Luke 10:3

Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) As lambs among wolves.—See Note on Matthew 10:16.

Benson Commentary

Luke 10:3-4. I send you forth as lambs, &c. — As so many defenceless lambs, in the midst of ravenous and cruel wolves. Carry neither purse nor scrip, &c. — See notes on Matthew 10:9-10; Matthew 10:16. Salute no man by the way — Let not matters of mere compliment detain you, but make all the haste you possibly can. The salutations usual among the Jews took up much time. But these had so much work to do in so short a space, that they had not a moment to spare.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

10:1-16 Christ sent the seventy disciples, two and two, that they might strengthen and encourage one another. The ministry of the gospel calls men to receive Christ as a Prince and a Saviour; and he will surely come in the power of his Spirit to all places whither he sends his faithful servants. But the doom of those who receive the grace of God in vain, will be very fearful Those who despise the faithful ministers of Christ, who think meanly of them, and look scornfully upon them, will be reckoned as despisers of God and Christ.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 10:16.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

3-12. (See on [1625]Mt 10:7-16).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 3,4. We met with these instructions before, and opened them in our notes. See Poole on "Matthew 10:9", See Poole on "Matthew 10:10" and See Poole on "Matthew 10:16", only there we had not those words,

and salute no man by the way. The meaning of that is no more than, make all possible speed: see 2 Kings 4:29.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Go your ways,.... Into all the villages, towns, cities, and places, where he directed them to go, to make ready for him.

Behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves; as harmless, innocent, profitable, and defenceless creatures, among spiteful, malicious, cunning, and cruel men; See Gill on Matthew 10:16.

Geneva Study Bible

{2} Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

(2) The faithful ministers of the word are in this world as lambs among wolves: but if they are diligent to do their duty, he who sent them will also preserve them.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 10:3. See on Matthew 10:16, where πρόβατα appears. A different form of the tradition, not to be explained as though Jesus called the Twelve πρόβατα as being τελειοτέρους (Euthymius Zigabenus). Comp. John 21:15-17.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 10:3. ὑπάγετε, go, whither? Mt.’s version of the instructions to the Twelve says: not to Samaria, but to the lost sheep of Israel only; this omitted by Lk. with the one word, “go,” retained.—ὡς ἄρνας, etc., as lambs among wolves; sheep (πρόβατα) in Matthew 10:16; pathetic hint as to the helplessness of the agents and the risks they run; not imaginary, as the recent experience at the Samaritan village shows.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. as lambs] ‘as sheep,’ Matthew 10:16 (of the Twelve). The slight variation must not be pressed. The impression meant to be conveyed is merely that of simplicity and defencelessness. A tradition, as old as Clemens Romanus, tells us that St Peter had asked (on the previous occasion), ‘But how then if the wolves should tear the lambs?’ and that Jesus replied, ‘Let not the lambs fear the wolves when the lambs are once dead,’ and added the words in Matthew 10:28. There is no reason to doubt this interesting tradition, which may rank as one of the most certain of the ‘unwritten sayings’ (agrapha dogmata) of our Lord.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 10:3. Ἄρνας, lambs) So the Seventy are called; but the twelve apostles, sheep, Matthew 10:16. [He gave to both a safe-conduct, as it is termed, by the words, Behold, I send you.—V. g.]

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. These first missionaries were to go forth unarmed and unprovided. They were to be a type of the strange, seemingly weak Christian preachers of the next two hundred years, before whose simple words and unarmed presence the great system of paganism was to go down. One of the rare but beautiful traditional sayings of the Lord is referred to the first occasion of his speaking the words of this third verse. Peter is said to have asked him, "But how, then, if the wolves tear the lambs?" And the Lord said, "Let not the lambs fear the wolves, when the lambs are once dead;" and then added again the words of Matthew 10:28, "Fear not them which kill the body," etc. Luke 10:3

Vincent's Word Studies

I send forth (ἀποστέλλω)

See on Matthew 10:2.