Luke 10:2

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. THEREFORE SAID HE - or, 'So He said' UNTO THEM, THE HARVEST ... See the notes at Matthew 9:37, and Remarks 1 and 2 at the close of that section....

2._The harvest is indeed abundant. _I have explained this passage under the ninth chapter of Matthew; (32) but it was proper to insert it again in this place, because it is related for a different purpose. In order to stimulate his disciples the more powerfully to apply with diligence to their work, he declares that _the harvest is abundant: _and hence it follows, that their labor will not be fruitless, but that they will find, in abundance, opportunities of employment, and means of usefulness. He afterwards reminds them of dangers, contests, and annoyances, and bids them go and prepare themselves for traversing with speed the whole of Judea. (33) In short, he repeats the same injunctions which he had given to the Apostles; and, therefore, it would serve no good purpose to trouble the reader here with many words, since a full exposition of all these matters may be found

1-16 Christ sent the seventy disciples, two and two, that they might strengthen and encourage one another. The ministry of the gospel calls men to receive Christ as a Prince and a Saviour; and he will surely come in the power of his Spirit to all places whither he sends his faithful servants. But the doom of those who receive the grace of God in vain, will be very fearful Those who despise the faithful ministers of Christ, who think meanly of them, and look scornfully upon them, will be reckoned as despisers of God and Christ....

Verse Luke 10:2. _THAT HE WOULD SEND FORTH_] εκβαλη. There seems to be an allusion here to the case of reapers, who, though the harvest was perfectly ripe, yet were in _no hurry_ to cut it down. News of this is brought to the _Lord of the harvest_ the _farmer_, and he is entreated to exert his authority, and hurry them out; and this he does because the harvest is spoiling for want of being reaped and gathered in. See the notes on Matthew 9:37....

See the notes at Matthew 9:36....

EXPOSITION LUKE 10:1 _The mission of the seventy. The Lord_'_s words to them of instruction and direction and warning._ LUKE 10:1 AFTER THESE THINGS THE LORD APPOINTED OTHER SEVENTY ALSO. That is to say, after the events just related which had taken place in the north of the Holy Land. "Alter these things" formally began the solemn marches in the direction of Jerusalem, which ended, as we have stated, in the last Passover. Roughly speaking, the seventy were first sent out about the October of the last year of the public ministry. The manuscripts vary between seventy and seventy two. The preponderance of authority is in favour of seventy. The Sanhedrin numbered seventy-one. The elders appointed by Moses were seventy. The

THEREFORE SAID HE UNTO THEM,.... That is, the "Lord Jesus", as the Ethiopic version expresses it; he said to the seventy disciples, what he had before said to the twelve apostles in Matthew 9:37 where are the same words as here: THE HARVEST TRULY IS GREAT, BUT THE LABOURERS ARE FEW, PRAY YE THEREFORE THE LORD OF THE HARVEST THAT HE WOULD SEND FORTH LABOURERS INTO HIS HARVEST; for though there was such a number of disciples called to the ministerial work, and sent out, there was still need of more; so great was the harvest of souls, or number of hearers, that the labourers were yet but few; and therefore the Lord of the harvest and whose all souls are, was to be prayed unto to send forth more laborious preachers; Matthew 9:37....

Our Lord was about to send out seventy disciples to preach the gospel. He had already chosen his twelve apostles; now there must be seventy disciples, something like Moses had seventy elders to serve under him. Some have fancifully likened these two sets of men to the twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees at Elim; and certainly they were for the refreshment of the people. Luke 10:1. _After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come._ They were to go before Christ, and be his heralds. What a mercy it is when the preacher knows that his Master is coming after him, when he can hear the sound of his Master's feet behind him! What courage it gives him! He knows that, though it is very little that he can do, be is the thin end of the wedge preparing the way for One wh

CHAPTER 10 _ 1. The Seventy Appointed. (Luke 10:1)_ 2. The Return of the Seventy and the True Rejoicing. (Luke 10:17) 3. Jesus Rejoiced in Spirit. (Luke 10:21) 4. The Question of the Lawyer. (Luke 10:25) 5. The Parable of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:30) 6. Martha and Mary. (Luke 10:38 .) Luke 10:1 Seventy others are commissioned by Him to be His

THE MISSION OF THE SEVENTY._ Cf._ p. 665. Lk. has already described the Mission of the Twelve, following Mk.; here he covers the ground again, following Q. Matthew 10 had blended Mk. and Q, but Lk. keeps them separate by raising the number to 70 (_cf._ the 70 nations of the Gentile world, Genesis 10). Some good MSS. and Syr. Sin. read 72, _i.e._ 12 x 6; this may be more original. But even if Lk. only meant to describe a mission to the Jews, he has the wider enterprise at the back of his mind. Early Christian tradition (_e.g._ Clem. Alex.) numbered Barnabas, Matthias, Joseph Barsabbas, and Sosthenes among the Seventy, LUKE 10:2 : _cf._ Matthew 9:37 f; Matthew 10:16;...