Matthew 10
New Catholic Bible
Instructions to the Apostles: The Charter of the Apostolate[a]
Chapter 10
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles.[b] 1 Calling his twelve disciples together, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, with the power to drive them out and to cure every kind of disease and illness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also 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; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot,[c] the one who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth after giving them the following instructions: “Do not travel[d] to the territory of the Gentiles, and enter no Samaritan town. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 And as you go, proclaim: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. You received without payment; give in the same way. 9 Take along no gold or silver or copper in your purses, 10 no sack for your journey, or an extra tunic, or sandals, or a staff. For the laborer deserves his keep.
11 “Whatever town or village you enter, look for some honorable person who lives there, and stay with him until you leave. 12 As you enter a house, extend your blessing upon it. 13 If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake the dust from your feet[e] as you leave that house or town. 15 Amen, I say to you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah[f] on the day of judgment than for that town.
16 No Servant Is above His Master.[g]“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as cunning as serpents and yet as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard, for people will hand you over to courts[h] and scourge you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be brought before governors and kings because of me to testify before them and the Gentiles.
19 “When they hand you over, do not be concerned about how you are to speak or what you are to say. When the time comes, you will be given what you are to say. 20 For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by all because of my name, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not have finished traveling through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.[i]
24 “No student is greater than his teacher, nor a servant greater than his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,[j] how much more those of his household?
26 The Conditions of Discipleship.[k]“Therefore, do not be afraid of them. There is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing secret that will not become known. 27 What I say to you in the dark, proclaim in the daylight, and what you hear whispered, shout from the housetops.
28 “Have no fear of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.[l]
29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them can fall to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. 30 Even the hairs on your head have all been counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth far more than any number of sparrows.
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my heavenly Father.
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.[m]
35 For I have come to set a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and one’s enemies will be the members of his own household.
37 Whoever Receives You Receives Me.“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, 38 and anyone who does not take up his cross[n] and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.[o]
40 “Whoever receives you receives me; and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Whoever receives a prophet[p] because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, amen, I say to you, he will not go unrewarded.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 10:1 This section of Matthew is called the Instructions to the Apostles; collected in it are the texts describing the mission of the disciples, applicable to the early Church and for all future time. The disciples begin the great enterprise; through them Christ’s authority and power continue among human beings—so long as they act truly in his Spirit and share his lot. Thus is born a new People of God.
- Matthew 10:1 Israel was made up of twelve tribes; the kingdom of Jesus was to have twelve founders (see Mt 19:28; Rev 21:12-14): the “Twelve” or the “apostles.” The latter is a Greek word (plural) meaning “those who are sent”; Jesus himself chose the term (Lk 6:13).
- Matthew 10:4 Iscariot: i.e., “Man from Kerioth,” a place in the southernmost part of Palestine.
- Matthew 10:5 Do not travel: the Good News about the kingdom was to be proclaimed first to Jews alone. After his Death and Resurrection, Jesus commanded the disciples to take the message to all nations (Mt 28:19; see Mt 21:43). Samaritans: a race of mixed blood resulting from the intermarriage of Israelites left behind when the people of the northern kingdom were exiled and Gentiles were brought into the land by the Assyrians (2 Ki 17:24). In the time of Jesus, Jews and Samaritans were bitterly opposed to one another (see Jn 4:9).
- Matthew 10:14 Shake the dust from your feet: a symbolic act practiced by the Pharisees when they left an unclean Gentile area. Here it represents a solemn warning to those who reject God’s message.
- Matthew 10:15 Sodom and Gomorrah: see Gen 19:23-29.
- Matthew 10:16 The disciples are prolongations of Christ, so to speak. Whatever happened to him will also happen to them. But if they persevere they will be saved.
- Matthew 10:17 Courts: the lower courts, connected with local synagogues, that tried less serious cases and scourged those found guilty.
- Matthew 10:23 You will not have finished . . . before the Son of Man comes: this may be interpreted in two ways: (1) the disciples will not have converted all of Israel before the Second Coming of Christ; (2) the disciples will not have preached the Gospel in all the towns of Palestine before the destruction of Jerusalem occurs in A.D. 70, which is a portent of the end of the world.
- Matthew 10:25 Beelzebul: “Baal the Prince,” or Beelzebub, “Lord of the Flies.” The former is the name of an ancient pagan divinity (see 2 Ki 1:1-14), the latter a contemptuous distortion of the name.
- Matthew 10:26 In the face of fierce opposition and trials of all kinds, the apostles must not lose heart, for they will be given the courage to bear true witness to Jesus and his message.
- Matthew 10:28 Gehenna: see note on Mt 5:22.
- Matthew 10:34 As Simeon predicted (Lk 2:34), Jesus will be a sign of contradiction even within families. Those who accept the Gospel will be at peace with God, but they will have to bear persecution at the hands of those who do not.
- Matthew 10:38 Take up his cross: this is the first time Matthew mentions the cross, which was an instrument of death. The picture is of a man, already condemned, required to carry the beam of his own cross to the place of execution (see Jn 19:17). Here it symbolizes the necessity of total commitment—even unto death—on the part of Jesus’ disciples.
- Matthew 10:39 Those who renounce their earthly life in order to confess Jesus will obtain the happiness of eternal life.
- Matthew 10:41 Prophet: the last prophet of the old covenant was John the Baptist.
Mattityahu 10
Orthodox Jewish Bible
10 And summoning his Shneym Asar (Twelve) Talmidim, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach gave to them samchut (authority) over shedim (unclean spirits), so as to cast them out, and samchut (authority) to call forth refuah for every machla and every illness.
2 Now of the Shneym Asar Shlichim, the names are these: first, Shimon, the one being called Kefa, and Andrew his brother, Yaakov Ben Zavdai and Yochanan his brother,
3 Philippos and Bar-Talmai, Toma and Mattityahu the moches, Yaakov Bar-Chalfai and Taddai,
4 Shimon the Zealot and Yehudah from Kriot, who betrayed Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
5 These Shneym Asar (Twelve) did Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach send out with the following directives, saying: In the Derech HaGoyim (Way of the Gentiles, Gentile territory) do not go, and do not enter into any Shomron town,
6 but go rather to the Seh Oveid Beis Yisroel (the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel).
7 And, while going, preach that the Malchut HaShomayim is imminent and miyad.
8 Heal the cholim, raise the mesim, cleanse the metzoraim (lepers), cast out the shedim; freely you received, freely give.
9 Take neither gold nor silver nor copper for your money belts,
10 nor a schnorrer’s (beggar’s) bag for the road, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff, for the oseh hamelachah (the one doing the work) is worthy of his lechem.
11 And into whichever town or shtetl you enter, inquire who in it is a ben chayil (son of worthiness), and there remain until you leave.
12 And when you enter into the bais (house), give that household your “Shalom!”
13 And if indeed the bais is a bais chayil (a house of worthiness), let your shalom come upon it; but if it is not a bais chayil, let your shalom return to you.
14 And whoever neither receives you nor listens to your divrei [Moshiach], as you are leaving and as you go outside of that bais (house) or city, then let it be NIER CHATZNO (shake out the fold of the robe, i.e., wash ones hands of), shake off the dust of your feet.
15 Omein, I say to you, it will be more tolerable on Yom HaDin (the Day of Judgment) for Sdom and Amora than for that shtetl.
16 Hinei! I send you as kevesim (sheep) in the midst of ze’evim; therefore, have the seichel (intelligence) of nachashim (serpents) and be tamim (faultless) as yonim (doves).
17 And beware of Bnei Adam, for they will deliver you up to the sanhedriyot (local councils, bet din courts) and in their shuls they will subject you to the shot (whip).
18 And before moshelim (governors) and also melachim (kings) you will be led for my sake [for the sake of Moshiach], for an edut (testimony) to them and to the Goyim.
19 But when they deliver you up, do not be of a LEV ROGEZ (anxious heart, DEVARIM 28:65) worried about how or what you are to say; for it will be given to you in that hour what you are to speak.
20 For you are not the ones speaking, but the Ruach Avichem (the Spirit of your Father) is the one speaking in you.
21 And brother will deliver up to death his own brother, even an abba his own yeled. And yeladim will stand up against their horim (parents) and put them to death.
22 And you will be under the sinas chinom (baseless hatred) of kol Bnei Adam on account of my Name; but the one enduring ad es HaKetz (until the End) will receive the Yeshuat Eloheinu (the Salvation of our G-d).
23 But when they persecute you in one shtetl, flee to the other; for, omein, I say to you, by no means will you complete the shtetlach of Eretz Yisroel until the Bias HaMoshiach (Coming of the Moshiach, the Ben HaAdam, DANIEL 7:13).
24 A talmid is not above his Rebbe nor an eved (servant) above his Baal Bayit (master).
25 It is enough for the talmid that he be like his Rebbe, and the eved like his Baal Bayit. If they called the Baal Bayit Baal-zibbul, how much more the anashim (men) in his bais.
26 Therefore, do not fear them; for nothing has been veiled which will not be unveiled; and nothing has been nistar (hidden) which will not be made known.
27 What I say to you in the choshech (darkness), you declare in the ohr (light); and what you hear whispered into your ears, shout, preach, from the rooftops.
28 And do not fear those who kill the basar (flesh), but are unable to kill the nefesh (soul); but rather fear the One who is able to destroy both basar and nefesh in Gehinnom.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for the least valuable copper coin? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from Avichem!
30 But, as far as you are concerned, even the hairs of your rosh have been inventoried.
31 Therefore, al taarotz (do not be afraid)! You are of more value than many sparrows!
32 Therefore, everyone who shall declare publicly the Ani Maamin hoda’ah of me [as Moshiach], before Bnei HaAdam, I will make hoda’ah (acknowledgment) of him before Avi shbaShomayim.
33 But everyone who makes hakhchashah (denial) of me [as Moshiach], I also will make hakhchashah (denial) of him before Avi shbaShomayim.
34 Do not think that I have come to bring shalom al haaretz (peace on the earth); I have not come to bring shalom but a cherev (sword).
35 For I came to divide a man against his Av, and a bat against her Em, and a kallah (bride) against her chamot (mother-in-law, shviger).
36 And the OIYVEI ISH ANSHEI VEITO (the enemies of a man will be the members of his own household, MICHOH 7:6).
37 The one who has more ahavah (love) for a tata (papa) or a mama than for me [Moshiach] is not worthy of me [Moshiach], and the one who has more ahavah (love) for a ben or a bat than me is not worthy of me.
38 The one who does not take up his etz shel hakarav atzmo (tree of selfsacrifice) and follow after me, is not worthy of me.
39 The one who has found his nefesh will lose it; the one who has lost his nefesh for my sake [lemaan Moshiach] will find it.
40 The one who gives the kabbalat panim (welcome) to you gives the Baruch Habah (welcome) to me [to Moshiach], and the one who gives the Baruch Habah to me [Moshiach] gives the Baruch Habah to the One [Elohim HaAv] who sent me.
41 The one who gives the Baruch Habah to a navi (prophet) in the name of a navi will receive the sachar (reward) of a navi, and the one who gives the Baruch Habah to a tzaddik (righteous man) in the name of a tzaddik will receive the sachar of a tzaddik.
42 And whoever in the name of a talmid [of Moshiach] gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones [the least of the talmidim of Moshiach], omein, I say to you, he will by no means lose his sachar.
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