Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Matthew 10:27
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
What I tell you in darkness, etc.] Hence Christ proceeds to encourage his disciples to an open, plain, and faithful ministration of the Gospel, not fearing the faces and frowns of men. For with respect to the Gospel, his meaning is, that what was hid and covered should not remain so, but should be revealed, and made known, and they were the persons who were to do it; and it was with that view that he had communicated it to them: and whereas he had told them it “in darkness”; not in a dark and obscure manner; for though he spoke in parables to others, yet to them he made known the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven: and if at any time he delivered parables, or dark sayings, to them, he would afterwards, or when alone, explain them to them; but his meaning chiefly is, that what he communicated to them in private houses, when they were by themselves, and no one saw, or heard them, and so were in darkness with respect to others, that speak ye in light; openly and publicly in the synagogues and temple, in the high places of the city, streets, or fields, wherever there is a concourse of people; hide and conceal nothing, but speak out all clearly, distinctly, fully, without the least reserve, or throwing any obscurity on it, which may cover the true sense of it from the view of the people. And what ye hear in the ear, or is whispered to you by me, as your master. Christ alludes to the custom of the Jewish doctors, who had each an interpreter, into whose ear he used to whisper his doctrine, and then the interpreter delivered it to the people: so it is said f647, “Rab came to the place of R. Shilla, and he had no speaker to stand by him; wherefore Rab stood by him, and explained.” The gloss upon it is, “an interpreter stands before a doctor whilst he is preaching, and the doctor wl çjwl, “whispers to him” in the Hebrew tongue, and he interprets it to the multitude in a tongue they understand.” Again f648, “they said to Judah bar Nachmani, the interpreter of Resh Lekish, stand for a speaker for him.” The gloss upon it is, “to cause his exposition to be heard by the congregation, Æl çwjlyç, “which he shall whisper to thee”.” Now it was absolutely requisite, that the speaker, or interpreter, should faithfully relate what the doctor said; sometimes, it seems, he did not: it is said f649 in commendation of the meekness of R. Aba, “that he delivered one sense, and his speaker said another, and he was not angry.” The gloss says, “his speaker was, he that interpreted to the multitude what he wl çjwl, “whispered to him” in the time of preaching.” Sometimes one doctor is said to whisper in the ear of another, when he instructed him, or informed him of anything. R. Jochanan f650 whispered R. Joshua hyndwab, “in his ear”. The Jews have a notion that the law was given this way; so they interpret “the eloquent orator” in (<230303>Isaiah 3:3) f651 this is he to whom it is fit to deliver the words of the law, çjlb hntynç, “which was given by whispering”: and so, it seems, the Gospel was in like manner delivered by Christ to his disciples. It was reckoned a very great honour, and a token of magisterial dignity, to have one to whisper in the ear to, and speak for them. So to one that related his dream, that he saw an ass standing at his pillow, and braying, answer is made, thou shalt be a king, that is, the head of a school; and “a speaker” or “an interpreter shall stand by thee” f652. Our Lord very justly takes upon him the character of a doctor, master, and…
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