Mateus 10
Matthew Henry · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 10
Henry: The Gentiles must not have the gospel brought them, till the Jews have refused it (See Ro 11:11+). This restraint on the apostles was only in their first mission. Sheep (4263) probaton from probaino = to go before, walk ahead) is literally something that walks forward (a quadruped) and in context refers to a sheep. One of the most famous uses of probaton in the Septuagint is in Isaiah 53:6-7+ Probaton primarily denotes a sheep (or small domesticated livestock such as goats), especially animals commonly used in daily life for food, clothing, and sacrifice (e.g., Matthew 12:11–12; John 2:14–15). In its literal sense, it refers to actual sheep—creatures that are vulnerable, prone to wander, and dependent on a shepherd, as seen in images like the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12; Luke 15:4). Figuratively, however, probaton becomes a rich theological metaphor for humanity, emphasizing spiritual need, dependence, and relationship to a shepherd. It is used of people who require guidance and care, whether negatively (e.g., false prophets disguised as sheep, Matthew 7:15) or positively (e.g., the crowds for whom Jesus felt compassion because they were “like sheep without a shepherd,” Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34; cf. Numbers 27:17). It specifically describes Israel (Matthew 10:6; 15:24), Christ’s disciples sent out in vulnerability (Matthew 10:16), believers as the flock under Christ’s care (John 10:7–16; 21:16–17; Hebrews 13:20), and the righteous who inherit the kingdom (Matthew 25:32–33). Thus, probaton conveys both the literal image of sheep and the spiritual reality of people who, like sheep, are needy, defenseless, prone to stray, and wholly dependent upon the care, protection, and leadership of their Shepherd—ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (John 10:11; 1 Peter 2:25). SHEEP IN DICTIONARY OF BIBLICAL IMAGERY - Sheep are the most frequently mentioned animal in the Bible, with nearly four hundred references if we include references to flocks. Additionally, the figure of the shepherd receives approximately one hundred references. This prominence grows out of two phenomena—the importance of sheep to the nomadic and agricultural life of the Hebrews, and the qualities of sheep and shepherds that made them particularly apt sources of metaphor for spiritual realities. Sheep were a central part of the Israelite economy from the earliest days (Gen 4:2). Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David and Amos were all shepherds (Gen 12:16; 26:14; Ex 3:1; 2 Sam 7:8; Amos 1:1). Shepherds were not always men; shepherdesses include Rebekah (Gen 29:9) and the daughters of Jethro (Ex 2:16). Raised for both food (milk and meat) and wool, sheep were a natural part of life in the arid eastern Mediterranean because they can survive with a minimum of water and grass and can be moved to new grazing and watering areas during dry times (see PASTURE). Sheep also figured prominently in the OT sacrificial system. Conditions of shepherding in ancient Palestine provide the foundation for figurative references. These conditions were very different from most modern practices. Sheep were not fenced in and left to fend for themselves. Instead they were totally dependent on shepherds for protection, grazing, watering, shelter and tending to injuries. In fact, sheep would not survive long without a shepherd. Sheep are not only dependent creatures; they are also singularly unintelligent, prone to wandering and unable to find their way to a sheepfold even when it is within sight. (CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE ON SHEEP). Matthew 10:7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ preach: Mt 4:17 11:1 Isa 61:1 Joh 3:2 Mk 6:12 Lu 9:60 16:16 Ac 4:2 Kingdom of Heaven: Mt 3:2 11:11,12 21:31,43 23:13 Lu 9:2,6 10:9-11 Ac 10:25 28:31 Related Passages: Matthew 3:2+ “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17+ From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” KINGDOM OF GOD PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE FROM BIBLE.ORG SINGLE MINDED MESSAGE And as you go, preach, saying - Preach is present imperative calling for continual reliance upon the Holy Spirit to obey. Jesus was commissioning them to announce that God’s rule had drawn near in the Person of the Messiah. The kingdom (basilica) of heaven is at hand (eggizo) - What are they to preach? The kingdom of heaven which refers to God’s sovereign rule, which is eternal in heaven but was being revealed on earth through the person and work of Christ. And so the message was short and simple. Jewish people were acutely aware of the Kingdom and a message saying that the Kingdom is at hand would certainly get a Jewish person's attention! This message was virtually the same as that of Jesus Matthew writing that "From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17+) John the Baptist also preached this message “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt 3:2+) And why is the Kindom at hand? Because the King Himself had come. In Mt 12:28+ Jesus declared " if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." And He did cast out demons! And because the King was near, the proper response is urgent - REPENT AND BELIEVE! In short, the message of the Kingdom speaks of a King (all kingdoms have kings) and Jesus is the King. So in a very real sense the disciples were to preach Jesus, even as Paul did determing "to know nothing among you (CORINTHIANS) except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (WHICH OF COURSE HAD NOT YET TRANSPIRED)." (1Co 2:2+, cf 1Co 1:23+). John MacArthur describes what the first century Jews (not just the Pharisees but the nation as a whole) were expecting in the future for the nation of Israel. It is especially notable that they were looking for and expecting a visible Kingdom of God. "And with Jesus' repeated mentions of the Kingdom and the phrase the Kingdom of God, the Jews were hoping that He would bring in the Kingdom. Notice how several times they try to crown Him king. Why did they do this? Because they thought from His words and actions that He was the King of the visible Kingdom they were looking for. And of course they were correct that Jesus was the King, but they did not understand that first He had to be received by faith as King of their hearts, King of an invisible, internal Kingdom. And recall His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on His last week of life. Because they expected the imminent establishment of the Kingdom of God, the Jewish crowds were shouting "BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD" (Lk 19:37+) The Jews thought that this was His coronation, and when they realized it was not, they called for His crucifixion (Lk 23:21+)." (Bolding added) The phrase is at hand is one word in Greek, the verb eggizo which means near in place, and in the present context, there is a sense in which the Kingdom is drawing near both in space and in time, in the sense that the King (Jesus) of the Kingdom is on the stage in this great drama of redemption. Is at hand is in the perfect tense which means it has drawn near and is now present. With the King now on the scene the day has arrived. Kingdom of Heaven can be a somewhat complex subject (SEE DEPICTION ABOVE) but suffice it to say that it has a PRESENT REALITY which awaits a FUTURE REVELATION. The PRESENT REALITY is that the King is reigning in the hearts of those who have repented and believed in Him. The FUTURE REVELATION is the return of the King of kings to defeat His enemies and establish His Messianic rule on Earth (Millennium). It is predominantly this latter aspect of the Kingdom of God the nation was expecting and hoping for (cf (2 Sa 7:8-17; Isa. 11:1-9+; Isa 24:23; Jer. 23:5-6; Mic 4:6-7+; Zech 9:9-10; Zech 14:9+; cf. Mt. 20:21; Mk 10:37; Mk 11:10; Mk 12:35-37; Mk 15:43; Luke 1:31-33+; Lk 2:25+, Lk 2:38+; Acts 1:6+) 🙏 THOUGHT - All who live in the PRESENT REALITY are eagerly, expectantly looking for the FUTURE REVELATION, a mindset that motivates us to order our steps in a manner which is pleasing to the Lord. What (Who) you are looking for will (should) impact what (Who) you are living for beloved! That is why the Spirit inspired the writers of the NT to pen 1 in 30 verses either directly or indirectly describing the Second Coming o f the King! The first century church is said to have greeted one another with the watch word Maranatha. God grant that the church in these last days would do the same, and live accordingly (See Vertical Vision). In Jesus' Name. Amen Spurgeon Commentary - Their first work was proclaiming the coming kingdom, and preparing the way for the coming King. Those Israelites who were willing might become subjects of this heavenly kingdom, and therefore were they informed of its near approach. Related Resource: In Depth Discussion on the Kingdom in commentary on Luke 17:20 Notes on THE EXPECTATION OF THE JEWS REGARDING THE KINGDOM OF GOD See also The Theocratic Kingdom.... Volume 1 - Propositions 1 - 106 Volume 2 - Propositions 107 - 164 Volume 3 - Propositions 165 - 206 Index of Subjects Source: Chart by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice - click to enlarge - Millennial Kingdom on Right Side Preach (proclaim) (2784) kerusso from kerux/keryx = a herald - A herald is one who acts as the medium of another’s authority, proclaiming a message not his own but on behalf of the one who sent him. kerugma = the thing preached or the message) means to proclaim (publicly) or to herald or act as a public crier - the town official who would make a proclamation in a public gathering. Kerusso was used of the official whose duty it was to proclaim loudly and extensively the coming of an earthly king, even as our gospel is to clearly announce the coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:16+)! The Imperial Herald would enter a town in behalf of the Emperor, and make a public proclamation of the message which his Sovereign ordered him to give, doing so with such formality, gravity, and authority as to emphasize that the message must be heeded! (Think about this in regard to the Gospel of God instead of the decree of a man! cf 1Th 2:13+). He gave the people exactly what the Emperor bade him give, nothing more, nothing less. He did not dare add to the message or take away from it. Should this not be the example and pattern every preacher and teacher of the holy gospel of God seeks and strives to emulate, yea, even doing so with fear and trembling! ("not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts" see 1Th 2:4+) Kerusso in Matthew - Mt. 3:1; Mt. 4:17; Mt. 4:23; Mt. 9:35; Mt. 10:7; Mt. 10:27; Mt. 11:1; Mt. 24:14; Mt. 26:13; Kingdom (932)(basileia from basileus = a sovereign, king, monarch) denotes sovereignty, royal power, dominion. Basileia can also refer to the territory or people over whom a king rules. Matthew used the synonymous phrase the Kingdom of Heaven (32x) probably to appeal to the Jews who refused to say the Name of God, as an way to convey their sense of unworthiness. BASILEIA IN MATTHEW - Matt. 3:2; Matt. 4:8; Matt. 4:17; Matt. 4:23; Matt. 5:3; Matt. 5:10; Matt. 5:19; Matt. 5:20; Matt. 6:10; Matt. 6:13; Matt. 6:33; Matt. 7:21; Matt. 8:11; Matt. 8:12; Matt. 9:35; Matt. 10:7; Matt. 11:11; Matt. 11:12; Matt. 12:25; Matt. 12:26; Matt. 12:28; Matt. 13:11; Matt. 13:19; Matt. 13:24; Matt. 13:31; Matt. 13:33; Matt. 13:38; Matt. 13:41; Matt. 13:43; Matt. 13:44; Matt. 13:45; Matt. 13:47; Matt. 13:52; Matt. 16:19; Matt. 16:28; Matt. 18:1; Matt. 18:3; Matt. 18:4; Matt. 18:23; Matt. 19:12; Matt. 19:14; Matt. 19:23; Matt. 19:24; Matt. 20:1; Matt. 20:21; Matt. 21:31; Matt. 21:43; Matt. 22:2; Matt. 23:13; Matt. 24:7; Matt. 24:14; Matt. 25:1; Matt. 25:34; Matt. 26:29; At hand (near) (1448) eggizo means to approach, draw closer to, draw near, be near, come near. So drawing near in space and drawing closer to some point. In short, to draw near in space. (Mt 21:1, Lk 7:12, 15:1, 25, 18:35. 19:29, 37, 41). Also used of drawing near in regard to time (Lk 22:1). Matthew's uses of eggizo - Mt. 3:2; Mt. 4:17; Mt. 10:7; Mt. 21:1; Mt. 21:34; Mt. 26:45; Mt. 26:46; Friberg's summary of eggizo - intransitively in the NT approach, draw near, be near; (1) with the dative of person or place draw near to, approach (Acts 9.3); (2) with eis draw near, approach a place (Mk 11.1); (3) absolutely, of approaching in space be near (Mt 26.46); of approaching in time draw near, be at hand (Lk 22.1); perfect have come (Ro 13.12) (Borrow Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) Matthew 10:8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Heal: Mt 10:1 Mk 16:18 Lu 10:9 Ac 4:9,10,30 5:12-15 freely: 2Ki 5:15,16,20-27 Ac 3:6 8:18-23 20:33-35 GRATIS GIVEN SO GIVE GRATIS Gratis describes the quality of an action where the action is willingly provided without any requirement by the provider for compensation or monetary remuneration. It's often referred to in English as free of charge, complimentary, or on the house. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons - All four commands are in present imperative calling for continual reliance upon the Holy Spirit to obey and for this to be the lifestyle of these 12 disciples (INCLUDING JUDAS THE BETRAYER SO CLEARLY THE PERFORMING OF THESE MIRACLES WAS AND IS NO INDICATION A SOUL IS TRULY SAVED! THIS EXPLAINS THE CRY FROM THOSE IN Mt 7:21-23+). The ability of the disciples to carry out any one of these things would have served to authenticate their ministry (especially their teaching), even as these items authenticated Jesus' ministry as from God. Each of these things speaks of the miraculous, but did not save the hearers (or those who witnessed these miracles), because salvation is a miracle that can only be achieved by believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sadly, most of the Jews in Israel, while astonished by the miracles, did not receive the message! This is interesting because we know that many Jews were coming to John the Baptist to confess their sins and receive a baptism of forgiveness. Weren't they saved? No, not necessarily. John was a herald and his ministry pointed others to the saving ministry and message of Jesus, by which they would be definitely saved by grace through faith. So despite all the Jews coming out to John, we find that about 3 years later there were only 120 believers in the upper room! (Acts 1:15+). (For more on the ministry of John the Baptist see comments by Darrell Bock in Mark 1 Commentary). Having ministered to souls, they were to bless the bodies of men; and thus they would confirm their message by their miracles. Spurgeon Commentary - Having ministered to souls, they were to bless the bodies of men; and thus they would confirm their message by their miracles. These deeds of mercy are on the ascending scale: note the steps. All; was to be done without fee or reward: their powers had not been purchased, their miracles were not to be sold. Henry
Mateus 10
Henry - To deter us from denying Christ, and a cowardly deserting of his truths and ways, we are here assured that those who deny Christ, and treacherously depart from him, whatever they may save by it, though it were life itself, and whatever they may gain by it, though it were a kingdom, will be vast losers at last, for they shall be denied before the angels of God; Christ will not know them, will not own them, will not show them any favour, which will turn to their everlasting terror and contempt. ESV Study Bible - the true disciple (NOTE: ESV EQUATES "DISCIPLE" WITH "BELIEVER") does not fear death (Mt 10:28) and will publicly acknowledge and confess Jesus. whoever denies Me. The eternal consequences for those who deny Christ, in fact, will be far worse than the persecution that they sought to avoid (ED: SO THEY TOO SEE NOTHING ABOUT LOSS OF REWARDS!). (Borrow ESV Study Bible) Gotquestions Chat - I asked "Is mt 10:33-34 about salvation or about losing rewards?" Here is the answer Matthew 10:33–34 says, “But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (ESV). In this passage, Jesus is not speaking about the loss of heavenly rewards but about the reality of salvation and the cost of discipleship. The context of Matthew 10 is Jesus sending out His disciples to proclaim the kingdom of God, warning them that following Him will bring persecution and division, even within families. When Jesus says, “whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father,” He is addressing the eternal consequence of rejecting Him. Denying Christ is not merely a failure to earn a reward; it is a rejection of the Savior Himself. This aligns with His teaching in Matthew 7:23, where He says to false disciples, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” The denial here is relational and salvific—it concerns whether one truly belongs to Christ. Similarly, Paul affirms in 2 Timothy 2:12, “If we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us.” This shows that denial of Christ is evidence of unbelief, not simply a forfeiture of reward. The following verse, Matthew 10:34, clarifies that Jesus’ mission would not bring worldly peace but division, even within households. This division arises because the gospel demands a personal response of faith, and not all will believe. As GotQuestions.org explains in its article on household salvation, Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:34–36 demonstrate that the gospel can divide families, showing that salvation is individual, not collective. Each person must personally believe in Christ to be saved (Acts 16:31; John 3:16). Therefore, Matthew 10:33–34 is about salvation, not rewards. Jesus is warning that allegiance to Him is the dividing line between eternal life and eternal separation from God. Those who confess Him before others demonstrate genuine faith, while those who deny Him reveal hearts that have not truly trusted in Him. Yet even here, the grace of God remains open to all who repent and turn to Christ, for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Apologist.ai/en - I asked "Is mt 10:33-34 about salvation or about losing rewards?" Here is the answer To answer whether this passage concerns salvation or rewards, we must look at the context and audience of Jesus’ words. Context: Confessing or Denying Christ In Matthew 10, Jesus is sending out His disciples to proclaim the kingdom of God. He warns them that persecution will come (vv. 16–25) and encourages them not to fear those who can kill the body but not the soul (v. 28). Then He calls them to boldly confess Him before men (vv. 32–33). This is not about the loss of rewards for believers, but about the reality of saving faith. A true disciple will not permanently deny Christ. Denial of Christ before men reveals a heart that does not truly belong to Him. Jesus’ statement, “I will deny him before My Father,” echoes His teaching elsewhere: Matthew 7:21, Thus, this is a salvific warning, not a discussion about heavenly rewards. (As an aside even Chatgtp said it was about salvation, not rewards) Liefeld - The reference is apparently to a future scene when the Lord Jesus, having achieved victory and honor, acknowledges those who supported Him and disowns (v. 9) those who repudiated Him during the present age. He does this publicly before God the Father (Matt 10:32-33) and the assembled angels. (Borrow The Expositor's Bible Commentary) Gilbrant - To deny Christ means to repudiate and disown Him in a deliberate and final way. In this context, this kind of denial is most likely when a person allows the fear of man to dominate him. The fear of God is often the only thing that will keep believers from falling prey to the fear of man. The fear that they might deny Jesus can be an incentive to confess Him before others. (Complete Biblical Library – Matthew) Bob Utley on Mt 10:33 - This is a shocking verse, as is 2 Tim. 2:12. It must be remembered that public acknowledgment in word and deed is crucial. The decisions made now are reflected in eternity. William