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Matthew 10:17-24

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

17. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18. And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 21. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against [their] parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22. And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 23. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. 24. The disciple is not above [his] master, nor the servant above his lord.

Matthew 10:17-24 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Matthew 10:17

Theological / Devotional

Beware. Gr. prosecho, “to take heed.” Christ now sets forth a concrete example of the wariness that should characterize the Christian worker in his labor; he is to “beware of men,” that is, of men who are not guided in their thinking by the Holy Spirit, for such are in greater or less degree responsive to the promptings of Satan.

Councils. That is, the local courts of justice or the little sanhedrins, thought to have consisted of 23 members (see on ch. 5:22). Such local courts were to be found in various Jewish communities except Jerusalem, where the Great Sanhedrin met.

Scourge you. The deacon, or chazzan, was usually the one who administered a flogging (see p. 56). The law of Moses provided for flogging (Deut. 25:1-3). Forty stripes was the maximum penalty. It was customary to administer no more than 39 strokes — withholding the last implied mercy. Paul received such treatment five times (2 Cor. 11:24).

By SdaBc