Matthew 10 · Verse 8

Matthew 10:8

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Matthew 10:8, King James Version

Matthew 10:8 in other translations

BSBHeal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
WEBHeal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give.
ASVHeal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give.
YLTinfirm ones be healing, lepers be cleansing, dead be raising, demons be casting out--freely ye did receive, freely give.
DARBYHeal the infirm, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons: ye have received gratuitously, give gratuitously.
BBEMake well those who are ill, give life to the dead, make lepers clean, send evil spirits out of men; freely it has been given to you, freely give.
WebsterHeal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons: freely ye have received, freely give.

What does Matthew 10:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils--(The italicized clause--"raise the dead"--is wanting in many manuscripts). Here we have the first communication of supernatural power by Christ Himself to His followers--thus anticipating the gifts of Pentecost. And right royally does He dispense it. freely ye have received, freely give--Divine saying, divinely said! (Compare De 15:10, 11; Ac 3:6)--an apple of gold in a setting of silver (Pr 25:11). It reminds us of that other golden saying of our Lord, rescued from oblivion by Paul, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Ac 20:35). Who can estimate what the world owes to such sayings, and with what beautiful foliage and rich fruit such seeds have covered, and will yet cover, this earth!

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 8. Freely ye have received, freely give. That is they were not to sell their favours of healing, preaching, etc. They were not to make a money-making business of it, to bargain specially to heal for so much, and to cast out devils for so much. This, however, neither then nor afterwards precluded them from receiving a competent support. See Lk 10:7, 1Cor 9:8-14, 1Timm 5:18.

(z) "cast out devils" Acts 8:18,20

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 Raise the dead - This is wanting in the MSS. marked EKLMS of Griesbach, and in those marked BHV of Mathai, and in upwards of one hundred others. It is also wanting in the Syriac, (Vienna edition), latter Persic, Sahidic, Armenian, Sclavonic, and in one copy of the Itala; also in Athanasius, Basil, and Chrysostom. There is no evidence that the disciples raised any dead person previously to the resurrection of Christ. The words should certainly be omitted, unless we could suppose that the authority now given respected not only their present mission, but comprehended also their future conduct. But that our blessed Lord did not give this power to his disciples at this time, is, I think, pretty evident from Mat 10:1, and from Luk 9:6, Luk 9:10; Luk 10:19, Luk 10:20, where, if any such power had been given, or exercised, it would doubtless have been mentioned. Wetstein has rejected it, and so did Griesbach in his first edition; but in the second (1796) he has left it in the text, with a note of doubtfulness. Freely ye have received, freely give - A rule very necessary, and of great extent. A minister or laborer in the Gospel vineyard, though worthy of his comfortable support while in the work, should never preach for hire, or make a secular traffic of a spiritual work. What a scandal is it for a man to traffic with gifts which he pretends, at least, to have received from the Holy Ghost, of which he is not the master, but the dispenser. He who preaches to get a living, or to make a fortune, is guilty of the most infamous sacrilege.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 10:5-15

The Gentiles must not have the gospel brought them, till the Jews have refused it. This restraint on the apostles was only in their first mission. Wherever they went they must proclaim, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. They preached, to establish the faith; the kingdom, to animate the hope; of heaven, to inspire the love of heavenly things, and the contempt of earthly; which is at hand, that men may prepare for it…

Read the full comment on Matthew 10:5-15 →

Matthew 10:8 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἀσθενοῦνταςasthenountas[Those] ailingG770
θεραπεύετε,therapeuetedo heal,G2323
νεκροὺςnekrousdeadG3498
ἐγείρετε,egeiretedo raise,G1453
λεπροὺςleprouslepersG3015
καθαρίζετε,katharizetedo cleanse,G2511
δαιμόνιαdaimoniademonsG1140
ἐκβάλλετε·ekballetedo cast out;G1544
δωρεὰνdōreanfreelyG1432
ἐλάβετε,elabeteyou received,G2983
δωρεὰνdōreanfreelyG1432
δότε.¶dotedo give.G1325

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 10:8

  • Acts 3:6

    Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

  • Luke 10:9

    And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

  • Acts 4:30

    By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

  • Matthew 10:1

    And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

  • Acts 20:33-35

    I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

  • Mark 16:18

    They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

  • 2 Kings 5:15-16

    And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

  • Acts 8:18-23

    And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. …

  • Acts 5:12-15

    And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

  • Acts 4:9-10

    If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

  • 2 Kings 5:20-27

    But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Heal.
1; Mr 16:18; Lu 10:9; Ac 4:9,10,30; 5:12-15
freely ye.
2Ki 5:15,16,20-27; Ac 3:6; 8:18-23; 20:33-35

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 10:7

    And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

  • Matthew 10:8

    Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

  • Matthew 10:9

    Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,

Read all of Matthew 10

Matthew 10:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Sanad enfermos, limpiad leprosos, resucitad muertos, echad fuera demonios: de gracia recibisteis, dad de gracia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Guérissez les infirmes; ressuscitez les morts; rendez nets les lépreux; chassez les démons: vous avez reçu gratuitement, donnez gratuitement.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Heilet Kranke, wecket Tote auf, reiniget Aussätzige, treibet Dämonen aus; umsonst habt ihr empfangen, umsonst gebet.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Infirmos curate, mortuos suscitate, leprosos mundate, dæmones ejicite: gratis accepistis, gratis date.