Matthew 10:16-31

Persecution of Disciples

10:16 “I ¹  am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, ²  so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 10:17 Beware ³  of people, because they will hand you over to councils ⁴  and flog ⁵  you in their synagogues. ⁶  10:18 And you will be brought before governors and kings ⁷  because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles. 10:19 Whenever ⁸  they hand you over for trial, do not worry about how to speak or what to say, ⁹  for what you should say will be given to you at that time. ¹⁰  10:20 For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

10:21 “Brother ¹¹  will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against ¹²  parents and have them put to death. 10:22 And you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 10:23 Whenever ¹³  they persecute you in one place, ¹⁴  flee to another. I tell you the truth, ¹⁵  you will not finish going through all the towns ¹⁶  of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

10:24 “A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a slave ¹⁷  greater than his master. 10:25 It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more will they defame the members of his household!

Fear God, Not Man

10:26 “Do ¹⁸  not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden ¹⁹  that will not be revealed, ²⁰  and nothing is secret that will not be made known. 10:27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear, ²¹  proclaim from the housetops. ²²  10:28 Do ²³  not be afraid of those who kill the body ²⁴  but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁵  10:29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? ²⁶  Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ²⁷  10:30 Even all the hairs on your head are numbered. 10:31 So do not be afraid; ²⁸  you are more valuable than many sparrows.

[10:16]  ¹ tn Grk “Behold I.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[10:16]  ² sn This imagery of wolves is found in intertestamental Judaism; see Pss. Sol. 8:23, 30.

[10:17]  ³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:17]  ⁴ 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.

[10:17]  ⁵ 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.”

[10:17]  ⁶ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.

[10:18]  ⁷ 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.

[10:19]  ⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:19]  ⁹ tn Grk “how or what you might speak.”

[10:19]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “in that hour.”

[10:21]  ¹¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:21]  ¹² tn Or “will rebel against.”

[10:23]  ¹³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:23]  ¹⁴ tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis), which can mean either “town” or “city.”

[10:23]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “For truly (ἀμήν, amhn) I say to you.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.

[10:23]  ¹⁶ tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis), which can mean either “town” or “city.” “Town” was chosen here to emphasize the extensive nature of the disciples’ ministry. The same word is translated earlier in the verse as “place.”

[10:24]  ¹⁷ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.

[10:26]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “Therefore do not.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.

[10:26]  ¹⁹ tn Or “concealed.”

[10:26]  ²⁰ sn I.e., be revealed by God. The passive voice here and in the next verb see the revelation as coming from God. The text is both a warning about bad things being revealed and an encouragement that good things will be made known.

[10:27]  ²¹ tn Grk “what you hear in the ear,” an idiom.

[10:27]  ²² tn The expression “proclaim from the housetops” is an idiom for proclaiming something publicly (L&N 7.51). Roofs of many first century Jewish houses in Judea and Galilee were flat and had access either from outside or from within the house. Something shouted from atop a house would be heard by everyone in the street below.

[10:28]  ²³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[10:28]  ²⁴ sn Judaism had a similar exhortation in 4 Macc 13:14-15.

[10:28]  ²⁵ sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.

[10:29]  ²⁶ sn The penny refers to an assarion, a small Roman copper coin. One of them was worth one-sixteenth of a denarius or less than a half hour’s average wage. Sparrows were the cheapest items sold in the market. God knows about even the most financially insignificant things; see Isa 49:15.

[10:29]  ²⁷ tn Or “to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.”

[10:31]  ²⁸ sn Do not be afraid. One should respect and show reverence to God, but need not fear his tender care.