New Living Translation
Matthew 10:23
23When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.
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
21“A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. 22And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel. 24“Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. 25Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!
Read all of Matthew 10Matthew 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 wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
- Matthew 4:12When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee.
- Matthew 12:14Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.
- Luke 4:29Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff,
- John 7:1After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death.
- John 10:39Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them.
- John 11:53So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death.
- Acts 8:1Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.
- Acts 9:24They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot.
- Acts 13:50Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town.
- Acts 14:6When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area.
- Acts 17:10That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.
- Acts 20:1When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia.
- Matthew 16:28And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
- Matthew 24:27For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.
- Matthew 25:13“So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my 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
In the dictionaries
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
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