SEV Biblia, Chapter 10:10
ni alforja para el camino; ni dos ropas de vestir, ni zapatos, ni bordn; porque el obrero digno es de su alimento.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 10:10
Verse 10. Nor scrip for your journey] To carry provisions. This was called lymrwt tormil, by the rabbins; it was a leathern pouch hung about their necks, in which they put their victuals. This was properly, the shepherd's bag. Neither two coats, &c.] Nothing to encumber you Nor yet staves] rabdon, a staff, as in the margin, but, instead of rabdon, staff, which is the common reading, all the following MSS. and versions have rabdouv, staves, and CEFGKLMPS. V. ninety-three others, Coptic, Armenian, latter Syriac, one of the Itala, Chrysostom, and Theophylact.
This reading is of great importance, as it reconciles this place with Luke ix. 3, and removes the seeming contradiction from Mark vi. 8; as if he had said: "Ye shall take nothing to defend yourselves with, because ye are the servants of the Lord, and are to be supported by his bounty, and defended by his power. In a word, be like men in haste, and eager to begin the important work of the ministry. The sheep are lost- ruined: Satan is devouring them: give all diligence to pluck them out of the jaws of the destroyer." The workman is worthy of his meat.] thv trofhv autou, of his maintenance. It is a maintenance, and that only, which a minister of God is to expect, and that he has a Divine right to; but not to make a fortune, or lay up wealth: besides, it is the workman, he that labours in the word and doctrine, that is to get even this. How contrary to Christ is it for a man to have vast revenues, as a minister of the Gospel, who ministers no Gospel, and who spends the revenues of the Church to its disgrace and ruin!
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 10. Nor scrip for your journey , etc.] This the Jews call lymrt , tarmil: and which their commentators say, is a large leathern bag, in which shepherds and travellers put their food, and other things, and carried with them, hanging it about their necks; so that the disciples were neither to carry money with them, nor any provisions for their journey: neither two coats ; one to travel in, and another to put on, when they came to their quarters: they were not allowed change of raiment; either because superfluous, or too magnificent to appear in, or too troublesome to carry: nor shoes , only sandals, as Mark says; for there was a difference between shoes and sandals, as appears from the case of the plucking off the shoe, when a man refused his brothers wife f620 : if the shoe was plucked off it was regarded; but if the sandal, it was not minded: this was the old tradition, though custom went against it. Sandals were made of harder leather than shoes f621 , and sometimes of wood covered with leather, and stuck with nails, to make them more durable f622 ; though sometimes of bulrushes, and bark of palm trees, and of cork f623 , which were light to walk with. Says R. Bar bar Chanah f624 , I saw R. Eleazar of Nineveh go out on a fast day of the congregation, [ ldnsb , with a sandal of cork.
Of what sort these were, the disciples were allowed to travel with, is not certain: nor yet with staves : that is, with more than one staff, which was sufficient to assist them, and lean upon in journeying: for, according to Mark, one was allowed; as though they might take a travelling staff, yet not staves for defence, or to fight with; (see Matthew 26:55). Now these several things were forbidden them, partly because they would be burdensome to them in travelling; and partly because they were not to be out any long time, but were quickly to return again; and chiefly to teach them to live and depend upon divine providence. Now, since they were to take neither money, nor provisions with them, and were also to preach the Gospel freely, they might reasonably ask how they should be provided for, and supported: when our Lord suggests, that they should not be anxiously concerned about that, he would take care that they had a suitable supply; and would so influence and dispose the minds of such, to whom they should minister, as that they should have all necessary provisions made for them, without any care or expense of theirs: for the workman is worthy of his meat ; which seems to be a proverbial expression, and by which Christ intimates, that they were workmen, or labourers in his vineyard, and they, discharging their duty aright, were entitled to food and raiment, and all the necessaries of life: this to have, was their due; and it was but a piece of justice to give it to them, and on which they might depend. So that this whole context is so far from militating against a ministers maintenance by the people, that it most strongly establishes it; for if the apostles were not to take any money or provisions with them, to support themselves with, it clearly follows, that it was the will of Christ, that they should live by the Gospel, upon those to whom they preached, as the following words show: and though they were not to make gain of the Gospel, or preach it for filthy lucres sake; yet they might expect a comfortable subsistence, at the charge of the people, to whom they ministered, and which was their duty to provide for them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5-15 - The Gentiles must not have the gospel brought them, till the Jews have refused it. This restraint on the apostles was only in their firs mission. Wherever they went they must proclaim, The kingdom of heave is at hand. They preached, to establish the faith; the kingdom, to animate the hope; of heaven, to inspire the love of heavenly things and the contempt of earthly; which is at hand, that men may prepare for it without delay. Christ gave power to work miracles for the confirmin of their doctrine. This is not necessary now that the kingdom of God is come. It showed that the intent of the doctrine they preached, was to heal sick souls, and to raise those that were dead in sin. I proclaiming the gospel of free grace for the healing and saving of men's souls, we must above all avoid the appearance of the spirit of a hireling. They are directed what to do in strange towns and cities. The servant of Christ is the ambassador of peace to whatever place he is sent. His message is even to the vilest sinners, yet it behoves him to find out the best persons in every place. It becomes us to pra heartily for all, and to conduct ourselves courteously to all. They ar directed how to act as to those that refused them. The whole counsel of God must be declared, and those who will not attend to the graciou message, must be shown that their state is dangerous. This should be seriously laid to heart by all that hear the gospel, lest their privileges only serve to increase their condemnation.
Greek Textus Receptus
μη 3361 PRT-N πηραν 4082 N-ASF εις 1519 PREP οδον 3598 N-ASF μηδε 3366 CONJ δυο 1417 A-NUI χιτωνας 5509 N-APM μηδε 3366 CONJ υποδηματα 5266 N-APN μηδε 3366 CONJ {VAR1: ραβδον 4464 N-ASF } {VAR2: ραβδους 4464 N-APF } αξιος 514 A-NSM γαρ 1063 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM εργατης 2040 N-NSM της 3588 T-GSF τροφης 5160 N-GSF αυτου 846 P-GSM εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
10. Staves (rabdouv). But the proper reading is staff, (rabdon).The workman is worthy, etc. Ver. 11, There abide, etc. "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles," a tract discovered in 1873 in the library of the monastery of the Most Holy Sepulchre at Constantinople, by Bryennios, Metropolitan of Nicomedia, is assigned to the date of 120 A.D., and by some scholars is placed as early as 100 A.D. It is addressed to Gentile Christians, and is designed to give them practical instruction in the Christian life, according to the teachings of the twelve apostles and of the Lord himself. In the eleventh chapter we read as follows: "And every apostle who cometh to you, let him be received as the Lord; but he shall not remain except for one day; if, however, there be need, then the next day; but if he remain three days, he is a false prophet. But when the apostle departeth, let him take nothing except bread enough till he lodge again, but is he ask money, he is a false prophet." And again (ch. 13): "Likewise a true teacher, he also is worthy like the workman, of his support. Every first-fruit, then, of the products of wine-press and threshing-floor, of oxen and sheep, thou shalt take and give to the prophets, for they are your high-priests.... If thou makest a baking of bread, take the first of it and give according to the commandment. In like manner, when thou openest a jar of wine or oil, take the first of it and give to the prophets; and of money and clothing, and every possession, take the first, as may seem right to thee, and give according to the commandment."
Robertson's NT Word Studies
10:10 {No wallet} (me peran). Better than "scrip." It can be either a travelling or bread bag. Deissmann (_Light from the Ancient East_, pp. 108f.) shows that it can mean the beggar's collecting bag as in an inscription on a monument at Kefr Hanar in Syria: "While Christianity was still young the beggar priest was making his rounds in the land of Syria on behalf of the national goddess." Deissmann also quotes a pun in the _Didaskalia=Const. Apost_. 3, 6 about some itinerant widows who said that they were not so much chrai (spouseless) as prai (pouchless). He cites also Shakespeare, _Troilus and Cressida_ III. iii. 145: "Time hath, my lord, a wallet at his back, wherein he puts alms for oblivion." {For the laborer is worthy of his food} (axios gar ho ergates tes trofes autou). The sermon is worth the dinner, in other words. Luke in the charge to the seventy (#Lu 10:7) has the same words with misthou (reward) instead of trofes (food). In #1Ti 5:18 Paul quotes Luke's form as scripture (he grafe) or as a well-known saying if confined to the first quotation. The word for workman here (ergates) is that used by Jesus in the prayer for laborers (#Mt 9:38). The well-known _Didach_ or _Teaching of the Twelve_ (xiii) shows that in the second century there was still a felt need for care on the subject of receiving pay for preaching. The travelling sophists added also to the embarrassment of the situation. The wisdom of these restrictions was justified in Galilee at this time. Mark (#Mr 6:6-13) and Luke (#Lu 9:1-6) vary slightly from Matthew in some of the details of the instructions of Jesus.
