Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 9:3
And he said unto them, Take nothing for [your] journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
3. And he said unto them ] For a much fuller account of the instructions given to the Twelve see Mat 10:5-15. Some of these are recorded by St Luke as given also to the Seventy, Luk 10:1-16.
neither staves ] Or a staff (as N, A, B, and many uncials). The plural may have been frivolously introduced by some copyist who wished to avoid an apparent discrepancy with Mar 6:8, “save a staff only.” St Matthew also says, ‘not even a staff.’ Minute and wholly unimportant as the variation would have been, it may turn on the fact that our Lord told them not specially to procure ( , Matt.) these things for the journey; or on the fact that speaking in Aramaic He used the phrase (kee im), which might be explained ‘even if you have a staff it is unnecessary.’
nor scrip ] i.e. wallet, a bag carried over the shoulder to contain a few dates or other common necessaries. 1Sa 17:40.
neither dread ] which they usually took with them, Luk 9:13; Mat 16:7.
neither money ] Literally, “silver.” St Luke uses the word because it was the common metal for coinage among the Greeks. St Mark uses “copper,” the common Roman coinage.
neither have two coats apiece ] i.e. do not carry with you a second tunic ( ketoneth) which indeed is a rare luxury among poor Orientals. (See on Luk 3:11.) If they carried a second tunic at all they could only do so conveniently by putting it on (Mar 6:9). St Mark adds that they were to wear sandals, and St Matthew that they were not to have travelling shoes ( hupodimata). The general spirit of the instructions merely is, Go forth in the simplest, humblest manner, with no hindrances to your movements and in perfect faith; and this, as history shews, has always been the method of the most successful missions. At the same time we must remember that the wants of the Twelve were very small (see on Luk 8:3) and were secured by the open hospitality of the East (Thomson, Land and Book, p. 346).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Luk 9:3
Take nothing for your Journey
Travelling without any burden
It is easy travelling if you have no burden.
They were on His business, sent by Him, and He assumed their care, and forbade them to trust themselves, or any other but Him. What a load of care goes off with this, what a burden of responsibility is removed; but what faith and humility is needed! Some of them had been called away from full nets (Luk 5:11), and it takes faith to follow under such circumstances. Many would start if they were permitted to carry the fish, but they are afraid. Afraid–of what, or whom? How strange to their eyes would some of us appear, as we go forth to our work, clothed in rags of self-righteousness and wrappers of pride, loaded with burdens of care and sin? Too much like the Israelites, leaving Egypt with flocks and herds, clothes and kettles, bread and kneading troughs; delivered from bondage, but knowing nothing of the manna, or the water from the rock. Others are afraid to go, fearing to swing off from their earthly base of supplies, and trust the promises of God. But it is all explained in the word, Lo, I am with you alway. And what for?
1. Surely to provide. Is He not the Creator? And what would come of all their care if He did not provide? How long would it take them to create a barley-corn, or make a fish?
2. Surely to direct. What would their ignorance have accomplished without Him? And, with such a captain, what need of vexatious study over plans and methods?
3. Surely to lead. In the march through an unknown wilderness, or through a trackless desert, or over an unknown sea, to an unknown port, what progress without a guide and a pilot?
4. Surely to carry all their burdens (Psa 55:22; 1Pe 5:7). And, if he wishes to carry them all, why need we refuse or complain? Is it not because He knows our weakness, and because of His strength? And is this all? Oh no! Surely it is because He will be our companion. What are the power and wisdom and riches without the love? If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence (Exo 33:15). (Sunday School Times.)
Apostolic simplicity
The Rev. H. Davies, sometimes called the Welsh Apostle, was walking early one Sabbath morning to a place where he was to preach. He was overtaken by a clergyman on horseback, who complained that he could not get above half a guinea for a discourse. Oh sir, said Mr. Davies, I preach for a crown; Do you? replied the stranger; then you are a disgrace to the cloth. To this rude observation he returned this meek answer, Perhaps I shall be held in still greater disgrace, in your estimation, when I inform you that I am now going nine miles to preach, and have but sevenpence in my pocket to bear my expenses out and in; but I look forward to that crown of glory which my Lord and Saviour will freely bestow upon me when He makes His appearance before an assembled world.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 3. Take nothing] See note on Mr 6:7; Mr 6:8.
Neither money] See Clarke on Mt 10:9.
Neither have two coats] Show that in all things ye are ambassadors for God; and go on his charges.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And he said unto them, take nothing for your journey,…. Throughout the towns and cities of Judea, where they were sent to preach the Gospel:
neither staves, The Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions, read in the singular number, “neither staff, rod, or club”; and so it was in one of Beza’s ancient copies, but in all the rest in the plural, as in Matthew; which last must be the true reading, since one staff was allowed, according as in Mr 6:8 though more than one were forbidden:
nor scrip; or bag to put provision in;
[See comments on Mt 10:10]
Neither bread, neither money; gold, silver, or brass, to buy bread with; because they were to have it, wherever they came, given them, as their due, and the reward of their labour;
neither have two coats apiece; the word “apiece” is left out in one copy, nor is it expressed in the Vulgate Latin and the eastern versions, which read as in Mt 10:10 though the word does aptly and clearly express the sense of the prohibition, which was not that they should not have two coats among them, but not two apiece; or each man should not have two, or have change of raiment; [See comments on Mt 10:10]
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Neither staff ( ). For the apparent contradiction between these words (Mt 10:10) and Mr 6:8 see discussion there. For (wallet) see also on Mr 6:8 (Mt 10:10) for this and other details here.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Take [] . Lit., lift, with a view of carrying away.
Staves. Following the reading rJabdouv, for which read rJabdon, staff. Two coats [ ] . Lit., two apiece : the force of ajna, as in Joh 2:6.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And he said to them,” (kai eipen pros autous) “And he directed them,” instructed them, as follows:
2) “Take nothing for your journey,” (meden airete eis ten hodon) “You all take not a thing for use along the way,” where you go, or do not burden yourselves with items of normal physical needs, as you go; Do not take time to provide anything.
3) “Neither staves, nor scrip,” (mete hrabdon mete peran) “Neither a staff nor a wallet.” Mat 10:9 uses the term “provide not,” evidently meaning, take only what you have.
4) “Neither bread, neither money;” (mete arton mete argurion) “Nor bread nor silver,” Mat 10:10; Mar 6:8; Luk 10:4. Silver was the coinage among the Greeks; copper among the Romans.
5) “Neither having two coats apiece.” (mete ana duo chilonas echein) “Nor two tunics (coats) to have, for each,” to care for: That is, do not take anything that would be a burden to you, or to clutter up the guest home where you will stay. The idea is that “the workman is worthy of his meat,” and those sent are sent to be workmen who should be supported by those who sent them, and by those whom they helped in their labors, Mar 6:7-9; Luk 22:35.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(3) Neither staves.The better MSS. give, neither a staff. The plural was probably adopted in order to bring the verse into harmony with Mat. 10:10, and Mar. 6:8.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither staff, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money, nor have two coats.” ’
They were to go out as they were, not seeking out extra provisions, whether staff or bag or bread or money. Nor were they to take a change of tunic. The emphasis is on going as they are and relying on what God will give them and not looking for material supports of any kind. Thus those who normally carried staves were allowed to take them. They were not being told to throw them away (see Mar 6:8). The point was that they were not to make special preparations for the journey.
We can imagine as Jesus gave His instructions that someone asked, ‘what shall I do with my staff then? and that Jesus replied, ‘If you already have one then take it with you’, something which Peter remembered (compare how in Luk 22:38 Jesus would later command them to take swords and then said two was enough. It was not the swords that counted but the idea behind them. Here it was the idea of seeking out a staff as a special support on their journey that was forbidden, not the actual possession of a staff). What was important was that they were to prove the reliability of God’s promises as contained in Luk 22:12-31. They were learning the lesson of total reliance on God and that they must in no way depend upon themselves. They were to discover that if they sought God and His righteousness, all these thing would be added to them. There may also have been the idea of suggesting the pressing urgency of the mission. ‘You must act speedily, there is no time for preparations’ (compare Luk 4:42-43; Mat 10:23).
A further point may have been that Jesus did not want them to be seen as travelling mendicants or ‘professional’ preachers, with their begging bags. He wanted them to be welcomed as fellow-countrymen and guests, and as not being financially superior to anyone. (Even the poorest had one tunic).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
3 And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
Ver. 3. Take nothing for your journey ] But preach the gospel, and depend upon divine providence. Look you to your work, and God will take care for your wages. This the disciples might do, but this was no warrant to those maleferiati among us, who (if fame belie them not) pretending to an immediate call from God to go and preach the gospel in Galilee, sold their estates, set forward for that place, taking neither scrip nor scrap with them; resolving to trust God for their necessary sustentation. Is not this the efficacy of error? Are not these a diabolo dementatis, besotted by the devil?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
3. ] [ ] . a mixed construction; the former clause having been in the second person, this is added as if it had been in the infin., . The infinitive for the imperative would not be in place here, see Winer, Gram. 43, 5. d, edn. 6.
It is remarkable that in [72] Mark, there is also a mixed construction, (On , see reff.)
[72] When, in the Gospels, and in the Evangelic statement, 1Co 11:23-25 , the sign () occurs in a reference, it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in the other Gospels, which will always be found indicated at the head of the note on the paragraph. When the sign () is qualified , thus, ‘ Mk.,’ or ‘ Mt. Mk.,’ &c., it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in that Gospel or Gospels, but not in the other or others .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 9:3 . The instructions in this and the next two verses follow pretty closely the version in Mk. : as in Mk., but in direct speech, while Mk.’s is indirect ( . .) : Lk. interprets tie prohibition more severely than Mk. Not a staff (Mk. except a staff only). , silver, for Mk.’s : silver the common metal for coinage among the Greeks, copper among the Romans. , two tunics each, one on and one for change. : infinitive, after , imperative. It may be a case of the infinitive used as an imperative, of which one certain instance is to be found in Phi 3:16 ( = walk), or it may be viewed as a transition from direct to indirect speech (so most commentators). Bengel favours the first view.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
unto = to. Greek. pros. App-104.
for = with a view to. Greek. eis. App-104.
staves. See note on Mat 10:10.
scrip = a collecting bag (for money). See note on Mat 10:10.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
3.] [] . -a mixed construction;-the former clause having been in the second person, this is added as if it had been in the infin., . The infinitive for the imperative would not be in place here,-see Winer, Gram. 43, 5. d, edn. 6.
It is remarkable that in [72] Mark, there is also a mixed construction, (On , see reff.)
[72] When, in the Gospels, and in the Evangelic statement, 1Co 11:23-25, the sign () occurs in a reference, it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in the other Gospels, which will always be found indicated at the head of the note on the paragraph. When the sign () is qualified, thus, Mk., or Mt. Mk., &c., it is signified that the word occurs in the parallel place in that Gospel or Gospels, but not in the other or others.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 9:3. , to have) The Infinitive may be resolved either into an Imperative or into a Gerund.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Take nothing
Cf. (See Scofield “Mat 10:9”). Also, Luk 10:4; Luk 22:35; 3Jn 1:5-8; 1Co 9:7; 1Co 9:14.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Take: Luk 10:4-12, Luk 12:22, Luk 22:35, Psa 37:3, Mat 10:9, Mat 10:10, Mar 6:8, Mar 6:9, 2Ti 2:4
two: Luk 3:11, Luk 5:29, Luk 12:28
Reciprocal: Jos 9:11 – Take 2Ki 4:13 – thou hast
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3
A scrip is a provision bag, used as a modern lunch basket. No extensive provision needed to be made while Jesus was in the world to insure their care.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
And he said unto then, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
[Neither have two coats apiece.] Either my computation of times very much deceives me, or the winter was now coming on when the apostles were sent forth; and yet Christ forbids that they should be clothed with a double garment. It was not much that they should be forbid to take money or provision for their journey, because they were to have their food administered to them as the reward of their preaching the gospel: but to strive with the cold and winter without sufficient clothing seems something hard.
I. It was not an unusual thing in that nation, that some out of a more religious severity, did clothe themselves but with a single garment; of which thing we have already spoken in notes upon Mar 14:51; to which probably this passage may have some reference: “R. Jose saith, ‘Let my portion be with those who die of the disease in their bowels; for, saith Mar, Very many righteous men die of the disease in their bowels,'”; viz. A disease contracted by the austerities of their life, both as to food and clothing. And so it is said particularly of the priests.
“The priests walked barefoot upon the pavement, and used water, and were not clad but with a single garment. And from this custom their natural vigour languished, and their bowels grew infirm.”
For this very reason was there a physician appointed in the Temple, upon whom the charge lay of remedying this evil: whom we might not unfitly call the bowel-doctor.
Now, it may be inquired whether our Lord from this example prescribed this severity to his apostles, not allowing them more than a single garment, when this journeying of theirs, to preach the gospel, was a winter’s work: for they returned from this journey a little before the Passover. Compare the tenth verse of this chapter Luk 9:10, and so on, with Joh 6:4; and so on. But let us a little enlarge upon this subject.
In both the Talmuds there are reckoned up eighteen several garments, wherewith the Jew is clothed from head to foot. Amongst the rest, two shoes, two buskins, etc.: but those which are more properly called garments, and which are put upon the body, are reckoned these:
1. Mactoren; which word is variously rendered by several men. By the Gloss I suppose a mantle; by Aruch a cloak; by others a hood. In the Gloss upon Bava Bathra it is made the same with talith.
“Resh Lachish went to Bozrah; and, seeing some Israelites eating of fruits that had not been tithed, forbade them. Coming from R. Jochanan, he saith to him, Even while thy ‘mactoren’ [or cloak] is upon thee, go and recall thy prohibition.'”
2. ‘Kolbin’ of thread. Which the Babylonians call kolbos. The ordinary Jewish garment was talith; the outward garment, and chaluk; the inward. But in the place quoted is no mention of talith in so many syllables at all; but instead of it a Greek word for a Hebrew one, a coat.
Epiphanius, speaking of the scribes, “Moreover, they wore garments distinguished by the phylacteries, which were certain borders of purple.” They used long robes, or a certain sort of garment which we may call ‘dalmatics,’ or ‘kolobia,’ which were wove in with large borders of purple.
That he means the talith; the thing itself declares; for those borders of purple were no other than the zuzith; certain skirts hung and sewed on to the talith.
3. A woolen shirt; the inward garment. Whence the Gloss, the ‘chaluk’ was the shirt upon his skin. Hence that boast of R. Jose, “that throughout his whole life the roof of his house had not seen what was within that shirt of his.”
II. And now the question returns; viz. whether by those two coats in the place before us should be meant those two kinds of garments, the talith and the chaluk; that is, that they should take but one of them: or those two kinds doubled; that is, that they should take but one of each? Whether our Saviour bound them to take but one of those garments, or whether he forbade them taking two of each?
I conceive, he might bind them to take but one of those garments…When our Lord commands them not to put on two coats; the foregoing words may best explain what he means by it: for when he cuts them short of other parts of garments and necessaries, such as a scrip, a staff, and sandals, we may reasonably suppose he would cut them short of one of the ordinary garments, either the talith or the chaluk.
This may seem something severe, that he should send them out in the winter time half naked; but, 1. This well enough became that providence which he was determined to exert towards them in a more peculiar manner, as may be gathered from Luk 22:35; and to the charge of which he would commit them. Of such a kind and nature was his providence in preserving them, as was shewn towards the Israelites in the wilderness, which suffered not their garments to wax old, which kept their bodies from decay and diseases, and their feet unhurt by all their travel. 2. It suited well enough with the mean and low estate of that kingdom of heaven, and of the Messiah, which the apostles were to preach up and propagate; so that, from the view of the first publishers, the Jews might learn to frame a right judgment concerning both the Messiah and his kingdom; viz. they might learn to believe in the Messiah when they should observe him capable so wondrously to protect his messengers, though surrounded with such numberless inconveniences of life: and might further be taught not to expect a pompous kingdom when they see the propagators of it, of so mean a degree and quality.
The words of the Baptist, He that hath two coats, let him impart; etc., may be also understood in this sense, that he that hath both the talith and the chaluk may give to him that is naked and hath neither, either the one or the other.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
2 d. Luk 9:3-5. Their Instructions.And He said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. 4. And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide and thence depart. 5. And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
Ver. 3 contains instructions for their setting out; Luk 9:4, instructions respecting their arrival and stay; Luk 9:5, instructions for leaving each place.
Ver. 3. The feeling of confidence is the key to the injunctions of this verse: Make no preparations, such as are ordinarily made on the eve of a journey; set out just as you are. God will provide for all your wants. The reply of the apostles, Luk 22:35, proves that this promise was not unfulfilled., nothing, is a general negative, to which the subsequent , neither…nor…are subordinate. Mark, who commences with a simple , naturally continues with the negative , nor further. Each writer, though expressing the same idea as the other, has his own particular way of doing it. Luke says, neither staff, or, according to another reading, neither staves; Matthew is like Luke; Mark, on the contrary, save one staff only. The contradiction in terms could not be greater, yet the agreement in idea is perfect. For as far as the sentiment is concerned which Jesus wishes to express, it is all one to say, nothing, not even a staff (Matthew and Luke), or, nothing, except it be simply (or at most) a staff (Mark). Ebrard makes the acute observation, that in Aramaean Jesus probably said, , for if…a staff, an elliptical form also much used in Hebrew, and which may be filled up in two ways: For if you take a staff, this of itself is quite sufficient (Mark); or, this of itself is too much (Matthew and Luke). This saying of Jesus might therefore be reproduced in Greek either in one way or the other. But in no case could these two opposite forms be explained on the hypothesis of a common written Greek source. Bleek, who prefers the expression given in Matthew and Luke, does not even attempt to explain how that in Mark could have originated.
If we read staves, according to a various reading found in Luke and Matthew, the plural must naturally be applied to the two apostles travelling together.
Luke says, Do not have each (, distributive) two coats, that is to say, each a change of coat, beyond what you wear. As they were not to have a travelling cloak (), they must have worn the second coat on their person; and it is this idea, implied by Luke, that is exactly expressed by Mark, neither put on two coats. The infinitive depends on : He said to them…not to have…
As an unanswerable proof of an opposite tendency in Matthew and Luke, it is usual to cite the omission in this passage of the prohibition with which in Matthew this discourse commences (Luk 10:5): Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But even in Matthew this prohibition is not absolute (rather) nor permanent (Mat 28:19, Go and teach all nations). It was therefore a restriction temporarily imposed upon the disciples, in consideration of the privilege accorded to the Jewish nation of being the cradle of the work of the Messiah. With some exceptions, for which there were urgent reasons, Jesus Himself was generally governed by this rule. He says, indeed, in reference to His earthly ministry: I am not sent save to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Mat 15:24); nevertheless, He is not ignorant that it is His mission to seek and to save all that which is lost, and consequently the heathen. He affirms it in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, no less than in that of Luke. Paul himself does homage to this divine fidelity, when he recalls the fact that Jesus, during His earthly life, consented to become a minister of the circumcision (Rom 15:8). But, 1. What reason could Luke have, in the circle for which he was writing, to refer to this restriction temporarily imposed upon the Twelve for the purpose of this particular mission? 2. Mark, no less than Luke, omits these words in the account he gives of this discourse, but the harmony of his leaning with that of the first evangelist is not suspected. 3. This last circumstance makes it all but certain that this detail had already been omitted in the sources whence these two evangelists drew their narratives, and must completely exculpate Luke from all anti-Jewish prejudice in his reproduction of this discourse.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Verse 3
Staves; walking staves. Scrip; a sort of wallet or leathern bag for provisions.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
The Twelve were to trust God to provide their food, protection, and shelter daily. They were not to take a walking staff (Gr. hrabdos) used on a long journey by foot (cf. Mat 10:10). Mark wrote that Jesus commanded the Twelve to take a staff (Gr. hrabdos, Mar 6:8). The solution to this apparent contradiction may be that Jesus originally either permitted or prohibited the taking of a staff and later did the opposite. The prohibition suggests a mission of short duration and the permission a concession for comfort.
Jesus also forbade taking a bag (Gr. pera) for their necessities (i.e., a suitcase), food, money, or an extra undergarment (Gr. chiton). In view of these restrictions it appears that Jesus anticipated a brief mission for the Twelve (Luk 9:10). They could live like this temporarily but not permanently. Furthermore their simple lifestyle suggested the imminency of the messianic kingdom that they announced.