Matthew 10:17-20

10:17 Beware ¹  of people, because they will hand you over to councils ²  and flog ³  you in their synagogues. ⁴  10:18 And you will be brought before governors and kings ⁵  because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles. 10:19 Whenever ⁶  they hand you over for trial, do not worry about how to speak or what to say, ⁷  for what you should say will be given to you at that time. ⁸  10:20 For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

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

² sn Councils in this context refers to local judicial bodies attached to the Jewish synagogue. This group would be responsible for meting out justice and discipline within the Jewish community.

³ tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”

⁴ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

⁵ sn These statements look at persecution both from a Jewish context as the mention of courts and synagogues suggests, and from a Gentile one as the reference to governors and kings suggests. Some fulfillment of Jewish persecution can be seen in Acts.

⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁷ tn Grk “how or what you might speak.”

⁸ tn Grk “in that hour.”