Luke 10 commentary

LUKE 10 COMMENTARY
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a]
others and sent them two by two ahead of him
to every town and place where he was about to
go.
BARNES, "After these things - After the appointment of the twelve apostles,
and the transactions recorded in the previous chapters.
Other seventy - Seventy others besides the apostles. They were appointed for a
different purpose from the apostles. The apostles were to be with him; to hear his
instructions; to be witnesses of his miracles, his sufferings, his death, his
resurrection and ascension, that they might “then” go and proclaim all these things
to the world. The seventy were sent out to preach immediately, and chiefly where he
himself was about to come. They were appointed for a temporary object. They were
to go into the villages and towns, and prepare the way for his coming. The number
“seventy” was a favorite number among the Jews. Thus, the family of Jacob that
came into Egypt consisted of seventy, Gen_46:27. The number of elders that Moses
appointed to aid him was the same, Num_11:16, Num_11:25. The number which
composed the great Sanhedrin, or council of the nation. was the same. It is not
improbable that our Saviour appointed this number with reference to the fact that it
so often occurred among the Jews, or after the example of Moses, who appointed
seventy to aid him in his work; but it is evident that the office was “temporary” - that
it had a specific design - and of course that it would be improper to attempt to find
now a “continuation” of it, or a parallel to it, in the Christian ministry.
Two and two - There was much wisdom in sending them in this manner. It was
done, doubtless, that they might aid one another by mutual counsel, and that they
might sustain and comfort one another in their persecutions and trials. Our Lord in
this showed the propriety of having “a religious friend,” who would be a confidant
and help. Every Christian, and especially every Christian minister, needs such a
friend, and should seek some one to whom he can unbosom himself, and with whom
he can mingle his feelings and prayers.
CLARKE, "The Lord appointed other seventy - Rather, seventy others, not
other seventy, as our translation has it, which seems to intimate that he had
appointed seventy before this time, though, probably, the word other has a reference
to the twelve chosen first: he not only chose twelve disciples to be constantly with
1

him; but he chose seventy others to go before him. Our blessed Lord formed every
thing in his Church on the model of the Jewish Church; and why? Because it was the
pattern shown by God himself, the Divine form, which pointed out the heavenly
substance which now began to be established in its place. As he before had chosen
twelve apostles, in reference to the twelve patriarchs, who were the chiefs of the
twelve tribes, and the heads of the Jewish Church, he now publicly appointed (for so
the word ανεδειξεν means) seventy others, as Moses did the seventy elders whom he
associated with himself to assist him in the government of the people. Exo_18:19;
Exo_24:1-9. These Christ sent by two and two:
1. To teach them the necessity of concord among the ministers of righteousness.
2. That in the mouths of two witnesses every thing might be established. And,
3. That they might comfort and support each other in their difficult labor. See on
Mar_6:7 (note).
Several MSS. and versions have seventy-two. Sometimes the Jews chose six out of
each tribe: this was the number of the great Sanhedrin. The names of these seventy
disciples are found in the margin of some ancient MSS., but this authority is
questionable.
GILL, "After these things,.... After the calling and mission of the twelve apostles,
and giving them their powers, commissions, and instructions, with other things that
followed thereon; Luk_9:1
the Lord appointed other seventy also; not that he had appointed before
seventy, and now made an appointment of seventy more; but as the Syriac version
renders it, "Jesus separated out of his disciples, seventy others" that is, besides the
twelve, whom he chose and called out, from among the multitude of the disciples,
and ordained them apostles, he selected and ordained seventy others, in allusion to
the seventy elders of Israel, Num_11:16. The Vulgate Latin and Persic versions read,
"seventy two", and so does Epiphanius (x). The Jewish sanhedrim is sometimes said
to consist of seventy one (y), and sometimes of seventy two (z); though commonly
said to be of the round number seventy, as these disciples might be. The above
mentioned ancient writer gives the names of some of them, as the seven deacons;
Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas; together with
Matthias, Mark, Luke, Justus, Barnabas, Apelies, Rufus, and Niger. The names of all
these disciples, according to ancient traditions, though not to be depended on, are
given in an alphabetical order, with the places where they afterwards presided as
bishops, or pastors, by a late learned writer (a), and are as follow, viz. Agabus, the
prophet; Amphias, of Odyssus, sometimes called Amphiatus; Ananias, who baptized
Paul, bishop of Damascus; Andronicus, of Pannonia, or Spain; Apelies, of Smyrna,
or, according to others, of Heraclea; Apollo, of Caesarea; Aristarchus, of Apamea;
Aristobulus, of Britain; Artemas, of Lustra; Asyncritus, of Hyrcania; Barnabas, of
Milgin; Barnabas, of Heraclea; Caesar, of Dyrrachium; Caius, of Ephesus; Carpus, of
Berytus, in Thracia; Cephas, bishop of Konia; Clemens, of Sardinia; Cleophas, of
Jerusalem; Crescens, of Chalcedon, in Galatia; Demas, a priest of idols; Epaenetus, of
Carthage; Epaphroditus, of Andriace; Erastus, of Paneas, or, according to others, of
the Philippians; Evodus, of Antioch; Hermas, of Philippi, or Philippolls; Hermes, of
Dalmatia; Hermogenus and Phygellus, who followed Simon Magus; Hermogenus,
bishop of the Megarenes; Herodion, of Tarsus; James, the brother of our Lord, of
Jerusalem; Jason, of Tarsus; Jesus Justus, bishop of Eleutheropolis: Linus, of Rome;
2

Luke, the evangelist: Lucius, of Laodicea, in Syria; Mark, who is also John, of
Biblopohs, or Byblus; Mark the evangelist, bishop of Alexandna; Mark, the sister's
son of Barnabas, bishop of Apolloma; Matthias, added to the apostles; Narcissus, of
Athens; Nicanor, he died when Stephen suffered martyrdom; Nicolaus, of Samaria;
Olympius, a martyr at Rome; Onesiphorus, bishop of Corone; Parmenas, of the Soli,
Patrobulus, the same with Patrobas, in Rom_16:14 of Puteoli, or as others, of Naples;
Philemon, of Gaza; Philemon (in the Acts he is called Philip), by whom the eunuch of
the queen of Ethiopia was baptized, of Trallium, of Asia; Philologus, of Sinope;
Phlegon, bishop of Marathon; Phygellus, of Ephesus; Prochorus, of Nicomedia, in
Bithynia; Pudens; Quartus, of Berytus; Rhodion, a martyr at Rome; Rufus, of Thebes;
Silas, of Corinth; Sylvanus, of Thessalonica; Sosipater, of Iconium; Sosthenes, of
Colophon; Stachys, of Byzantium; Stephen, the first martyr; Tertius, of Iconium;
Thaddaeus, who carried the epistle of Jesus to Edessa, to Abgarus; Timon, of Bostra,
of the Arabians; Trophimus, who suffered martyrdora with the Apostle Paul;
Tychicus, bishop of Chalcedon, of Bithynia; Tychicus, of Colophon; Urbanus, of
Macedonm; and, Zenas, of Diospolis. According both to this account, and
Epiphanius, Luke was one of these seventy, and he is the only evangelist that makes
mention of the appointment of them:
and sent them two and two before his face: as he did the twelve before, to be
his harbingers and forerunners:
into every city and place, whither he himself would come: which he
intended to visit: he sent them beforehand to acquaint the inhabitants of it; and
prepare them by their ministry, for the reception of him; as John the Baptist, who
was in a more eminent sense the harbinger and forerunner of Christ, went before him
in his ministry, and prepared the way for him.
HENRY, "We have here the sending forth of seventy disciples, two and two, into
divers parts of the country, to preach the gospel, and to work miracles in those places
which Christ himself designed to visit, to make way for his entertainment. This is not
taken notice of by the other evangelists: but the instructions here given them are
much the same with those given to the twelve. Observe,
I. Their number: they were seventy. As in the choice of twelve apostles Christ had
an eye to the twelve patriarchs, the twelve tribes, and the twelve princes of those
tribes, so here he seems to have an eye to the seventy elders of Israel. So many went
up with Moses and Aaron to the mount, and saw the glory of the God of Israel (Exo_
24:1, Exo_24:9), and so many were afterwards chosen to assist Moses in the
government, in order to which the Spirit of prophecy came unto them, Num_11:24,
Num_11:25. The twelve wells of water and the seventy palm-trees that were at Elim
were a figure of the twelve apostles and the seventy disciples, Exo_15:27. They were
seventy elders of the Jews that were employed by Ptolemy king of Egypt in turning
the Old Testament into Greek, whose translation is thence called the Septuagint. The
great sanhedrim consisted of this number. Now,
1. We are glad to find that Christ had so many followers fit to be sent forth; his
labour was not altogether in vain, though he met with much opposition. Note,
Christ's interest is a growing interest, and his followers, like Israel in Egypt, though
afflicted shall multiply. These seventy, though they did not attend him so closely and
constantly as the twelve did, were nevertheless the constant hearers of his doctrine,
and witnesses of his miracles, and believed in him. Those three mentioned in the
close of the foregoing chapter might have been of these seventy, if they would have
applied themselves in good earnest to their business. These seventy are those of
3

whom Peter speaks as “the men who companied with us all the time that the Lord
Jesus went in and out among us,” and were part of the one hundred and twenty
there spoken of, Act_1:15, Act_1:21. Many of those that were the companions of the
apostles, whom we read of in the Acts and the Epistles, we may suppose, were of
these seventy disciples.
2. We are glad to find there was work for so many ministers, hearers for so many
preachers: thus the grain of mustard-seed began to grow, and the savour of the
leaven to diffuse itself in the meal, in order to the leavening of the whole.
II. Their work and business: He sent them two and two, that they might
strengthen and encourage one another. If one fall, the other will help to raise him up.
He sent them, not to all the cities of Israel, as he did the twelve, but only to every city
and place whither he himself would come (Luk_10:1), as his harbingers; and we
must suppose, though it is not recorded, that Christ soon after went to all those
places whither he now sent them, though he could stay but a little while in a place.
Two things they were ordered to do, the same that Christ did wherever he came: - 1.
They must heal the sick (Luk_10:9), heal them in the name of Jesus, which would
make people long to see this Jesus, and ready to entertain him whose name was so
powerful. 2. They must publish the approach of the kingdom of God, its approach to
them: “Tell them this, The kingdom of God is come nigh to you, and you now stand
fair for an admission into it, if you will but look about you. Now is the day of your
visitation, know and understand it.” It is good to be made sensible of our advantages
and opportunities, that we may lay hold of them. When the kingdom of God comes
nigh us, it concerns us to go forth to meet it.
JAMISON, "Luk_10:1-24. Mission of the seventy disciples, and their return.
As our Lord’s end approaches, the preparations for the establishment of the
coming Kingdom are quickened and extended.
the Lord — a becoming title here, as this appointment was an act truly lordly
[Bengel].
other seventy also — rather, “others (also in number), seventy”; probably with
allusion to the seventy elders of Israel on whom the Spirit descended in the
wilderness (Num_11:24, Num_11:25). The mission, unlike that of the Twelve, was
evidently quite temporary. All the instructions are in keeping with a brief and hasty
pioneering mission, intended to supply what of general preparation for coming
events the Lord’s own visit afterwards to the same “cities and places” (Luk_10:1)
would not, from want of time, now suffice to accomplish; whereas the instructions to
the Twelve, besides embracing all those to the Seventy, contemplate world-wide and
permanent effects. Accordingly, after their return from this single missionary tour,
we never again read of the Seventy.
CALVIN, "Luke 10:1.And after these things the Lord appointed That the
Apostles had returned to Christ before these seventy were substituted in their
room, may be inferred from many circumstances. The twelve, therefore, were
sent to awaken in the Jews the hope of an approaching salvation. After their
return, as it was necessary that higher expectation should be excited, others were
sent in greater numbers, as secondary heralds, to spread universally in every
place the report of Christ’s coming. Strictly speaking, they received no
commission, but were only sent by Christ as heralds, to prepare the minds of the
people for receiving his doctrine. As to the number seventy, he appears to have
followed that order to which the people had already been long accustomed. We
must bear in mind what has been already said about the twelve Apostles, (30)
4

that as this was the number of the tribes when the people were in a flourishing
condition, so an equal number of apostles or patriarchs was chosen, to
reassemble the members of the lacerated body, that the restoration of the
Church might thus be complete.
There was a similar reason for these seventy. We know that Moses, finding
himself insufficient for the burden, took seventy judges to be associated with him
in governing the people, ( Exodus 18:22.) But when the Jews returned from the
Babylonish captivity, they had a council or συνέδριον —which was corrupted
into Sanedrin (31) —consisting of seventy-two judges. As usually happens with
such numbers, when they spoke of the council, they called them only the seventy
judges; and Philo assures us, that they were chosen out of the posterity of David,
that there might be some remaining authority in the royal line. After various
calamities, this was the finishing stroke, when Herod abolished that council, and
thus deprived the people of a legitimate share in the government. Now as the
return from Babylon prefigured a true and complete redemption, the reason why
our Lord chooses seventy heralds of his coming appears to be, to hold out the
restoration of their fallen state; and as the people were to be united under one
head, he does not give them authority as judges, but only commands them to go
before him, that he may possess the sole power. And sent them by two and two.
H e appears to have done so on account of their weakness. There was reason to
fear, that individually they would not have the boldness necessary for the
vigorous discharge of their office; and therefore, that they may encourage one
another, they are sent by two and two
BARCLAY, "LABOURERS FOR THE HARVEST (Luke 10:1-16)
10:1-16 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy men and sent them
out in twos ahead of him into every town and place where he intended to go.
"The harvest is great," he said to them, "but the workers are few. Pray then the
Lord of the harvest to send out workers for the harvest. Go! Look you--I am
sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Do not take a purse or a wallet
or sandals. Greet no one on the road. Into whatever house you go, say first of all,
'Peace to this house!' If it is a son of peace who lives there your peace will remain
upon it; but if not it will return to you. Remain in the same house eating and
drinking whatever they give you; for the workman deserves his pay. Do not go
from house to house. If you go into any town and they receive you, eat what is
put before you. Heal those in it who are ill, and keep saying to them, 'The
kingdom of God has come near you!' If you go into any town and they do not
receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust which clings to our feet
from this town, we wipe off against you. But realize this--the kingdom of God has
come near you!' I tell you, things will be easier for Sodom in that day than for
that town. Woe to you Chorazin! Woe to you Bethsaida! For if the mighty works
which have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long
ago have sat in dust and ashes and repented. But at the judgment things will be
easier for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you Capernaum--will you be exalted
to heaven? You will be cast down to hell. He who listens to you, listens to me; and
he who sets no value on you, sets no value on me; and he who sets no value on
me, sets no value on him that sent me."
5

This passage describes a wider mission than the first mission of the Twelve.
The number seventy was to the Jews symbolic.
(a) It was the number of the elders who were chosen to help Moses with the task
of leading and directing the people in the wilderness (Numbers 11:16-17;
Numbers 11:24-25).
(b) It was the number of the Sanhedrin, the supreme council of the Jews. If we
relate the Seventy to either of these bodies they will be the helpers of Jesus.
(c) It was held to be the number of nations in the world. Luke was the man with
the universalist view and it may well be that he was thinking of the day when
every nation in the world would know and love his Lord.
There is an interesting sidelight here. One of the towns on which woe is
pronounced is Chorazin. It is implied that Jesus did many mighty works there.
In the gospel history as we have it Chorazin is never even mentioned, and we do
not know one thing that Jesus did or one word that he spoke there. Nothing
could show so vividly how much we do not know about the life of Jesus. The
gospels are not biographies; they are only sketches of his life (compare John
21:25).
This passage tells us certain supremely important things about both the preacher
and the hearer.
(i) The preacher is not to be cluttered up with material things; he is to travel
light. It is easy to get entangled in the things of this life. Once Dr. Johnson, after
seeing through a great castle and its policies, remarked grimly, "These are the
things which make it difficult to die." Earth must never blot out heaven.
(ii) The preacher is to concentrate on his task; he is to greet no man on the way.
This goes back to Elisha's instruction to Gehazi in 2 Kings 4:29. It is not an
instruction to discourtesy; but means that the man of God must not turn aside or
linger on the lesser things while the great things call him.
(iii) The preacher must not be in the work for what he can get out of it; he is to
eat what is put before him and must not move from house to house seeking better
and more comfortable quarters. It was not long before the church had its
spongers. There is a work called The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. It was
written about A.D. 100, and is the church's first book of order. In those days
there were prophets who wandered from town to town. It is laid down that if a
prophet wishes to stay in a place for more than three days without working he is
a false prophet; and if a prophet in the Spirit asks for money or a meal he is a
false prophet! The labourer is worthy of his hire, but the servant of a crucified
Master cannot be a seeker for luxury.
(iv) To have heard God's word is a great responsibility. A man will be judged
according to what he has had the chance to know. We allow things in a child we
6

condemn in an adult; we forgive things in a savage we punish in a civilized man.
Responsibility is the other side of privilege.
(v) It is a terrible thing to reject God's invitation. There is a sense in which every
promise of God that a man has ever heard can become his condemnation. If he
receives these promises they are his greatest glory, but each one that he has
rejected will some day be a witness against him.
LIGHTFOOT, "[Seventy.] Why the Vulgar should have seventy-and-two, they
themselves, I suppose, are able to give no very good reason: much less the
interpreter of Titus Bostrensis, when in the Greek copy before him he saw only
seventy, why he should render it seventy-two.
Aben Ezra upon the story of Eldad and Medad hath this passage: "The wise men
say, That Moses took six out of every tribe, and the whole number amounted to
seventy-and-two: but whereas the Lord had commanded only seventy, the odd
two were laid aside." Now if God laid aside two of those who had been enrolled,
and endowed with the Holy Spirit, that so there might be the just number of
seventy only, we can hardly imagine why our Saviour should add two, to make it
seventy-two and not seventy. "It was said to Moses at Mount Sinai, Go up, thou
and Aaron, and Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: so will the
holy blessed God ordain to himself in the world to come a council of elders of his
own people." Now the number of this consistory, the doctors determine to be no
other than seventy. A council of seventy-two was never heard of amongst the
Jews, but once only at Jabneh.
"R. Simeon Ben Azzai saith, I received it from the mouths of the seventy-two
elders, on the day when they made R. Eliezer Ben Azariah one of the
Sanhedrim." Nor did they then remove Rabban Gamaliel, although he had
displeased them.
COFFMAN, "With this chapter begins the great body of material unique to
Luke, comprising some of the most glorious teachings the Saviour delivered to
mankind, and making this some of the most interesting writings in the sacred
Scriptures. The sending forth of the seventy (Luke 10:1-16), their return (Luke
10:17-20), the rejoicing of Jesus (Luke 10:21-24), the account of the good
Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), and an incident in the home of Martha and Mary
(Luke 10:38-42) are narrated in Luke 10.
THE SENDING OF THE SEVENTY
Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two and
two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself was about to
come. (Luke 10:1)
Seventy others ... It is of no consequence that some ancient authorities add "and
two," making this place read "seventy and two"; the teaching is not altered by
such a slight variation.
7

Others ... This word derives from [@heterous], meaning "others of a different
kind,"[1] thus distinguishing this group from the Twelve.
Two by two ... This plan provided courage, companionship, and credibility on
the part of those delivering the message, and also afforded protection for the
messengers from both physical and moral dangers.
Every city and place ... The time for the crucifixion of Christ was rapidly
approaching; there were many places which Jesus had not been able to visit; and
the sending of this group provided an extension of his ministry possible in no
other way. Also, Dummelow thought, "He wished to train his followers to act
alone after his departure."[2] It is significant that Jesus was able to command
such a large group of men in such a mission, indicating the power his ministry
had already generated. Jesus followed up their visits by going personally to all
those places.
The number sent on this mission (whether seventy or seventy-two) had spiritual
and symbolic overtones. The Jews held that the Gentiles were made up of seventy
nations; and at their feast of Tabernacles, "seventy bullocks were offered on
behalf of the Gentile nations ... to make atonement for them."[3] The cities and
places to which these seventy were dispatched were in Trans-Jordan[4] where
Gentile population predominated.
[1] Herschel H. Hobbs, An Exposition of the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Baker Book House, 1966), p. 178..
[2] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan
Company, 1937), p. 751.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1952), p. 299.
COKE, "Luke 10:1-2. After these things the Lord appointed— The scene of
Christ's ministry being from this time forth to lie in Judea, and the country
beyond Jordan, it was expedient that his way should be prepared in every city
and village of those countries whither he was to come: he therefore sent out
seventy of his disciples on this work, mentioning the particular places whichhe
intended to visit, and in which they were to preach; whereas the twelve had been
allowed to go where they pleased, provided theyconfined their ministry to the
lost sheep of the house of Israel. St. Luke is the only evangelist who has given us
this account of Christ's sending out the seventy; and it is the less to be wondered
at, that he should do it so particularly, if the ancient tradition be true, which is
generally believed, that he himself was one of the number. It is remarkable, that
our Lord assigns the same reason for the mission of the seventy, which he had
assigned for the mission of the twelve disciples. The harvest was plenteous in
Judea and Peraea, as well as in Galilee, and the labourers there also were few.
See Matthew 9:37-38.
8

NISBET, "THE MISSION OF THE SEVENTY
‘The Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them forth two and two.’
Luke 10:1
In our Lord’s charge to the seventy observe:—
I. The importance of prayer and intercession.—This is the leading thought with
which our Lord opens His address. Before He tells His ambassadors what to do,
He first bids them to pray. ‘Pray ye the Lord of the harvest that He would send
forth labourers into His harvest.’ Prayer is one of the best and most powerful
means of helping forward the cause of Christ in the world.
II. The perilous nature of the work in which they were about to be engaged.—
The words describe a state of things which may be seen at this very day. So long
as the Church stands, believers must expect to be like ‘lambs among wolves.’
They must make up their minds to be hated, and persecuted, and ill-treated by
those who have no real religion. ‘All that will live godly in Jesus Christ,’ says St.
Paul, ‘shall suffer persecution’ (1 John 3:13; 1 Peter 3:8).
III. The thorough devotion to their work which He enjoins upon them. They
were to abstain even from the appearance of covetousness, or love of money, or
luxury: ‘Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes.’ They were to behave like
men who had no time to waste on the empty compliments and conventional
courtesies of the world: ‘Salute no man by the way.’
IV. The simple-minded and contented spirit which He bade them to exhibit.—
Wherever they tarried, in travelling about upon their Master’s business, they
were to avoid the appearance of being fickle, changeable, delicate livers, or hard
to please about food and lodging. They were to ‘eat and drink such things’ as
were given them. They were not to ‘go from house to house.’
Illustrations
(1) ‘The Greek word translated “appointed” is only found in one other place in
the New Testament (Acts 1:24), where it is rendered “shew.” According’ to
Parkhurst, it signifies “to mark out, or, appoint to an office by some outward
sign, and is often used in this sense by profane writers and in the apocryphal
books.” John the Baptist’s “shewing” to Israel (Luke 1:80) is a substantive
derived from this word.’
(2) ‘We know nothing of the names or subsequent history of these seventy
disciples. They are nowhere else mentioned in the New Testament. Most
commentators remark on the selection of the number seventy, and assign reasons
for it. Grotius says that they were chosen according to the number of the Jewish
Sanhedrim, and so were seventy-two, six being chosen out of every tribe of Israel.
Wordsworth remarks that “the number seventy was that of the heads of the
families of Israel (Genesis 46:27), and of the elders constituted by Moses
(Numbers 11:16; Numbers 11:25), and of the palm trees at Elim (Exodus 15:27).
And the Jews supposed that the languages of the world were seventy.”’
9

(3) ‘The mission of the disciples in pairs deserves remark, and ought to be
remembered in modern missionary work. “Two are better than one”
(Ecclesiastes 4:9). Cornelius à Lapide has a long and interesting note to show the
wisdom of the arrangement.’
(4) ‘The Greek expression “He would come” would be more literally rendered
“was about to come.”’
BURKITT, "The Captain general of our salvation, Christ Jesus, having called,
commissioned, and sent forth his twelve apostles, as great commanders to subdue
his native kingom of Israel to himself, at the sixth chapter of this Gospel; Luke
6:12-16 in this chapter he sends after them a band of seventy auxiliary forces, to
aid and assist them: After these things the Lord appointed other seventy
disciples, and sent them two and two before his face.
Where note, 1. The person commissioning and sending them forth: Christ
himself.
Thence learn, that none ought to take upon them the office of preaching, or other
ministerial functions in the church, until thereunto called by Christ himself. The
twelve apostles and seventy disciples, had an immediate mission from Christ
himself; all his ministers are now called mediately, and receive their authority
from Christ by the hands of the governors of his church.
Note, 2. The manner of their sending: two and two in a company, partly to make
their message of more authority, partly to testify their mutual consent in the
doctrine they taught, and partly to comfort and encourage, to help and
strengthen, to assist and support each other.
In imitation of this example, the Jesuits sent forth their emissaries by pairs.
Learn hence, that the ministers of the gospel do stand in great need of the mutual
help and comfort, of the united assistance and encouragement of each other, in
the weighty duties of their calling and function.
Our Saviour in the next verse compares his ministers to harvest laborers, who
are to help and assist one another, the strong endeavoring to strengthen the
hands of the weak.
But, Lord, what tears are sufficient to bewail the want of love and unity, yea, the
prevalency of that envy and malignity, which is found too often among the
ministers of the gospel; so that instead of going forth two by two, happy is he
that is alone in a place.
Well might Melancthon bless God, when he lay dying, that he was going to a
place where he should be freed from the implacable hatred of divines; this is, and
ought to be, for a lamentation.
10

PETT, "‘Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy two (seventy) others,
and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, to which he
himself was about to come.’
As He had previously sent messengers to the Samaritans so He now ‘sent forth
before His face’ messengers to all the places which He intended to visit to
prepare the way before Him. They were sent two by two and amounted to
seventy/seventy two in all. They may have included the Apostles, although most
see ‘appointed seventy others’ as excluding them. But the exclusion is not
necessary. The Apostles had not previously been ‘appointed’ they had been
‘chosen’, and ‘others’ may be in comparison with the three described in Luke
9:57-62, or the messengers of Luke 9:52. Thus there is no reason why they should
not now be appointed for the mission along with sixty (fifty eight) others. It is
clear from what follows that these seventy two/seventy were to have a preaching
ministry.
‘Seventy two.’ The manuscripts differ between seventy (Aleph A C L W Theta f1
f13) and seventy two (p75 B D 73 - a strong combination). Both have strong
support. There are also reasons both ways why an alteration might have been
tempting to a copyist. But seventy two is a multiple of twelve and Luke tends to
see the disciples in multiples of twelve (compare Acts 1:15). It may well be that a
group of five men was allocated to each Apostle. They could still be sent two by
two and some would cover the area surrounding each town as well as the town
itself. While it is always possible that thirty six towns and villages to which ‘Jesus
would come’ were to be visited, it is unlikely, simply because of the burden that it
would place on Him, but six cities, each approached by an evangelistic party of
twelve, led by two Apostles and reaching out into the area round about, is quite
feasible.
The number seventy two (seventy) might have in mind the elders appointed by
Moses, seeing them as seventy plus the two in the camp (see Numbers 11:16-29),
demonstrating that these disciples are seen as founding the new Israel. Or
seventy could parallel the seventy ‘sons of Jacob’ who went down into Egypt
(Exodus 1:5), again signifying a new Israel (as twelve had also done). The fact
that they are sent in twos (thus making 36 or 35 pairs) is against any idea of them
representing the world of seventy/seventy two nations.
‘Two by two.’ This would be for mutual support and strength, but also because
the testimony of two witnesses confirmed the truth of their message.
One more thought is worthy of consideration here, and that is the similarity of
this aspect of things in Luke with that in Acts. In Luke Jesus has sent out His
Apostles to the Jews, then He has sent messengers to the Samaritans, now He
sends out the seventy anonymous disciples. In Acts the same pattern emerges,
first the Apostles go to the Jews, then there is a ministry to the Samaritans, then
the message spreads wider through anonymous evangelists, reaching out to Jews
around the world (resulting in the end in outreach to the Gentiles). The pattern
is therefore repeated.
11

Verses 1-9
The Mission of the Seventy (Two) (10:1-9).
Following Jesus’ call to the three potential disciples Jesus now appoints seventy
(or seventy two) disciples to go out two by two as messengers before His face
preparing the way for Him. They too are fulfilling the prayer, ‘may your Kingly
Rule come’.
a After these things the Lord appointed seventy (two) others, and sent them two
and two before His face into every city and place, to which He Himself was about
to come (Luke 10:1).
b And He said to them, “The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the labourers are
few, pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send forth labourers
into his harvest” (Luke 10:2).
c “Go your ways. Behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves”
(Luke 10:3).
d “Carry no purse, no wallet, no shoes, and salute no man on the way” (Luke
10:4).
c “And into whatever house you shall enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’
And if a son of peace be there, your peace will rest on him, but if not, it shall turn
to you again” (Luke 10:5-6).
b “And in that same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give,
for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house” (Luke 10:7).
a “And into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are
set before you, and heal the sick that are in it, and say to them, The Kingly Rule
of God is come near to you” (Luke 10:8-9).
Note that in ‘a’ they were to go to every city to which He was about to come, and
in the parallel they enter the city and say, ‘the Kingly Rule of God (in the person
of the King) is come near to you’. In ‘b they are to pray for labourers to go forth
into the harvest, and in the parallel the labourer is worthy of his hire. In ‘c’ they
go forth as lambs, and in the parallel they offer peace. Central to all is their total
trust in God and desire to serve with full dedication.
MACLAREN, "CHRIST'S MESSENGERS: THEIR EQUIPMENT AND
WORK
Luk_10:1-11, Luk_10:17-20
The mission of the Seventy is clearly distinguished from and contrasted with that of
the Twelve by the word ‘others’ in verse 1, which points back to Luk_9:1. The Twelve
were prohibited from going beyond Jews; the Seventy were under no such
restriction, and were probably sent to the half-Gentile districts on the east of Jordan.
The number of twelve had reference to the number of the tribes; that of seventy may
have referred to the number of the elders, but it has also been suggested that its
reference is to the supposed number of the nations. The appointment of the Twelve
was to a permanent office; that of the Seventy to a transitory mission. Much of the
charge given to either is given to both, as is most natural, since they had the same
message, and both were sent to prepare for Christ’s personal ministry. But though
the Seventy were sent out but for a short time, permanent principles for the
guidance, not only of Christian workers, but of all Christian lives, are embodied in
12

the charge which they received.
We note, first, that all personal service should be preceded by intense realisation of
the immense field, and of the inadequacy, of Christian effort, which vision will
culminate in prayer for more toilers to be ‘sent forth.’ The word implies a certain
measure of compulsion, for an overmastering impulse is always needed to overcome
human reluctance and laziness. No man has ever done large service for God who has
not felt that, like the prophet, he was laid hold of by the Spirit, and borne away,
whether he would or no. ‘I must speak,’ is felt by every true messenger of God. The
prayer was answered by the sending of the pray-ers, as it often is. Note how Jesus
implies that He is Lord of the harvest, in that His sending them is the answer to the
petition. Note, too, the authority which He claims to exercise supreme sovereignty
over the lives of men. He has the right to fling them into deadly peril for no other
purpose than to proclaim His name. Lambs, ringed round by wolves with white,
gleaming teeth, have little chance of life. Jesus gives His servants full warning of
dangers, and on the very warning builds an exhortation to quiet confidence; for, if the
sentence ends with ‘lambs in the midst of wolves,’ it begins with ‘I send you forth,’
and that is enough, for He will defend them when He seeth the wolf coming. Not only
so, but He will also provide for all their needs, so they want no baggage nor money,
nor even a staff. A traveller without any of these would be in poor case, but they are
not to carry such things, because they carry Jesus. He who sends them forth goes
with them whom He sends. Now, this precept, in its literal form, was expressly
abolished afterwards (Luk_22:36), but the spirit of it is permanent. If Christ sends
us, we may trust Him to take care of us as long as we are on His errands.
Energetic pursuit of their work, unimpeded by distractions of social intercourse, is
meant by the prohibition of saluting by the way. That does not mean churlish
isolation, but any one who has ever seen two Easterns ‘saluting’ knows what a long-
drawn-out affair it is. How far along the road one might have travelled while all that
empty ceremony was being got through! The time for salutations is when the journey
is over. They mean something then. The great effect of the presence of Christ’s
servants should be to impart the peace which they themselves possess. We should
put reality into conventional courtesies. All Christians are to be peacemakers in the
deepest sense, and especially in regard to men’s relations with God. The whole scope
of our work may be summed up as being to proclaim and bring peace with God, with
ourselves, with all others, and with circumstances. The universality of our message is
implied in the fact that the salutation is to be given in every house entered, and
without any inquiry whether a ‘son of peace’ is there. The reflex blessedness of
Christian effort is taught in the promise that the peace, vainly wished for those who
would not receive it, is not wasted like spilt water, but comes back like a dove, to the
hand of its sender. If we do no other person good, we bless ourselves by all work for
others.
The injunctions as to conduct in the house or city that receives the messengers carry
two principles of wide application. First, they demand clear disinterestedness and
superiority to vulgar appetites. Christ’s servants are not to be fastidious as to their
board and lodging. They are not to make demands for more refined diet than their
hosts are accustomed to have, and they are not to shift their quarters, though it were
from a hovel to a palace. The suspicion that a Christian worker is fond of good living
and sensuous delights robs his work of power. But the injunction teaches also that
there is no generosity in those who hear the message giving, and no obligation laid on
those who deliver it by their receiving, enough to live and work on. The less we
obviously look for, the more shall we probably receive. A high-minded man need not
scruple to take the ‘hire’; a high-minded giver will not suppose that he has hired the
receiver to be his servant.
13

The double substance of the work is next briefly stated. The order in which its two
parts stands is remarkable, for the healing of the sick is put first, and the
proclamation of the nearness of the kingdom second. Possibly the reason is that the
power to heal was a new gift. Its very priority in mention may imply that it was but a
means to an end, a part of the equipment for the true and proper work of preaching
the coming of the kingdom and its King. At all events, let us learn that Jesus wills the
continual combination of regard to the bodily wants and sicknesses, and regard to
the spiritual needs of men.
The solemn instructions as to what was to be done in the case of rejection breathe a
spirit the reverse of sanguine. Jesus had no illusions as to the acceptance of the
message, and He will send no man out to work hiding from him the difficulties and
opposition probably to be encountered. Much wisdom lies in deciding when a field of
labour or a method of work should be abandoned as hopeless-for the present and for
the individual worker, at all events. To do it too soon is cowardice; to delay it too long
is not admirable perseverance, but blindness to plain providences. To shake off the
dust is equivalent to severing all connection. The messenger will not bring away the
least thing belonging to the city. But whatever men’s unbelief, it does not affect the
fact, but it does affect their relation to the fact. The gracious message was at first that
‘the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you,’ but the last shape of it leaves out ‘unto
you’: for rejection of the word cuts off from beneficial share in the word, and the
kingdom, when it comes, has no blessing for the unbelieving soul.
The return of the Seventy soon followed their being sent forth. They came back with a
childish, surprised joy, and almost seem to have thought that Jesus would be as
much astonished and excited as they were with the proof of the power of His name.
They had found that they could not only heal the sick, but cast out demons. Jesus’
answer is meant to quiet down their excitement by teaching them that He had known
what they were doing whilst they were doing it. When did He behold Satan fall from
heaven? The context seems to require that it should be at the time when the Seventy
were casting out demons. The contest between the personal Source of evil and Jesus
was fought out by the principals, not by their subordinates, and it is already
victoriously decided in Christ’s sight. Therefore, as the sequel of His victory, He
enlarges His gifts to His servants, couching the charter in the words of a psalm (Psa_
91:1-16). Nothing can harm the servant without the leave of the Master, and if any
evil befall him in his work, the evil in the evil, the poison on the arrow-head, will be
wiped off and taken away. But great as are the gifts to the faithful servant, they are
less to be rejoiced in than his personal inclusion among the citizens of heaven. Gifts
and powers are good, and may legitimately be rejoiced in; but to possess eternal life,
and to belong to the mother-city of us all, the New Jerusalem, is better than all gifts
and all powers.
BI, "The Lord appointed other seventy
Our Lord’s instructions to the severity
I.
CHRIST SENT OUT THE SEVENTY BY PAIRS.
II. OUR BLESSED LORD FAIRLY AND FAITHFULLY WARNED THE SEVENTY
OF THE DIFFICULTY AND DANGER OF THE CHARGE WHICH THEY WERE
UNDERTAKING.
III. OUR LORD CAUTIONS HIS MISSIONARIES AGAINST AN OVER CURIOUS
AND MINUTE REGARD TO ACCOMMODATION PREPARATORY TO THEIR
ENTERING ON THEIR MISSION, AND WHILE EMPLOYED IN EXECUTING THE
14

BUSINESS OF IT.
IV. OUR LORD RECOMMENDS TO THE DISCIPLES UNDIVIDED,
UNDEVIATING ATTENTION TO WHAT WAS SPECIALLY COMMITTED TO
THEM.
V. OUR LORD’S INSTRUCTIONS TO THE SEVENTY RESPECTING THEIR WORK
AND THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY WERE TO PERFORM IT.
VI. CHRIST ENCOURAGES HIS DISCIPLES WITH THE ASSURANCE THAT HE
SHOULD CONSIDER THE RECEPTION WHICH THEY MET WITH, AS GIVEN TO
HIMSELF. (H. Hunter, D. D.)
Two and two
Two and two before His face
Yet questions of high interest immediately arise. Why should there be any
forerunners? What were they sent to do? In order to the full, personal influence and
reign of Christ anywhere, there is a law of necessary preparation. Very impressive it
is to see that God, when He has any great gift to communicate, proceeds by pre-
arrangement. He never bursts into His family with thunders of revelation too sudden
or loud for them to bear. Take the one signal event which stands in the centre of all
history,—the personal coming of the Son of God on the earth. The prophetic spirit of
His nation had been looking out for Him, as nightly watchers on Mount Moriah
looked out for the dawn toward Hebron, two thousand years. In fact, to eyes that see
the divinity in the Saviour’s face at all, it is not difficult to discern, all along those
earlier ages, heralds like “the other seventy also,” going before that Face into the
places whither He Himself was afterward to come. Now on that great scale of time
and space we have a picture, in colossal proportions, of what goes on in every one of
our own breasts. Conscious of it or not, agencies are at work in us to make ready, if
we only will for the entrance of the Lord of the heart into His home and dwelling-
place there. Having created us for Christian service, as the true end and real glory of
our being, our Father takes pains to fit and to fashion us for that destiny, with all its
honour and all its joy. By secret influences, untraceable as the wind that bloweth
where it listeth, silently pressing on the springs of feeling and principle within us; by
strange sorrows and misgivings there. That we may become wise and strong and pure
in our grief, this process of personal preparation is in continual operation. The
heralds are out, sent by Him who is coming after them. The “other seventy” are
proceeding on their errand. We ourselves are the cities and places whither He would
come. Again, it appears from the Lord’s sending of the seventy that all personal
efforts and public movements for extending truth and increasing righteousness in the
world are really parts of His work, and are dependent on His spiritual power.
Christendom everywhere is full of beneficent activities. The benefactions of this late
age, half-blind though they may be, or forgetful of their Author, were born at
Bethlehem, and grew in stature at Nazareth, and conquered their enemies—
selfishness and pride and wrath—at Calvary, and went out among thenations with the
apostles, if we had seen one of the seventy walking in some by-way of Jericho or
Bethany, we might have seen no badge of Christ upon him, and wondered at his
eager gait or absorbed expression. But he was going where the Master sent him, and
the Master’s mantle was on him, and the Master’s secret in his soul. Thither, after
him, the Master Himself would come, to reaffirm and fulfil his words, to deepen,
sanction, complete his work. (Bishop F. D. Huntington.)
15

2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but
the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the
harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his
harvest field.
CLARKE, "That he would send forth - Εκβαλᇽ. There seems to be an allusion
here to the case of reapers, who, though the harvest was perfectly ripe, yet were in no
hurry to cut it down. News of this is brought to the Lord of the harvest the farmer,
and he is entreated to exert his authority, and hurry them out; and this he does
because the harvest is spoiling for want of being reaped and gathered in. See the
notes on Mat_9:37, Mat_9:38.
GILL, "Therefore said he unto them,.... That is, the "Lord Jesus", as the
Ethiopic version expresses it; he said to the seventy disciples, what he had before
said to the twelve apostles in Mat_9:37 where are the same words as here:
the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few, pray ye therefore the
Lord of the harvest that he would send forth labourers into his harvest;
for though there was such a number of disciples called to the ministerial work, and
sent out, there was still need of more; so great was the harvest of souls, or number of
hearers, that the labourers were yet but few; and therefore the Lord of the harvest
and whose all souls are, was to be prayed unto to send forth more laborious
preachers; See Gill on Mat_9:37. See Gill on Mat_9:38.
HENRY, "III. The instructions he gives them.
1. They must set out with prayer (Luk_10:2); and, in prayer, (1.) They must be duly
affected with the necessities of the souls of men, which called for their help. They
must look about, and see how great the harvest was, what abundance of people
there were that wanted to have the gospel preached to them and were willing to
receive it, nay, that had at this time their expectations raised of the coming of the
Messiah and of his kingdom. There was corn ready to shed and be lost for want of
hands to gather it in. Note, Ministers should apply themselves to their work under a
deep concern for precious souls, looking upon them as the riches of this world, which
ought to be secured for Christ. They must likewise be concerned that the labourers
were so few. The Jewish teachers were indeed many, but they were not labourers;
they did not gather in souls to God's kingdom, but to their own interest and party.
Note, Those that are good ministers themselves wish that there were more good
ministers, for there is work for more. It is common for tradesmen not to care how
few there are of their own trade; but Christ would have the labourers in his vineyard
reckon it a matter of complaint when the labourers are few. (2.) They must earnestly
16

desire to receive their mission from God, that he would send them forth as labourers
into his harvest who is the Lord of the harvest, and that he would send others forth;
for, if God send them forth, they may hope he will go along with them and give them
success. Let them therefore say, as the prophet (Isa_6:8), Here I am, send me. It is
desirable to receive our commission from God, and then we may go on boldly.
JAMISON, "The harvest, etc. — (See on Mat_9:37).
pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth
labourers into his harvest — (See on Mat_9:38).
CALVIN, "2.The harvest is indeed abundant. I have explained this passage
under the ninth chapter of Matthew; (32) but it was proper to insert it again in
this place, because it is related for a different purpose. In order to stimulate his
disciples the more powerfully to apply with diligence to their work, he declares
that the harvest is abundant: and hence it follows, that their labor will not be
fruitless, but that they will find, in abundance, opportunities of employment, and
means of usefulness. He afterwards reminds them of dangers, contests, and
annoyances, and bids them go and prepare themselves for traversing with speed
the whole of Judea. (33) In short, he repeats the same injunctions which he had
given to the Apostles; and, therefore, it would serve no good purpose to trouble
the reader here with many words, since a full exposition of all these matters may
be found in the passage already quoted. We may notice briefly, however, the
meaning of that expression, salute no man by the way. It indicates extreme haste,
when, on meeting a person in the way, we pass on without speaking to him, lest
he should detain us even for a short time. Thus, when Elisha sent his servant to
the Shunamite woman, he charged him not to salute any person whom he met:
if thou meet any man, salute him not;
and if any salute thee, answer not again, (2 Kings 4:31.)
Christ does not intend that his disciples shall be so unkind (34) as not to deign to
salute persons whom they meet, but bids them hasten forward, so as to pass by
every thing that would detain them.
COFFMAN, "The harvest metaphor was often used by Christ. There is always a
great harvest, but the laborers have always been in short supply. As Childers
expressed it:
The laborers have always been tragically few; it is man's fatal lack of concern for
his fellowmen that keeps the numbers so small; but the Master makes it clear
throughout his Gospel that this concern is a test of discipleship.[5]
ENDNOTE:
[5] Charles L. Childers, Beacon Bible Commentary (Kansas City: Beacon Hill
Press, 1964), p. 498.
BURKITT, "Note here,
17

1. That God's church is an harvest field.
2. That the ministers of God are laborers in his harvest, under God the Lord of
the harvest.
3. That to God alone it does belong to send forth laborers into his harvest, and
none must thrust themselves in, until God sends them forth: Pray ye the Lord of
the harvest, that he would send forth laborers.
4. That the number of faithful laborers is comparatively small and few: the
scribes and Pharisees in the Jewish harvest field are many; yet, says Christ, The
laborers are few.
5. That it is the church's duty to pray, and that earnestly and incessantly, to God
the Lord of the harvest, to increase the number of faithful laborers; and to send
forth more laborers into his harvest.
PETT, "This is the kind of statement that we might well expect Jesus to
continually repeat, especially if He saw it as a kind of commissioning. This latter
is easily possible for it occurs at the appointment of the twelve (see Matthew
9:37-38), and now at the appointment here, and is very suitable for a
commissioning which has in mind continual expansion. They are not to see their
appointment as just for this mission but as permanent and lasting, and as
committing them in the long term. It gave them a vision of what would be. They
are to see their own going forth as but a prelude to others going forth in larger
numbers, something for which they had to pray.
He is thus here urging them to pray for the sending forth of more labourers, to
follow up their own work. In a sense it is an amplifying and making practical of
the prayer ‘May your Kingly Rule come’ (Luke 11:2) describing how it is to come
by many evangelists going out in the name of Jesus. Matthew has it in an earlier
context (Matthew 9:37-38) at the time of the call of the twelve. But it was
probably the constant burden on Jesus’ heart, repeated whenever men were
commissioned to go out (there were probably a number of these evangelistic
forays). He was seeking continually to pass on the urgency of its message to His
disciples. He wanted them constantly to recognise that there was an abundant
harvest waiting to be gathered in, but that there was a shortage of labourers
(compare John 4:35-38). And this shortage was so, for He was constantly seeking
to recruit more (Luke 9:57-62). But He would only do so if they came up to His
standards. In the end it was left in His Father’s hands. It is the first instance we
have which indicates that He longed for more evangelists.
He had previously urged this prayer on the early disciples (Matthew 9:37-38)
and it had been answered to the extent that there were now seventy. So now He
urges the seventy to pray for a further extension in their numbers. They too are
to ask ‘the Lord of the harvest’ to send forth more labourers into His harvest.
There were so many to be reached and so few to reach them, and He was
conscious that the time was short. It was also another way of impressing on them
18

the importance of their task, and the speed that was necessary in its
accomplishment.
The reference to the final harvest confirms that He sees these as ‘the last days’.
That was when the final harvest was to be gathered in (Isaiah 27:12; Joel 3:13
LXX Amos 9:13; Hosea 10:12; Matthew 3:10-12; Luke 3:9; Luke 3:16-17; Luke
10:9-15). The theme of spiritual fruitfulness and harvest is a common one in
Scripture.-+
BI, "The harvest truly is great
The gospel harvest
I.
THE STATE OF THINGS WHICH OUR LORD DESCRIBES.
1. A plenteous harvest.
(1) A great number of souls.
(2) Great diversity in souls.
2. This vast and varied crop is ready for the sickle. This is proved—
(1) By the moral and spiritual necessities of the world. A genuine
philanthropist wants no other demand upon his efforts than the misery of His
fellow men; and a genuine Christian requires no other proof that men are
ready for the gospel than the fact that they need it. Here lay one of the great
mistakes of the Church of a former age. She did not think of sending the
gospel, because men did not clamour for it.
(2) But if our duty be plain in the presence of silent and uncomplaining woe,
how much more when misery is suppliant and clamorous at our feet I The
world is now conscious of its maladies; and knows full well what can heal
them.
3. The labourers are few. They toil on, willing rather to die than to abandon their
work. One and another drops and dies, exclaiming, as did the immortal
Waterhouse, “more missionaries! more missionaries!” and the very heathen
repeat and prolong the cry!
II. THE INJUNCTION FOUNDED ON THE ABOVE DESCRIPTION.
1. To whom are our prayers to be addressed? To “ the Lord of the harvest.”
(1) He is the owner and proprietor of the harvest. They are bought with a
price. The enemy had usurped possession of the great Creator’s claim.
(2) And must He not, therefore, take a deep, an unspeakable interest in
them? Think you that He can be indifferent whether this harvest is reaped or
not?
(3) And it is God’s absolute and inalienable right to choose and employ His
labourers.
2. We are called, then, to pray that God would graciously exert His prerogative in
the appointment of His own labourers to reap His own fields. What does this
prayer imply?
(1) He exerts this prerogative, in part, by the inward operation of His Holy
19

Spirit.
(2) We are to pray, not only that God would call and qualify, but also send out
labourers into His harvest. And here we must bare regard to His mode of
administration. He does for man what man cannot do for himself, but
requires him to do all that is in his power. We cannot give the piety; and the
intellectual and spiritual gifts; but it is our duty and privilege to furnish the
means for sending the men whom God has raised up.
3. Does any one ask, Why, if God is the Lord of the harvest, having such exclusive
prerogatives, and so deeply interested in the matter, He should be entreated to do
that which it so nearly concerns His honour not to leave undone? We answer,
Such sceptical inquiries become not the position of finite and mortal creatures.
The objection would apply to all prayer for any blessing; and call in question the
whole administration of heaven. (J. H. James.)
The abundance of the harvest, and the scarcity of the labourers
I. Let us first look at THE HARVEST. It is too vast to be taken within the verge of one
short sermon. China, India, Burmah, and Japan, Africa, the West Indies, South
America, Russian Tartary, Persia, and the islands of the South Sea—all this is too vast
for our consideration at the present opportunity.
II. THE LABOURERS. “The labourers are few.” Let us consider—
III. THE SAVIOUR’S PLAN FOR INCREASING THE NUMBER OF THE
LABOURERS.
1. We observe in the first place, that where persons offer this prayer in sincerity,
they make a solemn acknowledgment that God must do all the work.
2. In the second place, when a minister and a congregation offer up this prayer
and solemnly enter into its spirit, they mean that, when God raises up such men,
they will furnish the means to convey them to the heathen, and support them
when they get there.
3. In the third place, when young men utter this prayer, they mean that, if it is
the will of God, they are ready to become labourers.
4. Observe, in the last place, that when Christian parents offer up this prayer,
they express their willingness that their children should go. (R. Knill.)
Harvest ripeness
It is just to go and gather in Christ’s sheep that are scattered abroad all over the
world. In the notion of a harvest we cannot rid ourselves of the idea of ripeness—and
I shall take a twofold view of this. There are some of the Lord’s family, and it falls to
my lot not unfrequently to meet with such in whom we cannot fail to discern the
presence of life; their knowledge of themselves as sinners is manifest, their view of
Christ as a Saviour is encouraging, and even their reliance upon Him—but there is a
want of ripeness, there is a rawness, a greenness, a defectiveness, a youthfulness. The
harvest is craning on, beloved; let us look to our ripeness, the ripeness of all our
faculties, as exercised in the things of God, the ripeness of all the graces called into
full exercise, so that faith shall no longer be like a grain of mustard seed, but like the
ripe ear, waving and bending with its weight—so that love shall no longer be faint and
glimmering, as if it were but a spark, but fanned to a flame, rising high, and soaring
20

to its native source; so that humility shall no longer be a piece of mockery, something
openly expressed but never felt, but that which debases the soul in its own esteem,
and keeps it in the dust at the feet of Jesus; so that hope shall not be merely the hope
of the hypocrite, but a sure and steadfast thing as the ripeness we speak of—
“Entering into that within the veil.” Moreover, there is a ripeness in grace, and there
is a ripeness in sin. The sickle is coming, beloved, and therefore examine which state
of ripeness you are in. When God was about to destroy the seven nations of Canaan,
and told Moses of His deferring it for a time, while the children of Israel travelled
forty years in the wilderness, He gave this as the reason, that the iniquity of the
Amorites was not quite full—their sin was not yet completely ripe. Moreover, I saw in
some fields some fine heavy corn, which was sadly “laid,” as they call it, bent down to
the ground, and not exposed to the sun, so that it will be a long time before it gets
ripe. What a picture of a great number of real Christians! They are so earthbound, so
fond of this world, so laid low in their grovelling desires after it, that they cannot be
expected to get ripe very fast. That corn gets ripe the fastest that lifts its head the
highest, and gets away from the ground and the weeds. Beloved, if you would be ripe
Christians, I tell you that you must get it by being lifted above the world and its
vanities, enjoying intimacy with God, fellowship with the Most High, aspiring to
heaven, and enjoying communications from above. (J. Irons.)
The labourers and the field
Note here—
1. That God’s Church is a harvest field.
2. That the ministers of God are labourers in His harvest, under God, the Lord of
the harvest.
3. That to God alone doth it belong to send forth labourers into His harvest, and
none must thrust themselves in till God sends them forth.
4. That the number of faithful labourers is comparatively small and few.
5. That it is the Church’s duty to pray, and that earnestly and incessantly, to God
the Lord of the harvest, to increase the number of faithful labourers, and to send
forth more labourers into His harvest. (W. Burkitt.)
The husbandry of God
1. Great is the harvest.
2. Few are the labourers.
3. God alone can restore the just relation between harvest and labourers. (Van
Oosterzee.)
God the Lord of the harvest
1. God determines the time of the harvest.
2. God appoints the labourers for the harvest.
3. God guards the success of the harvest.
4. God deserves the thank-offering of the harvest. (Van Oosterzee.)
21

The need of immediate workers
Captain Allen Gardiner, on the inhospitable coast of South America, where he slowly
perished with hunger, in the hope of attracting the notice of some passing vessel,
wrote on the cliff in large letters “DELAY NOT, WE ARE STARVING.” Years after,
the words were seen; but it was too late, the bleached bones of the brave hero of the
cross strewed the beach. Help had been delayed, and he had perished. The like cry of
a dying world for the Bread of Life, ringing in the ears of the people of God who have
enough and to spare, will surely not be much longer unheeded. A few have responded
already, but what are these among so many? Oh that we would each one arise and do
our utmost daily, expecting to see mighty results now! (J. C. Fullerton.)
A prayer for more labourers
Leonard Keyser, a friend and disciple of Luther, having been condemned by the
bishop, had his head shaved, and being dressed in a smock-frock, was placed on
horseback. As the executioners were cursing and swearing because they could not
disentangle the ropes with which his limbs were to be tied, he said to them mildly,
“Dear friends, your bonds are not necessary; my Lord Christ has already bound me.”
When he drew near the stake, Keyser looked at the crowd and exclaimed, “Behold the
harvest! O Master, send forth Thy labourers!” And then ascending the scaffold, he
cried, “O Jesus, save me!” These were his last words. “What am I, a wordy preacher,”
said Luther, when he received the news of his death, “in comparison with this great
doer of the Word?” (J. H. M. D’Aubigne.)
Christ’s harvest and Christ’s reapers
I. CHRIST MEANT HIS SEVENTY DISCIPLES TO GO FORTH AND GATHER
THAT WHICH HAD ALREADY GROWN AND RIPENED.
1. He saw a harvest of piety, for instance, waiting for Himself, and the proofs of
His Messiahship.
2. I think He saw also another sort of harvest, or another element in that
harvest—the moral element. There were many highly moral people living in the
world who had become disgusted with religion and its priests.
II. THE CHARACTER OF THE HARVEST-MEN HE EMPLOYED. It is at once
painful and disheartening to perceive that He did not select, either as individuals or
as a class, the professed teachers of religion, He employed no class of men as such.
He dealt only with persons and their individual consciences, and so acting, it is easy
to discover the sort of people He could call and use as His harvest-men.
III. AS THESE WERE PEOPLE MORALLY AND SPIRITUALLY LIKE HIMSELF
(TO SOME REAL EXTENT AT LEAST), HE WAS RESTRICTED GREATLY IN THE
NUMBER OF GATHERERS, AS HE WAS RESTRICTED IN THE METHOD OF
INGATHERING TO BE EMPLOYED.
IV. I REMARK UPON THE MODE IN WHICH THE HARVEST WAS TO BE
GATHERED. HOW were the pious and the moral to be brought in? I might properly
answer, on a principle of natural selection. They were to preach the gospel of Christ,
and illustrate, enforce, and commend that gospel by the beauty and perfectness of
22

their own holy lives. They would thus become witnesses for God, as He was a witness
for God.
V. TAKE NOW THE PRACTICAL LESSON. Piety in you and me, who profess to be
Christ’s real friends, is to attract whatever piety we come in contact with. There is
plenty of unattached piety waiting to be attracted by you and me. The Lord sent out
twelve, then seventy. That great world-clasping system we call Christianity had once
so few supporters and missionaries.
Do you ask how many it wants now? I will tell you. It wants every man, woman, and
child, into whose soul the grace of God has come, that every other life found in the
vast field of human activity may be brought with a throb of love and a song of joy, s
gathered ear all ripe and golden to the great Lord of the harvest of souls. (J.
McDougall.)
3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among
wolves.
GILL, "Go your ways,.... Into all the villages, towns, cities, and places, where he
directed them to go, to make ready for him.
Behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves; as harmless, innocent,
profitable, and defenceless creatures, among spiteful, malicious, cunning, and cruel
men; See Gill on Mat_10:16.
HENRY, "2. They must set out with an expectation of trouble and persecution:
“Behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves; but go your ways, and resolve to
make the best of it. Your enemies will be as wolves, bloody and cruel, and ready to
pull you to pieces; in their threatenings and revilings, they will be as howling wolves
to terrify you; in their persecutions of you, they will be as ravening wolves to tear
you. But you must be as lambs, peaceable and patient, though made an easy prey of.”
It would have been very hard thus to be sent forth as sheep among wolves, if he had
not endued them with his spirit and courage.
LIGHTFOOT, "[As lambs among wolves.] It is added in another evangelist, "Be
ye wise as serpents," &c.: with which we may compare that in Midrash Schir;
"The holy blessed God saith concerning Israel those that belong to me are simple
as doves, but amongst the nations of the world, they are subtle as serpents."
COFFMAN, "The similarity of these instructions to those given to the Twelve
has been made the basis of denying this mission of the seventy as historical by
scholars like Easton, Klostermann, Creed, Luce, and many others.[6] Such
denials, however, are but arrogant, unscientific prejudice; and as Geldenhuys
commented:
Such opinions are mere subjective conjectures, at variance with the available
23

data, as well as with Luke's express purpose to relate only actual facts (Luke
1:1-4). No conclusive evidence can be adduced to prove as unhistorical Luke's
description of the mission of the seventy.[7]
Carry no purse, wallet ... The meaning here is clearly that of eliminating
baggage, as if Jesus had said, "Go just as you are." These are essentially the
same restrictions imposed on the Twelve.
No shoes ... The Cambridge Bible Commentary translates this clause, "Carry no
purse, or pack; and travel barefoot!"[8] And this is just the type of crooked
exegesis that mars so many works of critical scholars. The verb in this clause
which is applicable to "shoes" is "carry" not "wear"; and the meaning is
undeniably a prohibition of carrying "extra" shoes. Gilmour went out of his way
to muddy the meaning when he wrote: "Carry no (extra) sandals would be a
forced interpretation."[9] This is not, however, a "forced" interpretation at all,
but the only intelligent and natural interpretation of Jesus' words. If the Lord
had meant for them to go barefoot, would he not have said so? The trouble that
prevents some from accepting this obvious meaning of the instruction is that it
takes away all excuse for claiming contradiction in the synoptics. Matthew
(Matthew 10:10) says, "no staff"; Mark (Mark 6:8) says "staff only"; and the
true harmony of these lies in the fact of Matthew's reference to "extras" and
Mark's exception for what was already in use. This passage in Luke gives the key
of understanding all three synoptics.
Salute no man on the way ... This means that "They were not to waste their time
along the road through long-winded salutations as is customary in the East."[10]
[6] Norval Geldenhuys, op. cit., p. 302.
[7] Ibid.
[8] E. J. Tinsley, Commentary on Luke (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1969), p. 111.
[9] S. MacLean Gilmour, The Interpreter's Bible (New York: Abingdon Press,
1952), Vol. VIII, p. 185.
[10] Norval Geldenhuys, op. cit., p. 300.
BURKITT, "Our Saviour, 1. Arms his disciples against the difficulties, dangers,
and discouragements which they might meet with in the course of their ministry,
by telling them, that he sent them forth as lambs among wolves; thereby
intimating, that the enemies of the gospel have as great an inclination, from their
malicious nature, to devour and destroy the ministers of Christ, as wolves have
from their natural temper to devour lambs: Behold, I send you forth as lambs
among wolves.
2. Our Saviour directs them in this their first expedition to preach the gospel, to
commit themselves to the gracious care and good providence of God, both for
provision and protection: Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor staff, says St.
24

Matthew; as if he had said, trust God with the care of your lives, rely upon his
providence both for protection and provision: yet must we take notice, that this
was only a temporary command, given to the disciples for this particular
journey, which they were quickly to despatch; for in the general, Christ allows
his ministers as well as others, to exercise a prudent and provident care for
themselves and their families.
And as it is the ministers' duty to trust God in the use of prudential means for
their maintenance, so it is the people's duty to take care for their ministers'
comfortable subsistence. The workman is worthy of his meat, says our Saviour;
that is, of all necessary supplies: he is worthy of a comfortable, subsistence, and,
where it may be had, of an honorable maintenance.
PETT, "He sends them out as messengers of peace. They are to be like lambs in
the midst of wolves, seeking to bring the wolves into oneness with themselves
(Isaiah 11:6; Isaiah 65:25) but recognising that they might be ‘eaten’. There is a
recognition here in the mention of wolves of the dangers and tribulations that
they will face (compare Ezekiel 22:27; Matthew 7:15; Matthew 10:16; John
10:12; Acts 20:29), including harsh treatment from the synagogues (Luke 21:12;
Matthew 10:17; Matthew 23:34; Mark 13:9; John 16:2). But they are be like
lambs, not retaliating but being non-belligerent and accepting of what comes to
them, in a similar way to the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 53:7), and recognising
that as His lambs God carries them in His arms (Isaiah 40:11). Ancient Jewish
tradition (Psalm of Solomon Luke 8:23/28) also says, ‘The pious of God are like
innocent lambs in their midst’ (that is, in the midst of the nations of the earth).
BI, "As lambs among wolves
Counsels of prudence
I.
THE NATURE OF PRUDENCE. In general, it is a discerning and employing the most
proper means of obtaining those ends, which we propose to ourselves. It is an
important branch of prudence to avoid faults. One false step sometimes ruins, or,
however, greatly embarrasses and retards a good design. Prudence likewise
supposeth the main-raining of innocence and integrity. We may not neglect our duty
to avoid danger.
II. THE NECESSITY, GROUNDS, AND REASONS OF PRUDENCE. These are
chiefly the wickedness and the weakness of men. Good men, therefore, are obliged to
be upon their guard, and make use of some methods of defence and security. Nay, if
there were no bad men, yet there would be need of prudent behaviour, because some
who have not much reflection or experience are apt to put wrong constructions upon
harmless actions. A great part of prudence lies in denying ourselves, so as to keep
some way within the limits of virtue.
III. SOME RULES AND DIRECTIONS concerning a prudent conduct, with regard to
our words and actions.
1. The first rule of prudence I lay down is this, that we should endeavour to know
ourselves. He that knows not himself may undertake designs he is not fit for, and
can never accomplish, in which he must, therefore, necessarily meet with
25

disappointment.
2. Endeavour to know other men. It is a point of charity to hope the best of every
man, and of prudence to fear the worst.
3. Watch, and embrace opportunities.
4. Advise with those who are able to give you good counsel.
5. Restrain and govern your affections. (T. Lardner.)
A lamb among wolves
One of the most conspicuous instances of moral courage which history affords is the
following: The veteran Stilicho had conquered Alaric and his Goths. The Romans
invite the hero and his ward—a stupid, cowardly boy, the Emperor Honorius—to
gladiatorial games in honour of the victory. The empire has been Christian for a
hundred years, yet these infamous and brutalizing shows still continue. They are
defended with all sorts of devil’s sophistry. The games begin; the tall, strong men
enter the arena; the tragic cry echoes through the amphitheatre, “Ave Caesar,
moritari te salutamus!” the swords are drawn, and in an instant’s signal will be
bathed in blood. At that very moment down leaps into the arena a rude, ignorant
monk. “The gladiators shall not fight,” he exclaims. “Are you going to thank God by
shedding innocent blood?” A yell of execration rises from these 80,000 spectators.
“Who is this wretch that dares to set himself up as knowing better than we do? Pelt
him! Cut him down!” Stones are hurled at him; the gladiators run him through with
their swords; he falls dead, and his body is kicked aside, and the games go on, and
the people—Christians and all—shout applause. Aye, they go on, and the people
shout, for the last time. Their eyes are opened; their sophistry is at an end; the blood
of a martyr is on their souls. Shame stops for ever the massacre of gladiators; and
because one poor, ignorant hermit has moral courage, “one more habitual crime was
wiped away from the annals of the world.” (Arch deacon Farrar.)
4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do
not greet anyone on the road.
BARNES, "Purse ...scrip ...shoes - See the notes at Mat_10:10.
Salute no man by the way - Salutations among the Orientals did not consist, as
among us, of a slight bow or an extension of the hand, but was performed by many
embraces and inclinations, and even prostrations of the body on the ground. All this
required much “time;” and as the business on which the seventy were sent was
urgent, they were required not to “delay” their journey by long and formal salutations
of the persons whom they met. “If two Arabs of equal rank meet each other, they
extend to each other the right hand, and having clasped, they elevate them as if to
kiss them. Each one then draws back his hand and kisses it instead of his friend’s,
and then places it upon his forehead. The parties then continue the salutation by
kissing each other’s beard. They gave thanks to God that they are once more
26

permitted to see their friend - they pray to the Almighty in his behalf. Sometimes
they repeat not less than ten times the ceremony of grasping hands and kissing.”
It may also be added, in the language of Dr. Thomson (“The Land and the Book,”
vol. i. p. 534), that “there is such an amount of insincerity, flattery, and falsehood in
the terms of salutation prescribed by etiquette, that our Lord, who is truth itself,
desired his representatives to dispense with them as far as possible, perhaps tacitly to
rebuke them. These ‘instructions’ were also intended to reprove another propensity
which an Oriental can scarcely resist, no matter how urgent his business. If he meets
an acquaintance, he must stop and make an endless number of inquiries and answer
as many. If they come upon people making a bargain or discussing any other matter,
they must pause and intrude their own ideas, and enter keenly into the business,
though it in no wise concerns them; and more especially, an Oriental can never resist
the temptation to assist “where accounts are being settled or money counted out.”
The clink of coin has a positive fascination to them. Now the command of our
Saviour strictly forbade all such loiterings. They would waste time, distract attention,
and in many ways hinder the prompt and faithful discharge of their important
mission.” The salutation of friends, therefore, was a ceremony which consumed
much time; and it was on this account that our Lord on this occasion forbade them to
delay their journey to greet others. A similar direction is found in 2Ki_4:29.
CLARKE, "Carry neither purse nor scrip - See on Mat_10:9 (note), etc., and
Mar_6:8 (note), etc.
Salute no man by the way - According to a canon of the Jews, a man who was
about any sacred work was exempted from all civil obligations for the time;
forasmuch as obedience to God was of infinitely greater consequence than the
cultivation of private friendships, or the returning of civil compliments.
GILL, "Carry neither purse,.... The Syriac version reads, "purses, "to put money,
gold, silver, and brass in; and the prohibition regards the money in the purse chiefly:
nor scrip; the Syriac version here also reads in the plural number, "scrips", to put
victuals in, provisions or any sort for their journey, which they were not to carry with
them, any more than money, to buy food with
Nor shoes; any more than those they had upon their feet; See Gill on Mat_10:9,
Mat_10:10 and salute no man by the way; that they might not be retarded, and
hindered in their journey by tedious ceremonies, and long inquiries into the health of
persons and friends, and the business they were going about, and places where; and
by discourses and confabulations, drawn out to great length, as was often the case at
meeting on the road: and, for the same reason, a like charge is given to Gehazi, 2Ki_
4:29, and which, as the Jewish commentators on the place observe (a), was, that he
might not multiply words with persons he met with, and might not be stopped by the
way; and that his intention might be in his work, and his mind might not turn to any
other thing, either by word or deed. So our Lord's intention, by this order was, not to
teach them incivility, or to be morose and uncourteous; but that they might dispatch
their business with the utmost expedition, and rather forego some common civilities
and ceremonies, than to neglect, or, in the least, to hinder a work of so much
importance they were sent about: and this was the more necessary, since, according
to the Jewish maxim (b),
"prevent every man with a salutation;''
27

they saluted all that they met, which took up time, and hindered business. Some sorts
of persons indeed were excused, as those who were mourners (c) for the dead, and
such as kept fasts for rain (d): but such were not these disciples; they neither
mourned, nor fasted, nor could they, so long as the bridegroom was with them.
HENRY, " They must go as men in haste, that had their particular places assigned
them, where they must deliver their message, and in their way directly to those places
must not hinder or retard themselves with needless ceremonies or compliments. (2.)
They must go as men of business, business that relates to another world, which they
must be intent in, and intent upon, and therefore must not entangle themselves with
conversation about secular affairs. Minister verbi est; hoc age - You are a minister of
the word; attend to your office. (3.) They must go as serious men, and men in
sorrow. It was the custom of mourners, during the first seven days of their
mourning, not to salute any, Job_2:13. Christ was a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief; and it was fit that by this and other signs his messengers should resemble
him, and likewise show themselves affected with the calamities of mankind which
they came to relieve, and touched with a feeling of them.
LIGHTFOOT, "[Salute no man by the way.] I. We have a passage something like
this elsewhere; "If thou meet any man, salute him not"; that is (as is commonly
expounded), do not hinder thy journey by discoursing with any in the way. But
the same reason doth not hold in this place; the business of these disciples not
requiring such mighty expedition. They were commanded out two by two, to this
or the other place or city where Christ himself was to come in person; nor was it
necessary they should run in so great haste, that they should make no stay in the
way. Only having appointed them to such and such places, their business indeed
lay nowhere but in those very places to which they had been particularly sent, to
proclaim the coming of Christ there, and not to be telling it in the way. The
twelve apostles that were sent, their business was to declare the coming of the
'kingdom of heaven'; these the coming of the 'King himself.' No wonder,
therefore, if the apostles were not forbidden to salute any in the way; for their
province was, wherever they came, to tell the world that the kingdom of heaven
was come: but these were only to give notice that the Messiah was coming: and
that in those places only to which he was to come, and not to any whom they
should meet cursorily in the way.
II. It was a very usual thing in that nation, upon some accounts, not to salute any
in the way, no, not any person at all. "He that is mourning for the dead, let him
not salute any person for the first seven days of his mourning." If thirteen fasts
had been celebrated by order of the Sanhedrim for the imploring of rain, and yet
no rain had fallen, then they "diminish from their business, and from building,
and from planting, and from espousals and marriage, and from saluting each
other as men under the rebukes of Heaven": that is, they abstained from all
these things. "The religious do not use to salute one another; but if any of the
common people do at any time salute them, they return it in a very low voice
with all gravity, veiling themselves, and sitting in the posture of mourners or
excommunicate persons."
Whether that of the apostle, "Salute one another with a holy kiss," might not
28

have some reference to this usage, might be a matter for our inquiry, if there
were place for it; but I forbear.
What therefore doth our Saviour intend by this prohibition, Salute no man by
the way? would he imitate this Jewish custom, that he would have them taken for
mourners everywhere?
I. He would have all that belonged to him conformable to himself, that every one
from the quality of the messengers might, in some measure, judge what he was
that sent them; as we have already hinted concerning the twelve apostles, He
himself was "a man of sorrows"; and if his messengers do represent some such
thing, either in their looks or behaviour, the people might the more easily guess
what kind of person he was that commissioned them.
II. Christ had a twofold end in designing them to the places to which he in his
own person had determined to come; namely, that thither all persons should
assemble themselves to his doctrine for the healing of their souls: and that those
that were diseased might be gathered thither in order to a cure. Now it was very
fit and convenient that the behaviour of those that were to assemble the people to
these ends should be mournful and solemn, to testify the fellow-feeling they had
with the afflicted and miserable.
COKE, "Luke 10:4. And salute no man by the way.— The instructions given to
the seventy on this occasion, were nearly the same with those delivered to the
twelve; concerning which, see the notes on Matthew 13. Only he ordered the
seventy to spend no time in saluting such persons as they met on the road, the
time assigned them for going through the cities being but short. The phrase
salute no man by the way, implies the greatest dispatch, as is evident from 2
Kings 4:29. For the eastern salutations were exceedingly tedious,consisting of
long wishes of happiness to the person saluted, and of very particular inquiries
concerning his welfare.
PETT, "They are to go out in haste, trusting fully in God’s provision, and not
wasting time on conventional greetings which in those days could be long and
time consuming, nor in idle chatter (compare 2 Kings 4:29 for a similar idea).
They are to be recognised as King’s Messengers, with their concentration set on
reaching out with the Good News. All would thereby recognise the urgency of
their mission and the importance of their message. And they are to be seen as
having no love of possessions. Men will listen to them and respect them because
they are like the prophets before them, and are not seeking for money to fill their
purses. Similar restrictions were applied to the Essenes.
‘Carry -- no shoes’ indicates that they are not to carry spares. It is interesting
that in the Talmud carrying all these things was also forbidden on the Temple
Mount, although there too they could wear sandals. Carrying luggage would
distract from the main purpose of their being there.
‘Salute no man on the way.’ It was recognised that a messenger in a hurry would
29

not greet people (compare 2 Kings 4:29), for once he had done so he might be
involved in a long delay. Courtesy demanded that the greeting be accompanied
by the social niceties which could become extended (consider Judges 19:4-9
where the attitude is exemplified).
BI, "Salute no man by the way
No time to be lost
“Salute no man by the way.
” It is remarkable that such an injunction should be given by our Divine Master, so
distinguished as He was for amiable feelings and condescension, while at the same
time He immediately added an exhortation to pay the usual courtesy, by desiring
them, when they entered a house, to “salute the family.” The reason of this apparent
inconsistency is easily discovered. In eastern countries, we are told, that salutations
between travellers meeting on a journey are attended by so many questions, by so
many expressions of welcome often repeated, and so many tedious forms, as
seriously to retard their journey. Now, if such interruptions often occurred, as might
be the case on a much-frequented road, the object of their journey might be in a great
measure frustrated. When such despatch was required as our Saviour deemed
necessary on this occasion, those tedious forms of customary civilities were to be
omitted. It is true, that in the charge which our Saviour gave to the twelve, He
uttered no prohibition to salute the travellers which they might meet with on the
way. But it was properly given to the seventy disciples, because haste, which was not
required at the mission of the twelve, was then become necessary. (J. Thomson, D.
D.)
Salutation
They were to waste no time on such ceremonies which were clearly excessive. We,
however, are in no great danger of carrying the ceremony of salutation to excess. It
befits us, therefore, to take heed how we minify even the few salutations which we
have. “Good-bye” is all we have left of “God be with you”; for men are ashamed any
longer to use that. Instead of the grand salutation, “God be with you,” you shall hear
men who are parting say, “Well, old fellow, take care of yourself!” Men are
substituting a course way of greeting and saluting each other, instead of giving those
reverent, dignified, pleasure-giving, respect-inspiring salutations which belong to
antiquity, and which should belong to every refined society—and to none so much as
that which calls itself Christian. (H. W.Beecher.)
5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to
this house.’
GILL, "And into whatsoever house ye enter,.... When ye come into any city,
town, or village,
30

first say, peace be to this house: salute the inhabitants in the usual form, saying,
peace be to you; wishing them all happiness and prosperity, temporal, spiritual, and
eternal. This shows our Lord did not disapprove of civil salutations.
HENRY, "4. They must show, not only their goodwill, but God's good-will, to all
to whom they came, and leave the issue and success to him that knows the heart,
Luk_10:5, Luk_10:6.
(1.) The charge given them was, Whatsoever house they entered into, they must
say, Peace be to this house. Here, [1.] They are supposed to enter into private houses;
for, being not admitted into the synagogues, they were forced to preach where they
could have liberty. And, as their public preaching was driven into houses, so thither
they carried it. Like their Master, wherever they visited, they preached from house to
house, Act_5:42; Act_20:20. Christ's church was at first very much a church in the
house. [2.] They are instructed to say, “Peace be to this house, to all under this roof,
to this family, and to all that belong to it.” Peace be to you was the common form of
salutation among the Jews. They must not use it in formality, according to custom,
to those they met on the way, because they must use it with solemnity to those whose
houses they entered into: “Salute no man by the way in compliment, but to those
into whose house ye enter, say, Peace be to you, with seriousness and in reality; for
this is intended to be more than a compliment.” Christ's ministers go into all the
world, to say, in Christ's name, Peace be to you. First, We are to propose peace to all,
to preach peace by Jesus Christ, to proclaim the gospel of peace, the covenant of
peace, peace on earth, and to invite the children of men to come and take the benefit
of it. Secondly, We are to pray for peace to all. We must earnestly desire the salvation
of the souls of those we preach to, and offer up those desires to God in prayer; and it
may be well to let them know that we do thus pray for them, and bless them in the
name of the Lord.
(2.) The success was to be different, according to the different dispositions of those
whom they preached to and prayed for. According as the inhabitants were sons of
peace or not, so their peace should or should not rest upon the house. Recipitur ad
modum recipientis - The quality of the receiver determines the nature of the
reception. [1.] “You will meet with some that are the sons of peace, that by the
operations of divine grace, pursuant to the designations of the divine counsel, are
ready to admit the word of the gospel in the light and love of it, and have their hearts
made as soft wax to receive the impressions of it. Those are qualified to receive the
comforts of the gospel in whom there is a good work of grace wrought. And, as to
those, your peace shall find them out and rest upon them; your prayers for them
shall be heard, the promises of the gospel shall be confirmed to them, the privileges
of it conferred on them, and the fruit of both shall remain and continue with them - a
good part that shall not be taken away.” [2.] “You will meet with others that are no
ways disposed to hear or heed your message, whole houses that have not one son of
peace in them.” Now it is certain that our peace shall not come upon them, they have
no part nor lot in the matter; the blessing that rests upon the sons of peace shall
never come upon the sons of Belial, nor can any expect the blessings of the covenant
that will not come under the bonds of it. But it shall return to us again; that is, we
shall have the comfort of having done our duty to God and discharged our trust. Our
prayers like David's shall return into our own bosom (Psa_35:13) and we shall have
commission to go on in the work. Our peace shall return to us again, not only to be
enjoyed by ourselves, but to be communicated to others, to the next we meet with,
them that are sons of peace.
COFFMAN, "Son of peace ... is a Hebrew idiom meaning "a person inclined to
31

peace"; and the use of it in this context shows that no positive or righteous action
is ever lost. An expression of good-will will bless the receiver of it, but if rejected
will return to bless the giver. As Summers wrote: "No prayer for God's peace or
blessing is wasted ... if one upon whom the blessing is pronounced rejects it, it
will return to bless him who sincerely offered it."[11]
ENDNOTE:
[11] Ray Summers, Commentary on Luke (Waco, Texas: Word Books,
Publisher, 1973), p. 127.
NISBET, "A CORDIAL SALUTATION
‘And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.’
Luke 10:5
Among the instructions delivered to the seventy was this instruction which was
that without waiting to prove their entertainers they were to enter upon their
quarters pleasantly, cheerfully. It was to be their habit to anticipate the best.
I. We know how very doubtful some persons always are, in reference to anything
new, which they have not yet tested. There is not a particle of sweet faith in them.
It seems impossible for them to expect smilingly that good is coming to them.
You proffer them a new idea, a new plan, or method, and you can tell by their
manner that their hearts are far from whispering ‘Peace to this thing.’ Have we
never noticed the difference between two persons in taking possession of some
temporary lodging! How soon something is certain to be found by him who does
not say first to the house ‘Peace to you’! These are little things, and yet Christ
spake of and cared for them.
II. The seventy were to assume also that the inmates were worthy of cordial
salutation.—Begin always, says Christ, by feeling graciously towards them. The
average Englishman is not at all given to this, and needs to be exhorted and
urged in this direction. He is naturally shy of strangers, and perhaps shows some
suspicion too. Yet Christ charges us that we learn to beam upon our fellows
whom we chance to encounter. Let us nourish the habit of believing in one
another, of anticipating discoveries of beauty and grace in one another.
III. The Incarnation of the Lord constitutes us all brethren together with Him;
and how can he be said to confess that it is so who is not prepared to think
generously of every man whom he meets, to look upon him with feelings of
goodwill, and to accept him cordially? Thus the little thing on which we have
been dwelling runs up into, and has its root in, a very great thing—nothing less,
really, than our faith in the Holy Incarnation.
Illustration
‘It is probable that “Peace be to this house” was a common Jewish form of
salutation’ (See 1 Samuel 25:6; Psalms 122:7-8).
32

Luke 10 commentary

Empfohlen

Empfohlen

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Was ist angesagt?

Was ist angesagt? (20)

Ähnlich wie Luke 10 commentary

Ähnlich wie Luke 10 commentary (20)

Mehr von GLENN PEASE

Mehr von GLENN PEASE (20)

Kürzlich hochgeladen

Kürzlich hochgeladen (20)

Luke 10 commentary