Matthew 10:9

9 Do not possess gold, nor silver, nor money in your purses:

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 going, preach, saying: The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils: freely have you received, freely give.
9 Do not possess gold, nor silver, nor money in your purses:
10 Nor scrip for your journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff; for the workman is worthy of his meat.
11 And into whatsoever city or town you shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there abide till you go thence.
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