Text -- Luke 9:1-7 (NET)

The Sending of the Twelve Apostles

9:1 After Jesus called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 9:2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 9:3 He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey– no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, and do not take an extra tunic. 9:4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave the area. 9:5 Wherever they do not receive you, as you leave that town, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 9:6 Then they departed and went throughout the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

Herod’s Confusion about Jesus

9:7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was happening, and he was thoroughly perplexed, because some people were saying that John had been raised from the dead,

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Luk 9:1

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn An aorist participle preceding an aorist main verb may indicate either contemporaneous (simultaneous) action (“When he called… he gave”) or antecedent (prior) action (“After he called… he gave”). The participle συγκαλεσάμενος (sunkalesameno") has been translated here as indicating antecedent action.

⁴ tc Some mss add ἀποστόλους (apostolou", “apostles”; א C* L Θ Ψ 070 0291 ˹³ 33 579 892 1241 1424 2542 pc lat) or μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ (maqhta" autou, “his disciples”; C³ al it) here, but such clarifying notes are clearly secondary.

⁵ sn Note how Luke distinguishes between exorcisms (authority over all demons) and diseases here.

NET Notes: Luk 9:2

¹ sn “To send out” is often a term of divine commission in Luke: 1:19; 4:18, 43; 7:27; 9:48; 10:1, 16; 11:49; 13:34; 24:49.

² tn Or “to preach.”

³ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

⁴ sn As Jesus’ own ministry (Luke 4:16-44) involved both word (to proclaim) and deed (to heal) so also would that of the disciples.

NET Notes: Luk 9:3

¹ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

² tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

³ sn Mark 6:8 allows one staff. It might be that Luke’s summary (cf. Matt 10:9-10) means not taking an extra staff or that the expression is merely rhetorical for “traveling light” which has been rendered in two slightly different ways.

⁴ tn Or “no traveler’s bag”; or possibly “no beggar’s bag” (L&N 6.145; BDAG 811 s.v. πήρα).

⁵ tn Grk “have two tunics.” See the note on the word “tunics” in 3:11.

NET Notes: Luk 9:4

¹ tn Grk “And whatever.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

² sn Jesus telling his disciples to stay there in one house contrasts with the practice of religious philosophers in the ancient world who went from house to house begging.

³ tn Grk “and depart from there.” The literal wording could be easily misunderstood; the meaning is that the disciples were not to move from house to house in the same town or locality, but remain at the same house as long as they were in that place.

NET Notes: Luk 9:5

¹ tn Grk “And wherever.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

² tn Grk “all those who do not receive you.”

³ tn Or “city.”

⁴ sn To shake the dust off represented shaking off the uncleanness from one’s feet; see Luke 10:11; Acts 13:51; 18:6. It was a sign of rejection.

NET Notes: Luk 9:6

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

² tn This is a distributive use of κατά (kata); see L&N 83:12 where this verse is cited as an example of the usage.

³ tn Or “preaching the gospel.”

sn This verse is similar to Luke 9:2, except for good news at this point. The change means that to “preach the kingdom” is to “preach the good news.” The ideas are interchangeable as summaries for the disciples’ message. They are combined in Luke 8:1.

NET Notes: Luk 9:7

¹ sn Herod refers here to Herod Antipas. See the note on Herod Antipas in 3:1.

² sn See the note on tetrarch in 3:1.

³ tn Or “was very confused.” See L&N 32.10 where this verse is given as an example of the usage.

⁴ sn John refers to John the Baptist, whom Herod had beheaded (v. 9).