Matthew 10:9

9 Take no gold or silver or copper in your pockets;

Matthew 10:9 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 10:9

Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass
That is, not any sort of "money", as both Mark and Luke express it: for money was then coined, as now, of these three sorts of metals, and which include all kind of money; so that they were not to provide, get, prepare, or take along with them for their journey, as not gold, nor silver, or any parcel of this sort of money, which might be of considerable importance, and lasting consequence to them; so neither brass money, as, halfpence, and farthings, the least, and most inconsiderable: they were forbidden to carry any of either sort

in your purses:
or, as it may be rendered, "in", or "within your girdles"; in which travellers, among the Jews, used to carry their money; and who, in their travelling dress, might not go into the temple, and are thus described F8;

``a man may not go into the mountain of the house with his staff, or with his shoes on, nor (wtdnwpb) , "with his girdle".''

The (adnwp) "phunda", Maimonides says F9, is an inner garment, wore to keep off sweat from other garments, to which were sewed hollow things like purses, in which a man put what he pleased; though other
FOOTNOTES:

F11 interpreters say it is (twem wb Nyntwnv lwlx rwza) , "a hollow girdle, in which they put their money": and so the Romans F12 had used to do; and so do the Turks F13 to this day; to which practice the allusion is here.


F8 Misn. Beracot, c. 9. sect. 5.
F9 In ib. & Celim. c. 29. 1. & Sabbat, c. 10. 3.
F11 Bartenora & Yom Tob in ib. Gloss in T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 62. 2. & in Sabbat. fol. 92. 1. & 113. 1. & 120. 1. & Nedarim, fol. 55. 2.
F12 Gracchus apud A. Gell. Noct. Attic. 1. 15. c. 12. Sueton. in Vita Vitellii, c. 16.
F13 Bobovius de Peregr. Meccan. p. 14.

Matthew 10:9 In-Context

7 And, on your way, say, The kingdom of heaven is near.
8 Make well those who are ill, give life to the dead, make lepers clean, send evil spirits out of men; freely it has been given to you, freely give.
9 Take no gold or silver or copper in your pockets;
10 Take no bag for your journey and do not take two coats or shoes or a stick: for the workman has a right to his food.
11 And into whatever town or small place you go, make search there for someone who is respected, and make his house your resting-place till you go away.
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