Matthew 10

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The verb proskalesamenos ('having summoned') indicates a formal calling together, not a casual gathering. The authority (exousian) Jesus delegates is the same authority he himself exercises in chapters 8-9. The phrase pneumatōn akathartōn ('unclean spirits') echoes the Old Testament purity language — these spirits make people ritually and morally defiled.

Translator Notes

1. This is the only place Matthew uses the term apostolōn ('apostles,' literally 'sent ones'). The designation prōtos ('first') for Simon Peter indicates rank, not merely sequence — Peter consistently holds primacy in all apostolic lists. The pairs reflect the calling narratives of 4:18-22.

Translator Notes

1. Matthew identifies himself as 'the tax collector' (ho telōnēs) — a self-deprecating label that no one else in the list receives. The SBLGNT reads Thaddaios where the KJV has 'Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus.' Luke's list has 'Judas the son of James' in this position, possibly the same person under a different name.

Translator Notes

1. The term Kananaios is not 'Canaanite' (an ethnic designation) but an Aramaic equivalent of zēlōtēs ('zealot'), indicating either membership in the Zealot movement or zealous temperament. Rendering as 'the Zealot' follows Luke 6:15 and clarifies the meaning. Judas is listed last with the damning participle paradous ('the one who handed over, betrayed'). The name Iskariōtēs may derive from Hebrew ish-Kerioth ('man of Kerioth'), a town in Judea.

Translator Notes

1. The restriction eis hodon ethnōn ('onto a road of Gentiles') limits the mission to Jewish territory. This is not ethnic prejudice but strategic priority — the message goes 'to the Jew first' (cf. Romans 1:16). The separate mention of Samaritans acknowledges their intermediate status, neither fully Jewish nor Gentile. This restriction is explicitly lifted in the Great Commission (28:19).

Translator Notes

1. The phrase ta probata ta apolōlota ('the lost sheep') echoes Ezekiel 34:4-6, where God condemns Israel's leaders for failing to seek the lost, scattered sheep. Jesus sends his disciples to do what Israel's shepherds failed to do. The genitive oikou Israēl ('of the house of Israel') limits the scope but the compassion language is universal.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Ezekiel 34:4-6. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. The disciples' message is identical to John the Baptist's (3:2) and Jesus's own (4:17): ēggiken hē basileia tōn ouranōn. The perfect tense ēggiken indicates that the kingdom has drawn near and remains near — it is not merely approaching but arriving. The verb kēryssete ('proclaim') denotes public, authoritative announcement.

Translator Notes

1. The four commands mirror Jesus's own miracle types from chapters 8-9. The phrase dōrean elabete, dōrean dote ('freely you received, freely give') establishes the principle of gratuitous ministry — the grace they have received must be passed on without charge. The word dōrean means 'as a gift, without cost,' from the same root as dōron ('gift').

Translator Notes

1. The three metals — gold (chryson), silver (argyron), copper (chalkon) — represent a descending scale of value, emphasizing total financial dependence. The zōnas ('belts, girdles') had folds used as purses. The verb ktēsēsthe ('acquire, obtain') prohibits accumulating resources for the journey.

Translator Notes

1. The pēran ('bag, knapsack') was a traveler's provision bag. The prohibition of extra clothing and a staff forces radical dependence on hospitality. The principle axios gar ho ergatēs tēs trophēs autou ('the worker deserves his food') is quoted by Paul in 1 Timothy 5:18. The logic: they should not stockpile because the communities they serve are obligated to support them.

Translator Notes

1. The verb exetasate ('find out, inquire carefully') implies a deliberate search for a reputable host. 'Worthy' (axios) here means receptive to the message. The instruction to stay in one house (rather than moving to better accommodations) prevents the appearance of opportunism.

Translator Notes

1. The greeting (aspasasthe) would have been the standard Jewish blessing of peace — 'Shalom aleichem' ('peace be upon you'). The command to greet 'the house' (tēn oikian) rather than 'the household' treats the home as a unit that receives or rejects the blessing.

Translator Notes

1. The 'peace' (eirēnē, corresponding to Hebrew shalom) is treated as a substantial reality that can be bestowed, rest upon a place, or be recalled — not merely a polite wish. The concept of blessing as a tangible force that can be directed and returned reflects the Hebrew understanding of the power of spoken words.

Translator Notes

1. Shaking dust from the feet (ektinaxate ton koniorton tōn podōn) was a gesture Jews performed when leaving Gentile territory, symbolically removing pagan contamination. Applied to Jewish towns that reject the message, it declares those towns equivalent to pagan lands — a shocking symbolic act.

Translator Notes

1. Sodom and Gomorrah were the ultimate biblical symbols of divine judgment (Genesis 19). Jesus's comparison is deliberately extreme — towns that reject the gospel message face a more severe accounting than those cities destroyed by fire, because they have received a greater revelation and refused it.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Genesis 19 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. The combination of animal metaphors is deliberately paradoxical — sheep (vulnerable), wolves (predatory), serpents (cunning), doves (gentle). The word phronimoi ('shrewd, wise, prudent') carries positive connotations of practical wisdom, not deception. The word akeraioi ('innocent, pure, unmixed') literally means 'unmixed' — without admixture of evil. The disciples need both qualities simultaneously.

Translator Notes

1. The synedria ('councils, courts') refers to local Jewish judicial bodies. The verb mastigōsousin ('will flog') refers to the synagogue punishment of lashing (up to thirty-nine strokes, cf. 2 Corinthians 11:24). The phrase 'their synagogues' (tais synagōgais autōn) suggests a growing separation between Jesus's movement and the synagogue — language that may reflect Matthew's own community situation.

Translator Notes

1. The scope expands beyond the immediate mission to encompass Roman governors (hēgemonas) and kings (basileis), anticipating Paul's trials and the broader post-resurrection mission. The phrase eis martyrion ('as a testimony') could mean 'testimony to' (evangelistic opportunity) or 'testimony against' (judicial evidence). The ambiguity is preserved.

Translator Notes

1. The verb merimnēsēte ('worry, be anxious') is the same word Jesus used in the Sermon on the Mount (6:25-34). The divine passive dothēsetai ('will be given') indicates God as the source of their words. This is not a promise about improvisation but about divine provision under pressure.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase to pneuma tou patros hymōn ('the Spirit of your Father') is distinctively Matthean — Mark 13:11 has 'the Holy Spirit.' Matthew's formulation emphasizes the familial relationship: the Spirit who empowers their testimony belongs to the Father who cares for them.

Translator Notes

1. The escalation from religious persecution (vv. 17-18) to family betrayal is jarring. The verb paradōsei ('will hand over, betray') is the same word used for Judas's betrayal of Jesus. The family breakdown described here echoes Micah 7:6, which Jesus will quote explicitly in verse 35-36.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Micah 7:6. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase dia to onoma mou ('because of my name') indicates that persecution comes specifically from identification with Jesus — his name is the cause. The promise ho de hypomeinas eis telos sōthēsetai ('the one who endures to the end will be saved') uses the verb hypomenō, which means to remain under pressure rather than flee from it. Salvation is promised not to those who escape suffering but to those who persist through it.

Translator Notes

1. This is one of the most debated verses in Matthew. The statement ou mē telesēte tas poleis tou Israēl ('you will not finish the cities of Israel') before the Son of Man comes has been interpreted variously: as referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, to the transfiguration, to the resurrection, to the ongoing mission of the church, or to the second coming. The double negative ou mē with the subjunctive is the strongest form of negation in Greek. We render the text without imposing a specific interpretation.

Translator Notes

1. This proverb establishes the principle that disciples should expect no better treatment than their teacher received. The parallel structure mathētēs/didaskalon and doulos/kyrion reinforces the point. If Jesus himself faces rejection and persecution, his followers cannot expect exemption.

Translator Notes

1. The argument moves from principle to application: if they called Jesus 'Beelzebul' (the accusation noted in 9:34 and expanded in 12:24), his disciples will receive worse. The name Beelzeboul likely derives from Hebrew ba'al zevul ('lord of the dwelling') — a mocking name for the prince of demons. The wordplay is rich: the oikodespotēs ('master of the house') is called 'lord of the dwelling' (Beelzebul), and his oikiakoi ('household members') share his reputation.

Translator Notes

1. The first of three 'do not fear' commands (vv. 26, 28, 31) that structure this section. The promise that all hidden things will be revealed (apokalyphthēsetai, from which 'apocalypse' derives) reassures persecuted disciples that the truth about their faithfulness and their persecutors' injustice will ultimately be exposed.

Translator Notes

1. The contrast between private instruction ('in the dark,' 'whispered into the ear') and public proclamation ('in the light,' 'from the housetops') indicates that Jesus's private teaching to the disciples is meant for public dissemination. The flat rooftops of Palestinian houses served as gathering places and announcement platforms.

Translator Notes

1. The second 'do not fear' command. The distinction between sōma ('body') and psychē ('soul') here reflects the belief that human identity has a dimension that persecutors cannot reach. Geenna (Gehenna) refers to the Valley of Hinnom south of Jerusalem, which had associations with child sacrifice (2 Kings 23:10) and became a symbol of divine judgment. We transliterate 'Gehenna' rather than using the interpretive 'hell' to preserve the specific geographic and theological reference.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References 2 Kings 23:10 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The assarion was a Roman copper coin worth about one-sixteenth of a denarius — the cheapest available currency. Sparrows (strouthia) were the least valuable birds sold in the market. The phrase aneu tou patros hymōn ('apart from your Father') is striking in its brevity — it does not say 'without your Father's knowledge' or 'permission' but simply 'apart from your Father,' implying total divine involvement in even the most insignificant events.

Translator Notes

1. The perfect passive ērithmēmenai ('having been counted') indicates a completed action — God has already counted every hair. The argument moves from lesser to greater: if God attends to sparrows (nearly worthless) and to hairs (individually insignificant), how much more to the whole person.

Translator Notes

1. The third and climactic 'do not fear' command. The verb diapherete ('are worth more, surpass, differ from') establishes the basis for courage: the disciples' value to God exceeds that of the sparrows he already attends to.

Translator Notes

1. The verb homologēsō ('will acknowledge, confess') means to publicly declare allegiance. The phrase en emoi ('in me') suggests more than verbal acknowledgment — it implies union with Jesus. Jesus claims to serve as advocate or witness before the Father, placing himself in a role of cosmic juridical authority.

Translator Notes

1. The verb arnēsētai ('denies, disowns') is the opposite of homologeō. The parallel structure creates a solemn either/or with no middle ground. This saying gains poignancy in light of Peter's later denial (26:69-75) and subsequent restoration.

Translator Notes

1. The verb balein ('to throw, cast') is more forceful than 'send' — Jesus throws down a sword, not peace. The machairan ('sword') here is not literal military violence but a metaphor for the division his message creates. The statement is deliberately provocative, contradicting expectations of the Messiah as a prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus describes the effect of his mission: allegiance to him will cut through existing social bonds.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Isaiah 9:6. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The verb dichasai ('to divide, to turn against') describes Jesus's purpose in terms that echo Micah 7:6. The list moves through three family pairs, each representing a generational division. These are the closest family bonds in ancient Near Eastern culture — their rupture represents the most radical possible social disruption.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Micah 7:6 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. This is a direct quotation of Micah 7:6 (LXX). In Micah, the passage describes the social breakdown of Judah before divine restoration. Jesus applies it to the effect of his own mission — loyalty to him will create enmity within families. The word oikiakoi ('household members') connects to the oikodespotēs ('head of the house') language in verse 25.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Micah 7:6. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. The verb philōn ('loving') here denotes natural family affection. Jesus does not prohibit loving family but demands that loyalty to him take precedence over the deepest human bonds. The repeated phrase ouk estin mou axios ('is not worthy of me') frames the demand as a question of worthiness for discipleship. Luke's parallel (14:26) uses the stronger 'hate' (miseō); Matthew's 'more than me' (hyper eme) may soften the expression.

Translator Notes

1. This is the first mention of the cross (stauron) in Matthew's Gospel. For Jesus's original audience, crucifixion was a Roman method of executing slaves, rebels, and non-citizens — the most shameful death imaginable. The condemned person carried the crossbeam (patibulum) to the execution site. The metaphor means accepting suffering, shame, and potentially death as the cost of following Jesus.

Translator Notes

1. The word psychē ('soul, life, self') means both physical life and one's total existence/identity. The paradox operates on both levels: clinging to self-preservation leads to ultimate loss, while surrendering life for Jesus's sake leads to ultimate gain. The phrase heneken emou ('for my sake') is the distinguishing factor — not all loss is redemptive, only loss incurred through loyalty to Jesus.

Translator Notes

1. The chain of reception — disciples, Jesus, the Father — establishes the principle of agency: to receive the messenger is to receive the sender. This concept is rooted in the Jewish shaliah principle, where an authorized agent carries the full authority of the one who sends him. The verb dechomenos ('receives, welcomes') implies hospitality and acceptance of both person and message.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase eis onoma prophētou ('in the name of a prophet') means 'because of his identity as a prophet' — the host shares in the reward because the hospitality is an act of faith in the prophet's mission. The principle extends to righteous people generally. Reward (misthon) in Matthew's Gospel is not wage-earning but gracious divine recompense.

Translator Notes

1. The climax moves from prophets to righteous people to 'little ones' (mikrōn, the least and most vulnerable). The gift is reduced to its minimum — a cup of cold water (potērion psychrou) — yet even this smallest act of kindness to a disciple will be rewarded. The double negative ou mē ('by no means') provides emphatic assurance. The phrase 'these little ones' anticipates 18:6, 10, 14, where it becomes a major theme.