SEV Biblia, Chapter 10:1
¶ Entonces llamando a sus doce discípulos, les dio potestad contra los espíritus inmundos, para que los echasen fuera, y sanasen toda enfermedad y toda flaqueza.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 10:1
Verse 1. Twelve disciples] Our Lord seems to have had the twelve patriarchs, heads of the congregation of Israel, in view, in his choosing twelve disciples. That he had the plan of the ancient Jewish Church in his eye is sufficiently evident from chap. xix. 28; and from Luke x. 1; xxii. 30; John xvii. 1, &c., and Rev. xxi. 12-14. He gave them power against unclean spirits] The word kata, against, which our translators have supplied in Italic, is found in many MSS. of good note, and in the principal versions. Here we find the first call to the Christian ministry, and the end proposed by the commission given. To call persons to the ministry belongs only to Him who can give them power to cast out unclean spirits. He whose ministry is not accompanied with healing to diseased souls, was never called of God. But let it be observed, that, though the spiritual gifts requisite for the ministry must be supplied by God himself, yet this does not preclude the importance of human learning. No man can have his mind too well cultivated, to whom a dispensation of the Gospel is committed. The influence of the Spirit of God was no more designed to render human learning useless, than that learning should be considered as superseding the necessity of Divine inspiration.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. And when he had called to him his twelve disciples , etc.] These persons had been for some time called by the grace of God, and were already the disciples of Christ, and such as were more familiar and intimate with him, than others, that went by that name. They had sat down at his feet, and had received of his words; they had heard his doctrines, and had seen his miracles, and had been by him training up for public work; but as yet had not been called and sent forth to enter on such service: but now all things being ready, they being properly instructed, and the time for the conversion of a large number of souls being up, he called them together privately; and gave them a commission to preach the Gospel, ordained them ministers of the word, and installed them into the office of apostleship. The number twelve, is either in allusion to the twelve spies that were sent by Moses into the land of Canaan, or to the twelve stones in Aarons breast plate; or to the twelve fountains the Israelites found in the wilderness; or to the twelve oxen on which the molten sea stood in Solomons temple; or to the twelve gates in Ezekiels temple; or rather, to the twelve patriarchs, and the tribes which sprung from them; that as they were the fathers of the Jewish nation, which was typical of Gods chosen people; so these were to be the instruments of spreading the Gospel, not only Judea, but in all the world, and of planting Christian churches there.
And that they might appear to come forth with authority, and that their doctrine might be confirmed, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out ; or over all devils, as ( Luke 9:1). It was usual with the Jews to call a demon or devil hamwj jwr , an unclean spirit; especially such as frequented burying places: so in one place f593 , an unclean spirit is interpreted by the gloss, yd jwr , the spirit of the demons, or devils; and in another f594 place, twrbqh tyb d , the demon of the graves; where necromancers sought to be, that these spirits might be their familiars, and assist them in their enchantments: accordingly the devils are here called, unclean spirits; being in themselves, in their own nature, unclean, and being the cause and means of defiling others, and delighting in impure persons, places, and things. There were many of these spirits, who, because of the great impiety of the Jews, the prevalence of magic arts among them, and by divine permission, had at this time taken possession of great numbers of persons; whereby Christ had an opportunity of giving proof of his deity, of his being the Messiah, the seed of the woman, that should bruise the serpents head, by his ejecting them; and of confirming the mission of his disciples, and establishing the doctrine preached by them, by giving them power and authority over them, to cast them out also: and whereas various diseases frequently followed and attended such possessions; he likewise gave them power to heal all manner of sicknesses, and all manner of diseases , as he himself had done. The expressions are very full and strong, and include all sorts of maladies incident to human bodies, either of men or women; all distempers natural or preternatural, curable or incurable, by human methods: so that at the same time they were sent to preach the Gospel, for the cure of the souls of men, they were empowered to heal the diseases of their bodies; and which, one should think, could not fail of recommending them to men, and of ingratiating them into their affections.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - The word "apostle" signifies messenger; they were Christ's messengers sent forth to proclaim his kingdom. Christ gave them power to heal all manner of sickness. In the grace of the gospel there is a slave for every sore, a remedy for every malady. There is no spiritual disease but there is power in Christ for the cure of it. There names ar recorded, and it is their honour; yet they had more reason to rejoic that their names were written in heaven, while the high and might names of the great ones of the earth are buried in the dust.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ προσκαλεσαμενος 4341 5666 V-ADP-NSM τους 3588 T-APM δωδεκα 1427 A-NUI μαθητας 3101 N-APM αυτου 846 P-GSM εδωκεν 1325 5656 V-AAI-3S αυτοις 846 P-DPM εξουσιαν 1849 N-ASF πνευματων 4151 N-GPN ακαθαρτων 169 A-GPN ωστε 5620 CONJ εκβαλλειν 1544 5721 V-PAN αυτα 846 P-APN και 2532 CONJ θεραπευειν 2323 5721 V-PAN πασαν 3956 A-ASF νοσον 3554 N-ASF και 2532 CONJ πασαν 3956 A-ASF μαλακιαν 3119 N-ASF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. The disciples (touv maqhtav). The or his, referring to them as already chosen, though he nowhere relates their choosing. See Mark iii. 14; Luke vi. 13.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
10:1 {His twelve disciples} (tous dwdeka maqetas autou). First mention of the group of "learners" by Matthew and assumed as already in existence (note the article) as they were (#Mr 3:14). They were chosen before the Sermon on the Mount was delivered, but Matthew did not mention it in connection with that sermon. {Gave them authority} (edwken autois exousian). "Power" (Moffatt, Goodspeed). One may be surprised that here only the healing work is mentioned, though Luke (#Lu 9:2) has it "to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." And Matthew says (#Mt 10:7), "And as ye go, preach." Hence it is not fair to say that Matthew knows only the charge to heal the sick, important as that is. The physical distress was great, but the spiritual even greater. Power is more likely the idea of exousia here. this healing ministry attracted attention and did a vast deal of good. Today we have hospitals and skilled physicians and nurses, but we should not deny the power of God to bless all these agencies and to cure disease as he wills. Jesus is still the master of soul and body. But intelligent faith does not justify us in abstaining from the help of the physician who must not be confounded with the quack and the charlatan.
