Matthew 10:9

9 Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts,

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 As you go, proclaim the good news, "The kingdom of heaven has come near.'
8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.
9 Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts,
10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food.
11 Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.