Matthew 10:29

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. ARE NOT TWO SPARROWS SOLD FOR A FARTHING? In Luke () it is "Five sparrows for two farthings;" so that, if the purchaser took two farthings' worth, he got one in addition-of such small value were they. AND ONE OF THEM SHALL NOT FALL ON THE GROUND (EXHAUSTED OR KILLED) WITHOUT YOUR FATHER - "Not one of them is forgotten before God," as it is in Luke....

Matthew 10:29._Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? _Christ proceeds farther, as I have already hinted, and declares that tyrants, whatever may be their madness, have no power whatever even over the body: and that therefore it is improper in any persons to dread the cruelty of men, as if they were not under the protection of God. In the midst of dangers, therefore, let us remember this second consolation. As God is the guardian of our life, we may safely rely on his providence; nay, we do him injustice, if we do not entrust to him our life, which he is pleased to take under his charge. Christ takes a general view of the providence of God as extending to all creatures, and thus argues from the greater to the less, that we are upheld by his special protection. There is hardly any thing of less value than _sparrows, _(for _two _were then _sold for a farthing, _or, as

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 and faithfully with us, in telling us the worst we can meet with in his service; and he would have us deal so with ourselves, in sitting down and counting the cost. Persecutors are worse than beasts, in that they prey upon those of their own kind. The strongest bonds of love and duty, have often been broken through from enmity against Christ. Sufferings from friends and relations are very grievous; nothing cuts more. It appears plainly, that al...

Verse 29. _ARE NOT TWO SPARROWS SOLD FOR A FARTHING?_] ασσαριου. A Roman AS was one-tenth of a DENARIUS, which was about _sevenpence-halfpenny_, and one-tenth of sevenpence-halfpenny makes just three _farthings_. The word ασσαριον, which we translate _farthing_, is found among the rabbins in the word עיסר _aisar_, which, according to _Maimonides_, is equal to four grains of silver, but is used among them to express a thing of the _lowest_, or almost _no value_. Our Lord seems to have borrowed the expression, One of them shall not fall on the ground, c., from his own countrymen. In _Bereshith_ _Rabba_, sec. 79, fol. 77, it is said: In the time in which the Jews were compelled to apostatize, Rab. Simeon, Ben. Jochai, and Eliezer his son hid themselves in a cave, and lived upon dry husks. After thirteen years they came out and, sitting at the mouth of the cave, they observed a fowler stre...

ARE NOT TWO SPARROWS ... - He encourages them not to fear by two striking considerations: first, that God takes care of sparrows, the smallest and least valuable of birds; and, secondly, by the fact that God numbers even the hairs of the head. The argument is, that if He takes care of birds of the least value, if He regards so small a thing as the hair of the head, and numbers it, He will certainly protect and provide for you. You need not, therefore, fear what man can do to you. SPARROWS - The sparrows are well-known birds in Syria. They are small; they are found in great numbers; they are tame, intrusive, and nestle everywhere. “They are extremely pertinacious in asserting their right of possession, and have not the least reverence for any place or thing. David alludes to these characteristics of the sparrow in Psalms 84

EXPOSITION For introductory notes to this chapter, see Matthew 9:35. MATTHEW 10:1 Parallel passages: Mark 6:7; Luke 9:1. The prayer (Matthew 9:38) is answered in the persons of those who were taught to pray. Christ establishes his new agency. AND WHEN HE HAD CALLED UNTO HIM. From the circle of the bystanders. HIS TWELVE DISCIPLES. Who had already been chosen to be specially with him (cf. Matthew 9:35, note; and...

ARE NOT TWO SPARROWS SOLD FOR A FARTHING?.... A farthing, with the Jews, was a very small coin; according to them it contained four grains of silver b; was the ninety sixth part of a "sela", or shilling c; and sometimes they make it to be of the same value with an Italian farthing: for they say d, it is of the value of eight "prutahs": and a "prutah" is the eighth part of an Italian farthing: it is used proverbially to signify a very little thing in the Misna e; "if of a command, which is light כאיסר "as a farthing", which Bartenora explains a "very little thing", the law says, "that it may be well with thee", much more of the weighty commands in the law.'' Hence, in Munster's Hebrew Gospel, it is rendered by טבע קטון, "a little piece of money"; and this was the common price of two sparrows. Our Lord appeals to his disciples, for the truth of it, as a thing well known: according to the...

Matthew 10:1. _And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease._ They were first Christ's disciples, and then he sent them forth as his apostles, clothed with power and authority very similar to his own. Matthew 10:2. _Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddeu;, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him._ The twelve apostles linked the spiritual Israel with the twelve tribes of th

7. THE MESSENGERS OF THE KINGDOM. CHAPTER 10 _ 1. The Twelve Disciples. (Matthew 10:1 .) 2. Their Commission. (Matthew 10:5 .) 3. Persecutions Promised. (Matthew 10:16 .) 4. Words of Encouragement.(Matthew 10:24 .) 5. Not Peace but the Sword. (Matthew 10:34 .) 6. True Discipleship and Rewards. (Matthew 10:37 .)_ We learn now how our Lord, who is truly the Lord of the Harvest, sends forth the laborers. He does it as the King,

THE CHARGE TO THE TWELVE. The section forms the second of five passages into which Mt. col lected the sayings of Jesus. The Markan account (Matthew 6:7) is followed by Luke 9:1, but Luke 10:2 (the Seventy) is from Q; Matthew 10:5 combines the two sources. The mission is limited to Jews, hardly, in view of Matthew 10:6; Matthew 10:23, to the Jews of Galilee. Luke 10 omits the limitation; he wrote mainly for Gentiles. Indeed, when Mt. wrote, the limitation was obsolete. Yet it shows