Discovery BoxMatthew 10:16-42 
Context10:16 “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!
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.
10:32 “Whoever, then, acknowledges 29 me before people, I will acknowledge 30 before my Father in heaven. 10:33 But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.
10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring 31 peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. 10:35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 10:36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. 32
10:37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 10:38 And whoever does not take up his cross 33 and follow me is not worthy of me. 10:39 Whoever finds his life 34 will lose it, 35 and whoever loses his life because of me 36 will find it.
10:40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 37 10:41 Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever 38 receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 10:42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, 39 he will never lose his reward.”
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).
2 sn This imagery of wolves is found in intertestamental Judaism; see Pss. Sol. 8:23, 30.
3 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
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.
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.”
6 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
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.
8 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
9 tn Grk “how or what you might speak.”
10 tn Grk “in that hour.”
11 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
12 tn Or “will rebel against.”
13 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
14 tn The Greek word here is πόλις (polis), which can mean either “town” or “city.”
15 tn Grk “For truly (ἀμήν, amhn) I say to you.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.
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.”
17 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
18 tn Grk “Therefore do not.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
19 tn Or “concealed.”
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.
21 tn Grk “what you hear in the ear,” an idiom.
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.
23 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
24 sn Judaism had a similar exhortation in 4 Macc 13:14-15.
25 sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
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.
27 tn Or “to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.”
28 sn Do not be afraid. One should respect and show reverence to God, but need not fear his tender care.
29 tn Or “confesses.”
30 tn Grk “I will acknowledge him also.”
sn This acknowledgment will take place at the judgment. On Jesus and judgment, see Luke 22:69; Acts 10:42-43; 17:31.
31 tn Grk “cast.” For βάλλω (ballw) in the sense of causing a state or condition, see L&N 13.14.
32 tn Matt 10:35-36 are an allusion to Mic 7:6.
33 sn It was customary practice in a Roman crucifixion for the prisoner to be made to carry his own cross. Jesus is speaking figuratively here in the context of rejection. If the priority is not one’s allegiance to Jesus, then one will not follow him in the face of possible rejection.
34 tn Grk “his soul,” but ψυχή (yuch) is frequently used of one’s physical life. It clearly has that meaning in this context.
35 sn If there is no willingness to suffer the world’s rejection at this point, then one will not respond to Jesus (which is trying to find life) and then will be subject to this judgment (which is losing it).
36 tn Or “for my sake.” The traditional rendering “for my sake” can be understood in the sense of “for my benefit,” but the Greek term ἕνεκα indicates the cause or reason for something (BDAG 334 s.v. 1).
37 sn The one who sent me refers to God.
38 tn Grk “And whoever.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
39 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
