Matthew 10:9 · Bible study
Matthew 10:9 Commentary: Taking No Money for the Journey
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What did Jesus mean by commanding the apostles to carry no money? Explore the context, interpretive debate, and pastoral significance of Matthew 10:9.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The apostles were not to carry any money on their first mission to Israel, as a test of trust and a practical measure for speed.
- Key words: κτήσησθε (ktaomai, to acquire/get), ζώνας (zōnas, belts/girdles used as purses), χαλκὸν (chalkon, copper, the smallest coin metal).
- Main debate: Whether the command is temporary for that mission or a perpetual principle for all Christian workers.
- Theological theme: Radical dependence on God’s provision through the hospitality of God’s people.
- Best use: Understanding the nature of the apostolic commission; not as a rule against financial planning but as a call to trust in ministry.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Do not carry any gold or silver or copper in your belts.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts.
KJV King James Version 1769
Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Get you no gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`Provide not gold, nor silver, nor brass in your girdles,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Do not provide yourselves with gold, or silver, or brass, for your belts,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Do not possess gold, nor silver, nor money in your purses:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No aprestéis oro, ni plata, ni cobre en vuestras bolsas;
Não possuais ouro, nem prata, nem cobre em vossos cintos;
Ne prenez ni or, ni argent, ni monnaie, dans vos ceintures;
Ihr sollt nicht Gold noch Silber noch Erz in euren Gürteln haben,
Verkrijgt u noch goud, noch zilver, noch koper geld in uw gordels;
Non fate provvisione né d’oro, né d’argento, né di rame nelle vostre cinture,
Nie bierzcie z sobą złota, ani srebra, ani miedzi w trzosy wasze;
Не берите с собою ни золота, ни серебра, ни меди в поясы свои,
腰袋 裡 不要 帶 金 銀 銅錢；
Take no gold or silver or copper in your pockets;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 10:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree on the literal meaning: the apostles were not to take any money, gold, silver, or copper, for their journey. The prohibition extends to every denomination of currency then in use, as Vincent notes: a descending climax from gold down to the smallest copper coin. All the supplied sources also agree that this command belongs to a temporary commission, not a permanent rule for all ministry. Calvin argues it was designed for speed: the disciples would traverse Judea quickly and return to Christ. Wesley places the stress on the verb provide: they could use what they had but must not procure anything extra for the trip. Adam Clarke applies the principle to apostolic preachers who trust God entirely. The consensus therefore reads the verse as a concrete instruction for the first apostolic mission, not a universal prohibition against planning or saving.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Temporary commission: The command belongs to a specific short-term mission to Israel, as argued by Calvin, Wesley, and most supplied commentators. Luke 22:35-36 later reverses it.
- Perpetual principle of dependence: Some mendicant traditions and mission movements apply it as an ongoing model for ministers who trust God for daily support, as noted by Adam Clarke.
What is clear: Jesus forbade the apostles from carrying any money on this particular mission to Israel.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary vs perpetual | All commentators agree the literal command is given for the apostolic mission in Matthew 10. | Some traditions (e.g., medieval mendicant orders) apply the command as a permanent rule for ministers. Other traditions (Reformed, Methodist) see it as a temporary test that ended with the first mission. |
| Use of money in ministry | All affirm the principle that those who preach the gospel should be supported by the community (1 Corinthians 9:7, Matthew 10:10). | No disagreement among supplied sources; the verse does not forbid receiving money, only carrying it on this specific journey. |
| Harmonisation with Mark and Luke | All agree there is no real contradiction between the gospel accounts. | Calvin and others offer harmonisation: Matthew forbids an extra staff, Mark allows a walking staff. Wesley and Clarke say the stress is on providing, not using what one already has. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The apostles travelled light. They wore a girdle or belt (zōnē) that doubled as a money pouch, as Gill shows from Jewish sources: a hollow girdle in which coins were carried. Jesus tells them to leave even that pouch empty. The metals named, gold, silver, and brass (copper), cover every coin type circulating in first-century Palestine. The Roman denarius was silver; the Greek drachma was similar; Herod the Great minted only copper. Gold was rare but known. Not even the smallest copper piece was to go with them.
The instruction fits the context of a short, urgent mission. The disciples are sent only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6). Samaria and Gentile territory are off limits. The harvest is great, the time short. Jesus forbids anything that would slow them down: not just money, but a bag for supplies, a second tunic, sandals beyond what they wear, even an extra staff. Mark’s parallel (Mark 6:8-9) allows a walking staff and sandals; Calvin harmonises by saying Matthew forbids a burdensome club while Mark permits a supportive stick. The point is the same: go as you are, waste no time in preparation.
This is not a principle against all financial planning. Luke 22:35 shows Jesus later asking, “When I sent you out without purse, bag, and sandals, did you lack anything?” They answered, “Nothing.” But in that same chapter he tells them to now take a purse and a bag. The context shifts; the command changes. The original mission was a prototype of trust, not a permanent ordinance.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Matthew 10:9. The verb κτήσησθε (“may take along” or “provide”) appears in the aorist subjunctive with μή, expressing a prohibition. A few manuscripts read κτήσησθε without the augment, but this does not affect the meaning. The textual tradition is stable.
Reception History
Early Christian writers saw this verse as a model of apostolic poverty. By the medieval period, mendicant orders such as the Franciscans appealed to it as a warrant for voluntary poverty. Adam Clarke mentions “whole herds of friars mendicants” who professed the same principle. The Reformation reemphasised the temporary character of the command. Calvin and Wesley argued it applied only to the first mission, not to all Christian ministers. In modern mission practice, the verse is often cited as a principle of faith-based support rather than a literal rule. The core conviction, that God provides for those who serve, has remained constant across traditions, even as the literal application has been debated.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The command is specific to its context. Jesus restricts the apostles to Israel and sends them on a quick, urgent mission. The prohibition on money serves speed and dependence on God, not an anti-wealth principle.
- The command teaches radical trust. By forbidding even the smallest coin, Jesus forces the disciples to rely on the hospitality of those who receive them. The labourer is worthy of his food (v.10).
- The command has an abiding principle. Though the literal rule ended, the posture of dependence continues. Ministry that trusts God for support honours the spirit of this verse.
Five-point outline
- No security blanket. Gold, silver, copper, no backup money at all.
- No delay for preparation. “Provide not” means do not stop to arrange funds.
- No contradiction with other Gospels. Matthew says no staff, Mark allows one; both mean travel light with only essentials.
- No permanent law, but a permanent lesson. The apostles later took money (Luke 22:36). The lesson of trust remains.
- No shame in receiving support. The labourer is worthy of his food, the community provides.
Illustration hooks
- A short-term mission team flying to a disaster zone with nothing but a one-way ticket and a contact on the ground.
- A church plant that operates on zero budget, depending on meals from members.
- A first-time missionary learning to accept hospitality without the safety net of a credit card.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Does this verse mean we shouldn’t pay our pastor a salary?”
- “If I go on a mission trip, should I leave my wallet at home?”
- “Is it wrong to save money for retirement or emergencies?”
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits inside Jesus’ instructions for the first apostolic mission. Before you discuss, note that the command about money belongs to a specific time and place. Yet it still raises questions about how we trust God in our own ministries.
Discussion questions
- What metals does Jesus list? Why do you think he mentions all three? (See Vincent’s note on the “descending climax.”)
- Read Mark 6:8-9 alongside Matthew 10:9-10. Where do they differ? How would you explain the difference? (Calvin and others suggest the prohibition is on extra equipment, not what they already wore.)
- Jesus says “the labourer is worthy of his food” (v.10). What does that imply about the community’s responsibility toward those who minister?
- In Luke 22:35-36, Jesus reverses part of this instruction. Why? What changed?
- Some Christians have taken this verse as a model for all ministry. Others see it as a temporary test of faith. Which view do you find more faithful to the whole of Scripture? Why?
- How does this passage challenge the way you think about financial security in your own life of faith?
- What would it look like for your church to better support those who serve? Pray together about one practical step.
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Mark 6:8 | He commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, |
| Mark 6:11 | Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!” |
| Luke 9:3 | He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey—no staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money. Don’t have two tunics each. |
| Luke 9:5 | As many as don’t receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them.” |
| Luke 10:4 | Carry no purse, nor wallet, nor sandals. Greet no one on the way. |
| Luke 10:12 | I tell you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city. |
| Luke 22:35 | He said to them, “When I sent you out without purse, bag, and sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” |
| I Corinthians 9:7 | What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn’t eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk? |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke explains that the command against carrying money is primarily about inward detachment. He observes that even those who profess voluntary poverty can still love money in their hearts, making it more ruinous than having money physically. The true apostolic preacher depends entirely on God's provision.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes resolves the apparent contradiction between Matthew and Mark by focusing on the core instruction: the apostles were to go just as they were, trusting Providence rather than spending time making preparations. Those who already had staves could take them, but those without were not to procure them.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists this command applied only to the disciples' short mission through Judea, not as a permanent rule for ministers. The prohibition against gold, silver, a bag, or extra coats was about traveling light for speed. He resolves the staff contradiction by noting the Hebrew word can mean either a burdensome rod or a walking stick.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the metals Jesus mentions correspond to actual coinage then in circulation: copper was the native currency under Herod, while silver denarii and other Greek and Roman coins were also common. It also clarifies that "purses" literally means money-belts or girdles, sometimes a fold of the tunic held up by the belt.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Possesse not golde, nor siluer, nor money in your girdels,
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Jesus forbade the disciples from carrying any money at all, not just gold and silver but even brass coins, the least valuable. He explains that they were not to put any money in their girdles, a common traveler's practice. The prohibition was total, covering every type of coin.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws attention to the original Greek, where the word translated as purses literally means belts, the money belts of the time. This clarifies the literal instruction: the disciples were to carry no gold, silver, or copper in their belts.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that Christ's restriction to Jewish territory was a temporary strategy, not a permanent rule. He argues that the disciples already leaned toward a universal mission, so the prohibition was needed to first establish the kingdom in Israel before reaching the whole world.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent points out that the Greek word often translated "brass" properly means copper. He sees this as part of a descending climax: copper would be as useless and unnecessary in this context as gold would be.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the stress falls on the word "provide": the disciples could use what they already had, but were not to pause or plan to get anything more. They were to take only what was strictly necessary, partly to avoid delay and mainly to learn to trust God in every future need.