Commentary on Luke 10:1-9: Jesus Sends Out the Seventy in Mission
Luke 10:1-9 · King James Version
Quick Answer: This commentary on Luke 10 1 9 highlights Jesus’ call to mission, urgent prayer, and faithful, simple service. He sends disciples in pairs, instructs them to trust God rather than travel with security, and teaches them to carry His peace into homes. The mission also includes hospitality, perseverance, and compassionate healing as the kingdom draws near.
Luke 10:1-9 (King James Version)
“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.
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.
Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace
be
to this house.
And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
And 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.
And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.”
Background for Luke 10:1-9 commentary
In Luke 10:1-9, Jesus expands the circle of His ministry by appointing “other seventy” and sending them into towns where He planned to go. This reflects a pattern in the Gospels: Jesus teaches and trains disciples, then dispatches them to proclaim God’s reign. The number “seventy” evokes a sense of broad provision for God’s people, suggesting outreach beyond a single audience.
Travel in the ancient Mediterranean world was difficult and socially complex. Disciples relied on local hospitality for lodging and food, and greeting practices were significant. Therefore, Jesus’ instructions—avoid unnecessary delays, do not carry funds or extra provisions, and focus on a settled message in each place—address real logistical dangers: distraction, status-seeking, and friction with hosts.
The imagery of “lambs among wolves” also fits the social tension of the period. Mission work could invite misunderstanding or hostility, especially when preaching that God’s kingdom was near. Against this backdrop, Jesus pairs urgency (“the harvest is great”) with dependence on God and respectful yet decisive conduct (“salute no man by the way,” “remain in the same house”).
