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Matthew 10:9-15

Mark 6:8-11

Luke 9:3-5

9. Do not provide gold, nor silver, [574] nor brass in your purses,
10. Nor scrip for the journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for
the laborer is worthy of his food. 11. But into whatsoever city or
village you shall enter, inquire what person in it is worthy, and
remain there till you depart. 12. And when you shall enter a house,
salute it. 13. And if the house shall be worthy, may your peace come
upon it: but if it shall not be worthy, may your peace return to you.
14. And whosoever shall not receive you, or hear your words, when you
go out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15. Verily I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of
Sodom and of Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

8. And commanded them to take nothing for the journey, but a staff
only; not a scrip, nor bread, nor money in their girdle: 9. But to be
shod with sandals, and not to wear two coats. 10. And he said to them,
Whenever you shall enter a house, remain there till you depart thence.
11. And whoever shall not receive you or hear you, when you go out of
that place, shake off the dust which is under your feet for a testimony
to them. Verily I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and
Gomorroah in the day of judgment than for that city.

3. And he said to them, Carry nothing for the journey, neither a staff,
nor a scrip, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two coats each.
4. And into whatsoever house you shall enter, remain there, and depart
thence. 5. And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that
city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against
them.


Matthew 10:9. Do not provide. As the embassy [575] was of such a
nature, that Christ wished the disciples to traverse the whole of Judea
within a few days, and immediately to return to him, he forbids to
carry luggage with them, by which this speed may be retarded. Some have
ignorantly supposed that the rule here laid down for the ministers of
the word, or for the apostles, is perpetual. We shall presently meet
with a few sentences which have a more extensive reference: but the
present injunctions not to carry baggage must undoubtedly be restricted
to that temporary commission of which I have already spoken. The whole
of the prohibition of gold, silver, a scrip, and two coats, which is
given by Matthew, must be read in immediate connection, as is evident
from the other two Evangelists.

I have therefore chosen to translate ue ktesesthe, do not provide: for
our Lord simply intended to forbid them to take any thing for the
journey They might have scrips, and shoes, and a change of coats, at
home; but that they may be better prepared for the journey, he orders
them to leave every thing that would be burdensome. Such too is the
import of what Mark says, to be shod with sandals There is an
appearance of contradiction as to the staff, or stick for, according to
Mark, the staff is allowed, while according to Matthew and Luke it is
refused. But there is an ambiguity in the use of the Hebrew word svt,
(shebet) and the Evangelists, though they wrote in Greek, used the
word rha'bdos in various senses. Matthew and Luke mean by it a rod
which would be burdensome to the person who carries it: while Mark
means by it a walking-stick to support and relieve a traveler. It is
evident, that in making a journey it was customary to carry a staff;
and hence those words of Jacob, With my staff, I passed over this
Jordan, (Genesis 32:10,) by which he acknowledges that he came empty
and without money into Syria.

10. For the laborer is worthy of his food. Christ anticipates an
objection that might be made: for it might appear to be a harsh
condition to travel through the whole of Judea without any provisions.
[576] Accordingly, Christ tells them, that they have no reason to dread
that they will suffer hunger; because, wherever they come, they will at
least be worthy of their food [577] He calls them laborers, not that
they resembled ordinary ministers, who labor in the Lord's vineyard,
and who, by planting and watering, bring it into a state of
cultivation; but merely because they were the heralds of a richer and
more complete doctrine. They did not at that time receive the office of
preaching any farther than to render the Jews attentive to the
preaching of the Gospel.

11. Inquire what person in it is worthy. Again, they might object that
they would be deprived of the food to which they were entitled, because
nobody would acknowledge them as laborers But Christ meets this
difficulty also by ordering them to make inquiry what person in each
city is worthy of the message of salvation. By these words, he bids
them ask, if there are any godly and upright men, who have some fear
and reverence for God, and of whose readiness to receive instruction
good hopes may be entertained, that they may direct their labors
chiefly to them. For, as they were not at liberty to remain long in any
one place, it was proper to begin with those who, in some respect were
better prepared.

Remain there till you depart. This too has a reference to dispatch: for
if they had made a longer stay in any place, it would have been
necessary to change their lodging, that they might not be too
burdensome to any individual. When, therefore, Christ enjoins them to
remain in the house of the person who shall first receive them, till
they depart to another city, he intimates that they must make haste, so
that, after having published the Gospel in one city, they may
immediately run to another.

12. Salute it. As they could not distinguish the devout worshippers of
God from despisers, he enjoins them to address in a friendly manner any
family which they may have occasion to meet. The act of saluting is a
kind of opening to a conversation. They had already been warned to look
out for persons to entertain them, whose religious zeal was generally
known and believed. But as it sometimes happens that persons of lofty
reputation, when they are brought to a serious trial, discover their
impiety, it was proper that this rule should be expressly laid down.
The meaning therefore is: "Make trial, when you first enter, whether
your entertainers will cheerfully submit to hear you. Whoever shall
willingly embrace your doctrine, remain in their house, that your
salutation may be confirmed. If any shall reject, depart from them
immediately, and, so far as lies in your power, withdraw your
salutation."

13. If it be not worthy. The import of this mode of expression may be
thus stated, -- "As their ingratitude makes them unworthy to enjoy the
blessing of God which you have supplicated for them, break off every
bond of communication." The word peace refers to the mode of salutation
which generally used among the Jews. As the Hebrew word slvm, (shalom,)
peace, denotes prosperity, when they desire that any one may be well
and happy, and that his affairs may succeed to his wish, they pray that
he may have peace I do acknowledge that the apostles brought to men a
different kind of peace, but it is too great a refinement of
speculation to make this passage refer to the free reconciliation which
takes place between God and men.

14. And whoever will not receive you. This awful threatening of
punishment against the despisers of the gospel was intended to animate
his disciples, that they might not be retarded by the ingratitude of
the world. He directs the apostles, indeed, what he wishes them to do
if they meet with despisers. But his principal design was that,
wherever their doctrine was rejected, their well-founded grief and
distress might be relieved by consolation, that they might not fail in
the middle of their course. And we see how Paul, relying on this
consolation, boldly sets at naught all the obstinacy of men, moves on
steadily in the midst of hindrances, and boasts that he is

a sweet savor to God, though he is the savor of death
to them that perish, (2 Corinthians 2:15,16.)

Now, this passage shows in what estimation the Lord holds his gospel,
and, indeed, as it is an inestimable treasure, they are chargeable with
base ingratitude who refuse it when offered to them. Besides, it is the
scepter of his kingdom, and therefore cannot be rejected without
treating him with open contempt.

Shake off the dust As the Lord here recommends the doctrine of the
gospel, that all may receive it with reverence, and terrifies rebels by
threatening severe punishment, so he enjoins the apostles to proclaim
the vengeance which he threatens. But this they cannot do, unless they
burn with very ardent zeal to make known the doctrines which they
preach. We must therefore hold that no man is qualified to become a
teacher of heavenly doctrine, unless his feelings respecting it be
such, that he is distressed and agonized when it is treated with
contempt.

To shake off the dust from the feet was probably a custom then
prevalent in Judea, as a sign of execration; and was intended to
declare that the inhabitants of the place were so polluted, that the
very ground on which they trod was infected. That it was an ordinary
custom I conjecture from our Lord's manner of speaking of it as a thing
well known. This form of execration confirms still more what I lately
mentioned, that no crime is more offensive to God than contempt of his
word: for he does not enjoin them to make use of so solemn a mode in
expressing their detestation of adulterers, or murderers, or any
description of malefactors.

Verily, I say to you That they may not imagine this to be an idle
bugbear, [578] Christ declares that those who reject the gospel, will
receive more severe punishment than the inhabitants of Sodom. Some view
the word judgment as referring to the destruction of Jerusalem. But
this is foreign to our Lord's intention: for it must be understood as
referring to the general judgment, in which both must give their
account, that there may be a comparison of the punishments. Christ
mentioned Sodom rather than other cities, not only because it went
beyond them all in flagitious crimes, but because God destroyed it in
an extraordinary manner, that it might serve as an example to all ages,
and that its very name might be held in abomination. And we need not
wonder if Christ declares that they will be treated less severely than
those who refuse to hear the gospel. When men deny the authority of Him
who made and formed them, when they refuse to listen to his voice, nay,
reject disdainfully his gentle invitations, and withhold the confidence
which is due to his gracious promises, such impiety is the utmost
accumulation, as it were, of all crimes. But if the rejection of that
obscure preaching was followed by such dreadful vengeance, how awful
must be the punishment that awaits those who reject Christ when he
speaks openly! Again, if God punishes so severely the despisers of the
word, what shall become of furious enemies who, by blasphemies and a
venomous tongue, oppose the gospel, or cruelly persecute it by fire and
sword?
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[574] "Ne faites provision d'or ni d'argent;" -- "make no provision of
gold or of silver."

[575] "La commission et ambassade;" -- "the commission and einbassy."

[576] "N'ayans rien de quoy faire leurs despens;" -- "having no means
of paying their expenses."

[577] "Ils gaigneront bien pour le moins leur nourriture;" -- "they
will get their food at least."

[578] "Afin qu'il ne semble que ce soit une menace vaine, et (cornroe
on dit) seulement pour faire peur aux petits enfans;" -- "that it may
not seem as if it were an idle threatening, and (as we say) only to
frighten young children."