MAT 10:16 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so become wise as the serpents and harmless as the doves.

UST I am sending you out to represent me to people who will be hostile to you, so you will be like sheep among wolves. Therefore, you need to be as clever as snakes are. You also need to be as innocent as small birds are.

BLB Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.

AICNT “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore, be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

OEB ‘Remember, I am sending you out as my messengers like sheep among wolves. So be as wise as snakes, and as blameless as doves.

WEBBE “Behold, I send you out as sheep amongst wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET “I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

LSV Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, therefore be wise as the serpents, and pure as the doves.

FBV Look, I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

TCNT “Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves, so be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.

T4T “Take note: After I send you out, you will be as defenseless as sheep [MET] in the midst of people who are as dangerous as wolves. So you should wisely stay away from such people, like you stay away from poisonous snakes [SIM]. You should be as harmless as doves are [SIM].

LEB ¶ “Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

BBE See, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Be then as wise as snakes, and as gentle as doves.

Moff I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise like serpents and guileless like doves.

Wymth "Remember it is I who am sending you out, as sheep into the midst of wolves; prove yourselves as sagacious as serpents, and as innocent as doves.

ASV Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

DRA Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves.

YLT 'Lo, I do send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as the serpents, and simple as the doves.

Drby Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves; be therefore prudent as the serpents, and guileless as the doves.

RV Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
(Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye/you_all therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. )

SLT Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore discerning as serpents, and pure as doves.

Wbstr Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

KJB-1769 ¶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
(¶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye/you_all therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. )

KJB-1611 ¶ Behold, I send you foorth as sheepe in the middest of wolues: be yee therefore wise as serpents, and [fn]harmelesse as doues.
(¶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye/you_all therefore wise as serpents, and harmelesse as doves.)

10:16 Or, simple.

Bshps Beholde, I sende you foorth, as sheepe in the middest of woolfes. Be ye therfore wyse as serpentes, and harmelesse as doues.
(Behold, I send you forth, as sheep in the midst of woolfes. Be ye/you_all therefore wise as serpents, and harmelesse as doves.)

Gnva Behold, I send you as sheepe in the middes of the wolues: be yee therefore wise as serpents, and innocent as doues.
(Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of the wolves: be ye/you_all therefore wise as serpents, and innocent as doves. )

Cvdl Beholde, I sende you forth as shepe amoge wolues. Be ye therfore wyse as serpentes, and innocent as doues.
(Behold, I send you forth as sheep among wolves. Be ye/you_all therefore wise as serpents, and innocent as doves.)

TNT Beholde I sende you forthe as shepe amonge wolves. Be ye therfore wyse as serpetes and innocent as doves.
(Behold I send you forth as sheep among wolves. Be ye/you_all therefore wise as serpetes and innocent as doves. )

Wycl Lo! Y sende you as scheep in the myddil of wolues; therfor be ye sliy as serpentis, and symple as dowues.
(Lo! I send you as sheep in the middle of wolves; therefore be ye/you_all sliy as serpents, and simple as doves.)

Luth Siehe, ich sende euch wie Schafe mitten unter die Wölfe; darum seid klug wie die Schlangen und ohne Falsch wie die Tauben!
(See/Look, I send you as/like sheep midway/in_the_middle under the wolves; therefore are wise/clever as/like the snakes and without Falsch as/like the pigeons!)

ClVg Ecce ego mitto vos sicut oves in medio luporum. Estote ergo prudentes sicut serpentes, et simplices sicut columbæ.[fn]
(Behold I I_send you(pl) like sheep in/into/on in_the_middle luporum. Estote therefore prudentes like snakes, and simple like pigeons. )

10.16 Ecce ego mitto. Illis sua pœna servabitur in futurum, etc., usque ad mala inferre non debet, sed tolerare. Sicut serpentes. Serpentis astutia est, etc., usque ad veterem exuit hominem.

10.16 Behold I mitto. Thoses his_own punishment will_keepur in/into/on future, etc., until to evil inferre not/no must, but tolerare. Like snakes. Serpentis astutia it_is, etc., until to old exuit man.

UGNT ἰδοὺ, ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων; γίνεσθε οὖν φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις καὶ ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί.
(idou, egō apostellō humas hōs probata en mesōi lukōn; ginesthe oun fronimoi hōs hoi ofeis kai akeraioi hōs hai peristerai.)

SBL-GNT Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων· γίνεσθε οὖν φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις καὶ ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί.
(Idou egō apostellō humas hōs probata en mesōi lukōn; ginesthe oun fronimoi hōs hoi ofeis kai akeraioi hōs hai peristerai.)

RP-GNT Ἰδού, ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων· γίνεσθε οὖν φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις, καὶ ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί.
(Idou, egō apostellō humas hōs probata en mesōi lukōn; ginesthe oun fronimoi hōs hoi ofeis, kai akeraioi hōs hai peristerai.)

TC-GNT Ἰδού, ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων· γίνεσθε οὖν φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις, καὶ ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί.
(Idou, egō apostellō humas hōs probata en mesōi lukōn; ginesthe oun fronimoi hōs hoi ofeis, kai akeraioi hōs hai peristerai. )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, orange:accents differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 10:5–42: Jesus instructed the twelve apostles

In this section, Jesus gave various instructions to the twelve apostles. In 10:5–15, he gave them some practical instructions for preaching the good news. In 10:16–33, he described the opposition that they would see when they went out. Lastly, in 10:34–42, he described the commitment required to be a disciple and the reward for being a disciple.

You may want to break this long section into several shorter sections. Here is an example:

Section 10:5–15	The things the apostles should/must do when sent
Section 10:16–33	The difficulties the apostles will face
Section 10:34–42	The cost and reward of following Jesus

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Jesus gave directions/instructions to the twelve apostles for preaching the gospel

The Mission of the Twelve (GNT)

Instructions for the Twelve Apostles (CEV)

10:16a

Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves;

¶ “Listen! I am sending you^(plur) into danger like sheep among wolves.
¶ “I am sending you^(plur) out to cruel/evil people. It is like sending sheep into the middle of wild dogs.

Behold: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Behold indicates that something extraordinary or important will happen or be said. Here, the amazing thing is the danger that the disciples will face.

Here is another way to translate this word:

Listen! (GNT)

Watch out!

I am sending you out: This clause refers to Jesus sending the disciples to preach the good news, heal the sick, and so forth (10:7–8).

like sheep among wolves: This phrase is a comparison called a simile. In this simile, Jesus compared the disciples to sheep. He compared the people they will face to wolves. Sheep are in danger when they are among wolves. In the same way, the disciples will be in danger when they tell the good news to people who do not want to accept it.

Here are some other ways to translate this simile:

Keep the simile. For example:
like sheep among wild dogs
Make the comparison explicit in the text. For example:
into danger like sheep among wolves
like sheep among dangerous wild dogs
Make the parts of the simile explicit. For example:
I am sending you out to cruel/evil people. It is like sending sheep to wild dogs.
Explain the simile in a footnote. Here is a sample footnote:
This is a picture of dangerous situations, because wolves attack sheep and eat them. Telling the good news of Jesus will sometimes be dangerous.

wolves: The word wolves refers to a type of wild dog. They weigh 60–80 kilograms. They roam around in groups and attack other animals and eat them.

If people in your area are not familiar with wolves, you may want to:

Use different animals that have similar characteristics to wolves. For example:
panthers
hyenas
Use a more general term. For example:
wild dogs
dangerous/wild animals

10:16b

therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

So be^(plur) careful/cautious like snakes and be harmless like doves.
Therefore, be wise/careful and gentle in those dangerous situations.

therefore: In 10:16b Jesus gave two commands. The basis for these commands is the danger that he warned them about in 10:16a. These commands are introduced with a conjunction that the BSB translates as therefore.

Here is another way to introduce these commands:

so (ESV)

be as shrewd as snakes: This is a command. It is also a simile. In this command, Jesus told his disciples to be wise like serpents are wise.

The Greek word that the BSB translates as shrewd means “sensible” or “prudent.” It refers to having good judgment in difficult situations. In Jewish culture, snakes were thought to be good examples of being cautious and careful.

If people in your area do not think of snakes as wise, translate the meaning without using a simile. For example:

be wise

be cautious/careful

as innocent as doves: This is a command. It is also a simile. In this command, Jesus told his disciples to be innocent like doves are innocent.

The Greek word that the BSB translates as innocent refers to being harmless (NLT) or gentle (GNT). Here it refers to not harming your enemies.

The doves are small birds like pigeons. In Jewish culture, doves were thought to be good examples of being innocent. If people in your area do not think of doves as innocent, you should translate the meaning without using a simile. For example:

be gentle

be harmless

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἰδοὺ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰδού ἐγώ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων γίνεσθε οὖν φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις καί ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί)

The word behold draws the attention of the audience and asks them to listen carefully. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express behold with a word or phrase that asks the audience to listen, or you could draw the audience’s attention in another way. Alternate translation: [Look] or [Consider this:]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων

as sheep in ˓the˒_midst ˱of˲_wolves

Jesus compares his disciples to sheep, animals which are defenseless and not dangerous. He compares people who want to harm them to wolves, animals which are dangerous and likely to kill and eat sheep. If it would be helpful in your language, you could explain the simile or use more general expressions for the animals. Alternate translation: [as sheep in the midst of wolves, since some people will want to harm you] or [as harmless animals that will encounter a group of predators]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις

shrewd as ¬the serpents

Jesus wants his disciples to be like serpents, which were considered wise in Jesus’ culture. If serpents are not considered wise in your culture, you may need to express the idea without the simile form. In this context, the phrase wise as the serpents could mean that the disciples should be: (1) clever or shrewd. Alternate translation: [shrewd] (2) watchful. Alternate translation: [watchful] or [careful]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί

innocent as the doves

Jesus wants his disciples to be like doves, which were considered harmless in Jesus’ culture. If doves are not considered harmless in your culture, you may need to express the idea without the simile form. In this context, the phrase harmless as the doves could mean that the disciples should be: (1) innocent. Alternate translation: [guileless] or [without guilt] (2) gentle. Alternate translation: [gentle] or [kind]

Parallel MAT 10:16

Section 10:5–42: Jesus instructed the twelve apostles

10:16a

10:16b