Matthew 10:23

Matthew 10:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
• New International Version (NIV)When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
• New King James Version (NKJV)When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Context of Matthew 10:23

21At that time, a man will let people kill his own brother. A father will let people kill his own child. Children will be against their parents. They will even ask people to kill their parents. 22All people will hate you because you are my disciples. But God will save the person who remains strong until the end. If people in any town hurt you because of me, you should leave that town immediately. Go to another town. I tell you this: You will not have enough time to speak your message in all the towns of Israel. I, the Son of Man, will return before that can happen. 24A student is not more important than his teacher is. A servant is not more important than his master is. 25A student should be happy if he becomes like his teacher. A servant should be happy if he becomes like his master. People have called me, the master of the house, Beelzebul. You are like those people who live in my house. So do not be surprised when people call you even worse names than they call me.

Matthew 10:23 word by word

Ὅταν δὲ διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, φεύγετε εἰς τὴν ἑτέραν· ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν· οὐ μὴ τελέσητε τὰς πόλεις τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• whenὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752
• they persecuteδιώκωdiōkō · to pursueG1377
• youσύsu · youG4771
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• cityὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
• flee yeφεύγωpheugō · to fleeG5343
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• anotherἄλλοςallos · anotherG243
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• verilyἀμήνamēn · amenG281
• I sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Ye shallτελέωteleō · to finishG5055
• notοὐou · noG3756
• notμήmē · notG3361
• of IsraelἸσραήλIsraēl · IsraelG2474
• tillἕωςheōs · untilG2193
• tillἄνan · ifG302
• the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• of manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• be comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064

Cross-references for Matthew 10:23

• Matthew 2:13After the men had gone away, Joseph had a dream. In the dream, he saw one of the Lord God's angels. The angel said to him, ‘Herod will look for the child, so that his soldiers can kill him. You must get up and take the child and his mother with you. Go immediately to Egypt. I will tell you when you can return again. You must remain there until then.’
• Matthew 4:12Then Jesus heard that Herod had put John the Baptist in prison. So Jesus returned to Galilee.
• Matthew 12:14Then the Pharisees went out from the meeting place. They began to talk to each other about how they could kill Jesus.
• Luke 4:29They stood up and they made him leave the town. They took him to the top of the hill outside the town. They wanted to throw him over the edge to the bottom.
• John 7:1After this, Jesus visited many places in Galilee. He did not want to visit Judea because the Jewish leaders there wanted to kill him.
• John 10:39Again, the Jewish leaders tried to take hold of Jesus. But he escaped from them.
• John 11:53From that day, the Jewish leaders decided together how they could kill Jesus.
• Acts 8:1Saul was standing there while the Jewish leaders killed Stephen. He agreed with what they did. On the same day that Stephen died, the group of believers who lived in Jerusalem began to have great trouble. People did bad things to them. All the believers left Jerusalem and went to other places in Judea and Samaria. Only Jesus' 12 apostles stayed in Jerusalem.
• Acts 9:24But someone told Saul about this. The Jews carefully watched the gates of the city all day and all night. They wanted to catch Saul and to kill him.
• Acts 13:50But the Jewish leaders spoke to the important men in the city. They also spoke to some rich women who worshipped God. The Jewish leaders told them bad things about Paul and Barnabas. So these important people started to speak against Paul and Barnabas. They caused Paul and Barnabas to leave that region.
• Acts 14:6Paul and Barnabas heard that these people wanted to hurt them. So they left Iconium quickly and they went to Lystra and Derbe, and other places near there. These cities were in the region called Lycaonia.
• Acts 17:10As soon as it became dark, the believers in Thessalonica sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. When they arrived in that town, they went to the Jewish meeting place.
• Acts 20:1After that, the trouble in Ephesus finished. Then Paul asked the believers to meet together with him. He spoke to them to help them. He told them to be strong and to trust God. Then he said ‘goodbye’ to them. After that he left them and he travelled on to Macedonia.
• Matthew 16:28I tell you this: When I, the Son of Man, come with power, some people who are standing here will see me at that time. Before they die, they will see me begin to rule in my kingdom.’
• Matthew 24:27Lightning shines quickly and it lights up the whole of the sky from one side to the other. It will be like that when the Son of Man returns.
• Matthew 25:13Then Jesus said to the people, ‘So you must watch carefully. You do not know on what day or at what time I will return.’

Commentaries on Matthew 10:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23But when they persecute you - It is prudence and humility (when charity or righteousness obliges us not to the contrary) to avoid persecution. To deprive those who are disposed to do evil of the opportunities of doing it; to convey the grace which they despise to others; to accomplish God's designs of justice on the former, and of mercy on the latter, are consequences of the flight of a persecuted preacher. This flight is a precept to those who are highly…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23When they persecute … - The apostles were not permitted to “throw away” their lives. Where they could preserve them without denying their Lord, they were to do it. Yet all the commands of Christ, as well as their conduct, show that they were rather to lay down their lives than deny their Saviour. We are to preserve our lives by all proper means, but we are rather to die than save ourselves by doing anything wrong. Ye shall not have gone over the cities of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-42Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23before the Son of Man comes: Scholars disagree on whether this refers to Christ's second coming for his church or an earlier judgment, specifically the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (see 16:28). you will not reach: Jesus might mean “before you have fled through all the towns” or “before you have spread the gospel in all the towns.” The focus on persecution in the context (see 10:17–39) supports the first idea. It suggests the towns were like cities of…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another--"into the other." This, though applicable to all time, and exemplified by our Lord Himself once and again, had special reference to the brief opportunities which Israel was to have of "knowing the time of His visitations." for verily I say unto you--what will startle you, but at the same time show you the solemnity of your mission, and the need of economizing the time for it. Ye shall not…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 10:23

• Commandments
• Jesus Continued
• Minister, Christian
• Persecution

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Son of man
• Confess
• Darkness
• Freely
• Hell
• Preach
• Prophecy

Commentaries on Matthew 10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings