Luke 10:1-12 Meaning: Sent as Lambs Among Wolves
1Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place where he was about to come.
2Then he said to them, “The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest.
3Go your ways. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
4Carry no purse, nor wallet, nor sandals. Greet no one on the way.
5Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’
6If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.
7Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don’t go from house to house.
8Into whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat the things that are set before you.
9Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’
10But into whatever city you enter and they don’t receive you, go out into its streets and say,
11‘Even the dust from your city that clings to us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’
12I tell you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.
1After 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.
2Therefore 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.
3Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
4Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
5And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
6And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
7And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
8And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
11Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
12But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
1Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself was about to come.
2And he said unto them, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest.
3Go your ways; behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves.
4Carry no purse, no wallet, no shoes; and salute no man on the way.
5And into whatsoever house ye shall enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
6And if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall turn to you again.
7And in that same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
8And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9and heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10But into whatsoever city ye shall enter, and they receive you not, go out into the streets thereof and say,
11Even the dust from your city, that cleaveth to our feet, we wipe off against you: nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh.
12I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
1And after these things, the Lord did appoint also other seventy, and sent them by twos before his face, to every city and place whither he himself was about to come,
2then said he unto them, `The harvest indeed is abundant, but the workmen few; beseech ye then the Lord of the harvest, that He may put forth workmen to His harvest.
3`Go away; lo, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves;
4carry no bag, no scrip, nor sandals; and salute no one on the way;
5and into whatever house ye do enter, first say, Peace to this house;
6and if indeed there may be there the son of peace, rest on it shall your peace; and if not so, upon you it shall turn back.
7`And in that house remain, eating and drinking the things they have, for worthy is the workman of his hire; go not from house to house,
8and into whatever city ye enter, and they may receive you, eat the things set before you,
9and heal the ailing in it, and say to them, The reign of God hath come nigh to you.
10`And into whatever city ye do enter, and they may not receive you, having gone forth to its broad places, say,
11And the dust that hath cleaved to us, from your city, we do wipe off against you, but this know ye, that the reign of God hath come nigh to you;
12and I say to you, that for Sodom in that day it shall be more tolerable than for that city.
1Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place where he himself was about to come.
2And he said to them, The harvest indeed [is] great, but the workmen few; supplicate therefore the Lord of the harvest that he may send out workmen into his harvest.
3Go: behold I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves.
4Carry neither purse nor scrip nor sandals, and salute no one on the way.
5And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace to this house.
6And if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it; but if not it shall turn to you again.
7And in the same house abide, eating and drinking such things as they have; for the workman is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house.
8And into whatsoever city ye may enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you,
9and heal the sick in it, and say to them, The kingdom of God is come nigh to you.
10But into whatsoever city ye may have entered and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,
11Even the dust of your city, which cleaves to us on the feet, do we shake off against you; but know this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh.
12I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for Sodom in that day than for that city.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Jesus appoint seventy disciples? Luke 10:1-12 explains their urgent mission: lambs among wolves, peace to homes, and the kingdom near.
Context
Jesus has been traveling through Galilee with his twelve apostles, heading toward Jerusalem. Now he appoints a second group: seventy more disciples. He sends them ahead, two by two, into every town he plans to visit. This is not a random number. It recalls the seventy elders Moses gathered in the wilderness (Numbers 11). It may also hint at the seventy nations listed in Genesis, suggesting this message is for everyone. The instructions are urgent and bare: no money bag, no extra sandals, no long greetings. Carry peace into a house. If welcomed, stay and heal the sick. If rejected, wipe off the dust and move on, still announcing that God’s kingdom has drawn near. The chapter shows Jesus preparing the way for his own arrival, and it lays out a pattern for how his followers were to carry his message into a world that would not always welcome them.
Key Words
Three Greek words give this passage its shape. Ἀποστέλλω (apostellō), used twice in verse 1, means to send on a mission with authority. Jesus sends them the same way the Father sent him. They carry his weight, not their own. Δεήθητε (deēthēte) in verse 2 is a strong word for praying: to beg, to plead. It is the prayer of someone who sees a field ripe and knows they cannot harvest it alone. Jesus tells them to ask the Lord of the harvest to push workers out into the field, the verb ekballō means to thrust or drive. Prayer is not a polite request; it is desperate and active. Ἤγγικεν (ēngiken) in verses 9 and 11 is in the perfect tense, the kingdom of God has drawn near and stays near. Not a vague future hope but a present reality arriving with them. That is the message they carry: God’s rule is here.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian readers have long seen the number seventy as weighted with meaning. Many note the echo of the seventy elders in Numbers 11, suggesting that just as Moses shared his leadership, Jesus extends his mission through others. Some early church writers, like Irenaeus, connected the seventy to the seventy nations descended from Noah in Genesis 10, seeing the mission as a sign that the gospel would reach every people group. Other manuscripts read “seventy-two,” which some link to the number of nations in the Septuagint version of Genesis. Calvin focused on the practical purpose: the seventy were sent to prepare the way, stirring up hope before Christ himself arrived. Across traditions, Christians agree that the passage models a mission marked by trust, peace, and urgency, carried out by ordinary people sent ahead of their Lord.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think the instruction “greet no one on the way” commands brusque rudeness. In fact, Eastern greetings at that time involved long embraces, bows, and repeated questions. Jesus was not forbidding kindness. He was saying: the harvest is urgent; do not let even good customs delay the message of the kingdom.
Living This Out
This week, you will enter houses. Maybe your own, maybe a friend’s, maybe a stranger’s. Before you discuss anything else, try offering peace. Not a formula, a genuine wish for God’s shalom on that home. When you go to work or school, travel light: don’t carry every backup plan and security. Trust that the One who sends you will provide what you need through the people he puts in your path. And when someone closes a door on your kindness, you are free to leave without bitterness. Wipe off the dust. That rejection is not the end of the story. The kingdom has still come near.
Main takeaway: Jesus sends ordinary people into a dangerous world with a simple message: God’s kingdom has come near.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus sent people to tell everyone that God’s love was coming close. He said, “You are like lambs, and some people will be like wolves. But don’t worry, the peace I give you will be enough.”
For ages 9, 12
Jesus picked seventy people to go ahead of him into towns he planned to visit. He told them not to bring extra money or shoes. They were to trust that the people they helped would take care of them. And wherever they went, they were to say, “Peace to this house.” If people said no, they were to wipe the dust off their feet and move on. Jesus still sends people today. You can be one of them, carrying peace wherever you go.
Questions People Ask
Why did Jesus choose seventy disciples instead of just the twelve?
Jesus had already sent the twelve apostles to the towns of Israel. Now he sends seventy, or seventy-two in some manuscripts, to reach even more places before he arrives. The number echoes the seventy elders of Israel in Numbers 11 and possibly the seventy nations of Genesis 10, showing the message is for all people.
What does 'son of peace' mean?
It is a Hebrew expression meaning a person who is peaceful and ready to receive God's blessing. If the head of a household was a 'son of peace,' the disciples’ greeting of peace would rest on that home. If not, the peace would return to them, they were not responsible for forcing it on anyone.
Why did Jesus tell them not to greet anyone on the road?
Eastern greetings were long and elaborate, often involving bows and repeated questions. Jesus was not telling them to be rude. He was emphasizing urgency: the harvest was ripe, and they had no time for delays. The mission was too important to let custom slow them down.
What does wiping off the dust mean?
It was a symbolic act of cleansing and testimony. By shaking the dust from their feet, the disciples showed that they had fulfilled their responsibility to deliver the message. The rejection was on the city, not on them. Yet even in this act, they still declared that the kingdom of God had come near.
Why does Jesus mention Sodom here?
Sodom was a city destroyed for its wickedness. Jesus says it will be more bearable for Sodom on judgment day than for a town that rejected his disciples. The warning is not about the disciples’ power but about the seriousness of hearing the gospel and refusing it. Greater privilege brings greater accountability.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study