Matthew 10:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

NIV: What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.

NASB: What I tell you in the darkness, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.

CSB: What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, proclaim on the housetops.

NLT: What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!

KJV: What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

NKJV: “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.

Jesus is warning His disciples about the persecution that will come to them when they preach His message to the world (Matthew 10:22–26). The Jewish religious leaders, for one, will call them heretics for saying that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. They have already said that Jesus' undeniable power comes from Satan (Matthew 9:34).

Jesus doesn't want His followers to respond to this persecution in misplaced fear—He wants them to expect it, but to do so with confidence. He has promised them they will be vindicated for preaching the truth about Him. Every hidden and covered thing about Him will come to light, and all will know that they were faithful to the truth (Philippians 2:9–11).

Now He tells them to be the ones to start declaring that truth. Jesus has not fully revealed to Israel and the world that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. In fact, He has told many of the people He has healed not to tell anyone about what happened in order to keep that truth from being fully understood until the time was right. Instead, He has revealed these truths to His disciples about things they likely will not understand until after His resurrection from the dead.

When the time comes, though, Jesus wants His disciples to broadcast those truths far and wide in a fully public way. He wants them to proclaim the truth that He is the Messiah, the Son of God, from the housetops. The flat rooftops of Palestinian houses provided excellent platforms for speakers to large groups of people. The disciples' work would include declaring previously hidden truths.

Matthew 10:26–33 continues Jesus' encouragement, as He sends the Twelve out with His authority. He commands the apostles to proclaim far and wide what He whispers to them now. Persecution will come to them, but they must not be afraid. Their enemies can only kill their bodies. They should fear God, instead, and understand that their Father cares for them. He will see if they fall. Jesus declares that He, too, will acknowledge to His Father everyone who acknowledges Him to others. Those who deny His identity as God's Son, however, He will also deny.

Jesus gives His authority over disease, demons, and even death to His twelve hand-picked apostles. He gives them instructions in preparation both for a short-term trip to the towns of Galilee and their ministry after He has left the earth. First, they will preach His message of the kingdom in Israelite towns as they heal and cast out demons to demonstrate His power. Later, they will suffer great persecution as they represent Him before both Jews and Gentiles. They should not be afraid, though, and trust their Father to be with them and to reward them.

Jesus has recently expressed compassion for the people of Israel, who are spiritually lost. Matthew 10 is a record of Jesus' instructions to His twelve core apostles, as He sends them on a short-term trip to the towns of Galilee. He also includes warnings and encouragements about the persecution they will eventually experience. In chapter 11, Jesus will continue to proclaim truth to the people of Israel, leading to further conflict with local religious leaders.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.