
Matthew 10
International Standard Version
Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles(A)
10 Then Jesus[a] called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and every illness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[b] 4 Simon the Cananaean[c] and Judas Iscariot, who later[d] betrayed Jesus.[e]
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples(B)
5 These were the Twelve whom Jesus sent out after he had given them these[f] instructions: “Don’t turn on to the road that leads to the unbelievers,[g] and don’t enter Samaritan towns. 6 Instead, go to the lost sheep of the nation[h] of Israel. 7 As you go, make this announcement: ‘The kingdom from[i] heaven is near!’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
You have received without payment,
so give without payment.
9 Don’t take any gold, silver, or copper in your moneybags, 10 or a traveling bag for the trip, or an extra shirt,[j] or sandals, or a walking stick, because a worker deserves his food.
11 “Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is receptive[k] in it and stay there until you leave. 12 As you enter the house, greet its occupants.[l] 13 If the household is receptive,[m] let your blessing of peace come on it. But if it isn’t receptive,[n] let your blessing of peace return to you. 14 If no one welcomes you or listens to your words, as you leave that house or town, shake its dust off your feet. 15 I tell all of you[o] with certainty, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town!”
Future Persecutions(C)
16 “Pay attention, now! I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves. 17 Watch out for people who will hand you over to the local councils and whip you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings because of me, to testify to them and to unbelievers.[p] 19 When they hand you over, don’t worry about how you are to speak[q] or what you are to say, because in that hour what you are to say will be given to you. 20 It won’t be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through[r] you.
21 “Brother will hand brother over for execution, and a father his child. Children will rebel against parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the person who endures to the end will be saved. 23 So when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, because I tell all of you[s] with certainty that you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, and a slave is not above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher and a slave to be like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul,[t] how much more will they do the same to[u] those of his household!”
Fear God(D)
26 “So never be afraid of them, because there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in darkness you must speak in the daylight, and what is whispered[v] in your ear you must shout from the housetops. 28 Stop being[w] afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.[x]
29 “Two sparrows are sold for a penny, aren’t they? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s permission.[y] 30 Indeed, even the hairs on your head have all been counted! 31 So stop being[z] afraid. You are worth more than a bunch of sparrows.”
Acknowledging the Messiah(E)
32 “Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before people I, too, will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before people I, too, will deny before my Father in heaven.”
Not Peace, but Division(F)
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword![aa] 35 I came to turn
‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 A person’s enemies will include members of his own family.’[ab]
The Cost of Discipleship(G)
37 “The one who loves his father or mother more than me isn’t worthy of me, and the one who loves a son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. 38 The one who doesn’t take up his cross and follow me isn’t worthy of me. 39 The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it.”
Rewards(H)
40 “The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet as[ac] a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person as[ad] a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 I tell all of you[ae] with certainty, whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is[af] a disciple will never lose his reward.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 10:1 Lit. he
- Matthew 10:3 Other mss. read Lebbaeus called Thaddaeus
- Matthew 10:4 Cananaean is Aram. for Zealot.
- Matthew 10:4 Lit. also
- Matthew 10:4 Lit. him
- Matthew 10:5 The Gk. lacks these
- Matthew 10:5 Lit. gentiles; i.e. unbelieving non-Jews
- Matthew 10:6 Lit. house
- Matthew 10:7 Lit. of
- Matthew 10:10 Lit. two shirts
- Matthew 10:11 Lit. worthy
- Matthew 10:12 The Gk. lacks its occupants
- Matthew 10:13 Lit. worthy
- Matthew 10:13 Lit. worthy
- Matthew 10:15 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
- Matthew 10:18 Lit. gentiles; i.e. unbelieving non-Jews
- Matthew 10:19 The Gk. lacks you are to speak
- Matthew 10:20 Or in
- Matthew 10:23 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
- Matthew 10:25 The name means Lord of the Flies; i.e. Satan
- Matthew 10:25 The Gk. lacks will they do the same to
- Matthew 10:27 Lit. what you hear
- Matthew 10:28 Or Don’t be
- Matthew 10:28 Gehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of Hinnom
- Matthew 10:29 Lit. apart from your Father
- Matthew 10:31 Or don’t be
- Matthew 10:34 I.e. conflict
- Matthew 10:36 Cf. Mic 7:6
- Matthew 10:41 Lit. in the name of
- Matthew 10:41 Lit. in the name of
- Matthew 10:42 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
- Matthew 10:42 Lit. in the name of
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