Matthew 10:19

10:16-42 Our Lord warned his disciples to prepare for persecution. They were to avoid all things which gave advantage to their enemies, all meddling with worldly or political concerns, all appearance of evil or selfishness, and all underhand measures. Christ foretold troubles, not only that the troubles might not be a surprise, but that they might confirm their faith. He tells them what they should suffer, and from whom. Thus Christ has dealt fairly and faithfully with us, in telling us the worst we can meet with in his service; and he would have us deal so with ourselves, in sitting down and counting the cost. Persecutors are worse than beasts, in that they prey upon those of their own kind. The strongest bonds of love and duty, have often been broken through from enmity against Christ. Sufferings from friends and relations are very grievous; nothing cuts more. It appears plainly, that all who will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution; and we must expect to enter into the kingdom of God through many tribulations. With these predictions of trouble, are counsels and comforts for a time of trial. The disciples of Christ are hated and persecuted as serpents, and their ruin is sought, and they need the serpent's wisdom. Be ye harmless as doves. Not only, do nobody any hurt, but bear nobody any ill-will. Prudent care there must be, but not an anxious, perplexing thought; let this care be cast upon God.

Take no thought (μὴ μεριμνήσητε) Rev., Be not anxious. See on Matthew 6:25. In that hour (ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ) Very precise. "In that selfsame hour." Bengel remarks: "Even though not before. Many feel most strongly their spiritual power when the hour comes to impart it to others."

19 . take no thought how or what ye shall speak ] Curiously enough this has been quoted as if it justified want of preparation for sermons or addresses to a Christian congregation. The direction points definitely to the Christian ‘apologies,’ of which specimens have come down to us.

Matthew 10:19 . But take no thought how or what ye shall speak — When you are compelled to appear before such personages be not anxiously careful about your defence there, or how you shall answer for yourselves, but cheerfully confide in the divine direction, which shall certainly be given you, and shall be abundantly sufficient for you. The apostles being, in general, persons of a low education, and wholly unacquainted with the laws of the different countries whither they were to go, and with the forms of their courts, might have been much terrified at the thought of appearing before kings, governors, and other persons of distinction, and might have feared lest, in the hurry of their spirits, they should be betrayed into some impropriety of language or behaviour, by which the cause of the gospel might be injured. Nothing, therefore, could have been more proper, or better suited to the circumstances in which they were placed, than the promise which our Lord here makes them, which, if received in faith, was sufficient to prevent a thousand anxious apprehensions. Observe, reader, neither at such a time as is here referred to, nor on any sudden call, need the true disciples of Jesus be careful what or how to answer.

Matthew 10:19-22 . μὴ μεριμνήσητε , etc.: a second counsel against anxiety ( Matthew 6:25 ), this time not as to food and raiment, but as to speech at a critical hour. With equal emphasis: trouble not yourselves either as to manner or matter, word or thought ( πῶς ἢ τί ).— δοθήσεται : thought, word, tone, gesture—everything that tends to impress—all will be given at the critical hour ( ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ ). In the former instance anxiety was restricted to the day ( Matthew 6:34 ). Full, absolute inspiration promised for the supreme moment.— οὐ γὰρ ὑμεῖς , etc.: not you but the divine Spirit the speaker. οὐ , ἀλλὰ , non tam quam, interprets Grotius, followed by Pricaeus, Elsner, Fritzsche, etc. = not so much you as; as if it were an affair of division of labour, so much ours, so much, and more, God’s. It is, however, all God’s and yet all ours. It is a case of immanent action, τὸ λαλοῦν ἐν ὑμῖν , not of a transcendent power coming in upon us to help our infirmity, eking out our imperfect speech. Note the Spirit is called the Spirit τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν , echo of Matthew 6:32 . Some of the greatest, most inspired utterances have been speeches made by men on trial for religious convictions. A good conscience, tranquility of spirit, and a sense of the greatness of the issue involved, make human speech at such times touch the sublime.

(19) Take no thought. —In the same sense as in Matthew 6:25 , “Do not at that moment be over-anxious.” The words indicate an almost tender sympathy with the feelings of Galilean disciples, “unlearned and ignorant men,” standing before those who were counted so much their superiors in power and knowledge. The words that follow contain a two-fold promise: not only w hat they should say, but how, in what form and phrase, to say it, should be given them in that hour. The courage of Peter and John before the Sanhedrin is at once the earliest and the most striking instance of the fulfilment of the promise ( Acts 4:13 ).

19. But when they deliver you up, take no thought—be not solicitous or anxious. (See on [1257]Mt 6:25). how or what ye shall speak—that is, either in what manner ye shall make your defense, or of what matter it shall consist. for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak—(See Ex 4:12; Jer 1:7).

Matthew 10:19 . Μὴ μεριμνήσητε , Be not careful ) Your only care must be to be without care. We are not forbidden by this passage from all preparation; see 1 Timothy 4:15 , cf. Luke 21:14 ; 1 Corinthians 14:26 . But on a sudden emergency, even in these times, a faithful professor should not be anxious as to what he has to say.— ἤ , or) Care is elegantly mentioned; where, however, the “ what” (quid , τί ) is supplied, there the “ how ”[468] ( quomodo , πῶς ) is not wanting. The “ how or what ” includes whatever can fall under the idea of care; therefore, especially also the words, concerning which many, who have the matter ready, are wont to be over anxious. The Spirit does not speak without words; see Matthew 10:20 : and in Luke 21:15 , we read, “I will give you a mouth and wisdom.” Analogous combinations, under other circumstances, occur in John 8:28 ; John 12:49-50 ; Romans 8:26 ; 1 Peter 1:11 . The doctrine of verbal inspiration is not inferred from the difference of the words how and what , but from the promise itself.— ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὤρᾳ , in that hour ) even though not before. Many feel most strongly their spiritual power when the hour arrives of imparting it to others.— τί , what ) for ὅ , that which .—Cf. ch. Matthew 15:32 , and Luke 17:8 . [468] Referring to “HOW or WHAT ye shall speak ”—(I. B.)

Matthew 10:19-20 . But now, when the delivering of you up actually takes place, give yourselves no anxious concern, and so on. ἢ τί ] not καὶ τί , but the distinctive expression used renders more fully prominent the two elements, the how and the what (Dissen, ad Dem, de cor . p. 264), in which “eleganter notatur cura ” (Bengel). The difficulty, first of all, is with regard to the πῶς ; observe, however, that in the sequel only τί is used (“ubi τό quid obtigit, τό quomodo non deest,” Bengel). δοθήσεται ] not docebitur , but suggeretur , by God through the Holy Spirit, Isaiah 50:4 ; Ephesians 6:19 ; 1 Corinthians 2:10 ff.; Luke 21:15 . Observe the difference between τί λαλήσητε and τί λαλήσετε (what you ought to speak, and what you will speak); and for this use of τί , see Bernhardy, p. 443. Kühner, II. 2, p. 1016. οὐ … ἀλλά ] In this decided , and not in any half and half way, does Jesus conceive of that relation, in virtue of which His disciples were to become πνευματικοῖς πνευματικὰ συγκρίνοντες ( 1 Corinthians 2:13 ). ἐστέ ] the future situation is thought of as present .