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17 Beware[a] of people, because they will hand you over to councils[b] and flog[c] you in their synagogues.[d] 18 And you will be brought before governors and kings[e] because of me, as a witness to them and to the Gentiles. 19 Whenever[f] they hand you over for trial,[g] do not worry about how to speak or what to say,[h] for what you should say will be given to you at that time.[i] 20 For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 “Brother[j] will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against[k] parents and have them put to death. 22 And you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved! 23 Whenever[l] they persecute you in one town,[m] flee to another! I tell you the truth,[n] you will not finish going through all the towns[o] of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24 “A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a slave[p] greater than his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much worse will they call[q] the members of his household!

Fear God, Not Man

26 “Do[r] not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden[s] that will not be revealed,[t] and nothing is secret that will not be made known.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:17 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  2. Matthew 10:17 sn Councils in this context has a non-technical sense referring to local judicial bodies (courts) attached to the Jewish synagogue (cf. BDAG 967 s.v. συνέδριον 1.a). These courts would be responsible for meting out justice and discipline within the Jewish community.
  3. Matthew 10:17 tn Or “and have you flogged” (a causative sense). BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”
  4. Matthew 10:17 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
  5. Matthew 10:18 sn These statements look at persecution both from a Jewish context as the mention of councils and synagogues suggests, and from a Gentile one as the reference to governors and kings suggests. Some fulfillment of Jewish persecution can be seen in Acts 4:3; 5:17-18, 40-41; 6:12; 7:1-60; 8:1-3, and of Gentile persecution in Acts 25:2-12, 24-27.
  6. Matthew 10:19 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  7. Matthew 10:19 tn Or “hand you over into custody,” in particular “as a t.t. of police and courts ‘hand over into [the] custody [of]’” (BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 1.b). In context some sort of trial is implied (cf. Luke 12:11).
  8. Matthew 10:19 tn Grk “how or what you might speak.”
  9. Matthew 10:19 tn Grk “in that hour.”
  10. Matthew 10:21 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.sn The mention of father and child in the following clause indicates that brother here refers to actual siblings, the members of one’s own family.
  11. Matthew 10:21 tn Or “will rebel against.”
  12. Matthew 10:23 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  13. Matthew 10:23 tn The Greek word πόλις (polis) can mean either “town” or “city” depending on the context (BDAG 844 s.v. 1, “population center of varying size, city, town”).
  14. Matthew 10:23 tn Grk “For truly (ἀμήν, amēn) I say to you.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.
  15. Matthew 10:23 tn The Greek word πόλις (polis), can mean either “town” or “city” (see previous note in this verse). “Town” was employed here to emphasize the large number of places to visit (not just the largest cities) and thus the extensive nature of the disciples’ ministry.
  16. Matthew 10:24 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
  17. Matthew 10:25 tn The words “will they call” are not in the Greek text but are implied, and have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  18. Matthew 10:26 tn Grk “Therefore do not.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
  19. Matthew 10:26 tn Or “concealed.”
  20. Matthew 10:26 tn The passive voice here and with the next verb is probably used for rhetorical effect. Although it is common to understand such usage, particularly in the gospels, as examples of the so-called “divine passive” where God is the unstated performer of the action, according to Wallace (ExSyn 438) this category is overused.sn The passive verbs revealed and made known suggest the revelation comes from God. The text is both a warning about bad things being revealed and an encouragement that good things will be made known.