The Meaning of Luke 10:7 Explained

Luke 10:7

KJV: 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.

YLT: And in that house remain, eating and drinking the things they have, for worthy is the workman of his hire; go not from house to house,

Darby: And in the same house abide, eating and drinking such things as they have; for the workman is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house.

ASV: And in that same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Luke 10:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Seventy, like the Twelve (cf. Luke 9:4), were normally to remain with their hosts and not move around in one neighborhood trying to improve their situation (cf. Matthew 10:11; Mark 6:10). This would result in their wasting time and possibly insulting their hosts. Going from house to house also implied engaging in a social round of activity and being entertained long after they had done their work. [1] As servants of the Lord, they were to eat and drink what their hosts provided. They could expect sustenance and needed to be content with that even though it might not necessarily be what they would prefer. The principle of the worker being worthy of his wages goes back to creation ( Genesis 1:28-30). Jesus and the apostles reaffirmed it for the present inter-advent age (cf. Matthew 10:10; 1 Corinthians 9:3-18; 1 Timothy 5:18; 3 John 1:5-8).

Context Summary

Luke 10:1-16 - The Forerunners Of The Lord
In the appointment of the Seventy there was perhaps an allusion to Numbers 11:24-25. In this case, as in that, there was the endowment of conspicuous spiritual power. We can only prepare the way for our Lord. No one of us can suffice for the soul of man. We must always say with the Baptist: "There cometh one mightier than I." Would that Christ always came where we had been! See Luke 10:1.
Let us not forget to pray for laborers; but if we pray truly we shall endeavor to answer our own prayers, by going and by inciting others to go. How often a child's life becomes dedicated through hands being laid on the young head by some servant of God, who says: "When you grow up, you must work for the Lord Jesus!"
The Lord asks for simplicity. We may not in our northern climate be able to carry out these precepts precisely and literally. But the inner thought of His words is that we are to be absorbed in giving the message, leaving all things else as a very secondary question and allowing God to care for us and ours. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 10

1  Jesus sends out at once seventy disciples to work miracles, and to preach;
13  pronounces a woe against certain cities
17  The seventy return with joy;
18  he shows them wherein to rejoice,
21  and thanks his Father for his grace;
23  magnifies the happy estate of his church;
25  teaches the lawyer how to attain eternal life,
30  and tells the parable of the good Samaritan;
38  reprimands Martha, and commends Mary her sister

Greek Commentary for Luke 10:7

In that same house [εν αυτηι τηι οικιαι]
Literally, in the house itself, not “in the same house” (εν τηι αυτηι οικιαι — en tēi autēi oikiāi), a different construction. A free rendering of the common Lukan idiom is, “in that very house.” [source]
Eating [εστοντες]
An old poetic verb εστω — esthō for εστιω — esthiō that survives in late Greek.Such things as they give (τα παρ αυτων — ta par' autōn). “The things from them.”For the labourer is worthy of his hire In Matthew 10:10 we have της τροπης αυτου — tēs trophēs autou (his food). 1 Timothy 5:18 has this saying quoted as scripture. That is not impossible if Luke wrote by a.d. 62. Paul there however may quote only Deuteronomy 25:4 as scripture and get this quotation either from Luke 10:7 or from a proverbial saying of Jesus. It is certainly not a real objection against the Pauline authorship of First Timothy.Go not from house to house (μη μεταβαινετε εχ οικιας εις οικιαν — mē metabainete ex oikias eis oikian). As a habit, μη — mē and the present imperative, and so avoid waste of time with such rounds of invitations as would come. [source]
Such things as they give [τα παρ αυτων]
“The things from them.” [source]
For the labourer is worthy of his hire [αχιος γαρ ο εργατης του μιστου αυτου]
In Matthew 10:10 we have της τροπης αυτου — tēs trophēs autou (his food). 1 Timothy 5:18 has this saying quoted as scripture. That is not impossible if Luke wrote by a.d. 62. Paul there however may quote only Deuteronomy 25:4 as scripture and get this quotation either from Luke 10:7 or from a proverbial saying of Jesus. It is certainly not a real objection against the Pauline authorship of First Timothy.Go not from house to house (μη μεταβαινετε εχ οικιας εις οικιαν — mē metabainete ex oikias eis oikian). As a habit, μη — mē and the present imperative, and so avoid waste of time with such rounds of invitations as would come. [source]
Go not from house to house [μη μεταβαινετε εχ οικιας εις οικιαν]
As a habit, μη — mē and the present imperative, and so avoid waste of time with such rounds of invitations as would come. [source]
The workman is worthy, etc []
See on Matthew 10:10. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 10:7

Matthew 10:10 For the labourer is worthy of his food [αχιος γαρ ο εργατης της τροπης αυτου]
The sermon is worth the dinner, in other words. Luke in the charge to the seventy (Luke 10:7) has the same words with μιστου — misthou (reward) instead of τροπης — trophēs (food). In 1 Timothy 5:18 Paul quotes Luke‘s form as scripture The well-known Didache or Teaching of the Twelve (xiii) shows that in the second century there was still a felt need for care on the subject of receiving pay for preaching. The travelling sophists added also to the embarrassment of the situation. The wisdom of these restrictions was justified in Galilee at this time. Mark (Mark 6:6-13) and Luke (Luke 9:1-6) vary slightly from Matthew in some of the details of the instructions of Jesus. [source]
Mark 5:26 Had spent all that she had [δαπανησασα τα παρ αυτης παντα]
Having spent the all from herself, all her resources. For the idiom with παρα — para see note on Luke 10:7; Philemon 4:18. The tragedy of it was that she “was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse” Her money was gone, her disease was gaining on her, her one chance came now with Jesus. Matthew says nothing about her experience with the doctors and Luke 8:43 merely says that she “had spent all her living upon physicians and could not be healed of any,” a plain chronic case. Luke the physician neatly takes care of the physicians. But they were not to blame. She had a disease that they did not know how to cure. Vincent quotes a prescription for an issue of blood as given in the Talmud which gives one a most grateful feeling that he is not under the care of doctors of that nature. The only parallel today is Chinese medicine of the old sort before modern medical schools came. [source]
Luke 10:7 Eating [εστοντες]
An old poetic verb εστω — esthō for εστιω — esthiō that survives in late Greek.Such things as they give (τα παρ αυτων — ta par' autōn). “The things from them.”For the labourer is worthy of his hire In Matthew 10:10 we have της τροπης αυτου — tēs trophēs autou (his food). 1 Timothy 5:18 has this saying quoted as scripture. That is not impossible if Luke wrote by a.d. 62. Paul there however may quote only Deuteronomy 25:4 as scripture and get this quotation either from Luke 10:7 or from a proverbial saying of Jesus. It is certainly not a real objection against the Pauline authorship of First Timothy.Go not from house to house (μη μεταβαινετε εχ οικιας εις οικιαν — mē metabainete ex oikias eis oikian). As a habit, μη — mē and the present imperative, and so avoid waste of time with such rounds of invitations as would come. [source]
Luke 10:7 For the labourer is worthy of his hire [αχιος γαρ ο εργατης του μιστου αυτου]
In Matthew 10:10 we have της τροπης αυτου — tēs trophēs autou (his food). 1 Timothy 5:18 has this saying quoted as scripture. That is not impossible if Luke wrote by a.d. 62. Paul there however may quote only Deuteronomy 25:4 as scripture and get this quotation either from Luke 10:7 or from a proverbial saying of Jesus. It is certainly not a real objection against the Pauline authorship of First Timothy.Go not from house to house (μη μεταβαινετε εχ οικιας εις οικιαν — mē metabainete ex oikias eis oikian). As a habit, μη — mē and the present imperative, and so avoid waste of time with such rounds of invitations as would come. [source]
John 10:12 He that is a hireling [ο μιστωτος]
Old word from μιστοω — misthoō to hire (Matthew 20:1) from μιστος — misthos (hire, wages, Luke 10:7), in N.T. only in this passage. Literally, “the hireling and not being a shepherd” Note ουκ — ouk with the participle ων — ōn to emphasize the certainty that he is not a shepherd in contrast with μη εισερχομενος — mē eiserchomenos in John 10:1 (conceived case). See same contrast in 1 Peter 1:8 between ουκ ιδοντες — ouk idontes and μη ορωντες — mē horōntes The hireling here is not necessarily the thief and robber of John 10:1, John 10:8. He may conceivably be a nominal shepherd (pastor) of the flock who serves only for the money, a sin against which Peter warned the shepherds of the flock “not for shameful gain” (1 Peter 5:2). Whose own Every true shepherd considers the sheep in his care “his own” Vivid dramatic present, active indicative of τεωρεω — theōreō a graphic picture. The wolf coming Present middle predicate participle of ερχομαι — erchomai Leaveth the sheep, and fleeth Graphic present actives again of απιημι — aphiēmi and πευγω — pheugō The cowardly hireling cares naught for the sheep, but only for his own skin. The wolf was the chief peril to sheep in Palestine. See Matthew 10:6 where Jesus says: “Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.” And the wolf snatcheth them and scattereth them Vivid parenthesis in the midst of the picture of the conduct of the hireling. Bold verbs these. For the old verb αρπαζω — harpazō see John 6:15; Matthew 11:12, and for σκορπιζω — skorpizō late word (Plutarch) for the Attic σκεδαννυμι — skedannumi see Matthew 12:30. It occurs in the vision of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 34:5) where because of the careless shepherds “the sheep became meat to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered.” Jesus uses αρπαζω — harpazō in John 10:29 where no one is able “to snatch” one out of the Father‘s hand. [source]
John 4:36 Already he that reapeth receiveth wages [ηδη ο τεριζων μιστον λαμβανει]
The spiritual harvester can gather his harvest without waiting four months. Jesus is reaping a harvest right now by the conversion of this woman. The labourer is worthy of his hire (Luke 10:7; 2 Timothy 2:6). John does not use μιστος — misthos (reward) again, but καρπος — karpos (John 15:2-16), “fruit for life eternal” (cf. John 4:14). That he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together Final use of ινα — hina with present active subjunctive of χαιρω — chairō to rejoice, in the singular with ο σπειρων — ho speirōn (the sower) and to be repeated with ο τεριζων — ho therizōn (the reaper). The adverb ομου — homou (together) elsewhere in N.T. only John 20:4; John 21:2; Acts 2:1. Usually considerable time passes between the sowing and the reaping as in John 4:35. Amos (Amos 9:13) spoke of the time when “the ploughman shall overtake the reaper” and that has happened here with the joy of the harvest time (Isaiah 9:3). Jesus the Sower and the disciples as the reapers are here rejoicing simultaneously. [source]
1 Corinthians 9:4 Eat - drink []
At the expense of the churches. Compare Luke 10:7. [source]
1 Corinthians 9:14 Even so did the Lord ordain [ουτως και ο Κυριος διεταχεν]
Just as God gave orders about the priests in the temple, so did the Lord Jesus give orders for those who preach the gospel to live out of the gospel Evidently Paul was familiar with the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:10; Luke 10:7. either in oral or written form. He has made his argument for the minister‘s salary complete for all time. [source]
1 Timothy 5:18 The laborer is worthy, etc. []
A second scriptural quotation would seem to be indicated, but there is no corresponding passage in the O.T. The words are found Luke 10:7, and, with a slight variation, Matthew 10:10. Some hold that the writer adds to the O.T. citation a popular proverb, and that Christ himself used the words in this way. But while different passages of Scripture are often connected in citation by καὶ , it is not according, to N.T. usage thus to connect Scripture and proverb. Moreover, in such series of citations it is customary to use καὶ πάλιν and again, or πάλιν simply. See Matthew 4:7; Matthew 5:33; John 12:39; Romans 15:9-12; 1 Corinthians 3:20; Hebrews 1:5; Hebrews 2:13. According to others, the writer here cites an utterance of Christ from oral tradition, coordinately with the O.T. citation, as Scripture. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 7:10, appeals to a word of the Lord; and in Acts 10:35he is represented as quoting “it is more blessed to give than to receive” as the words of Jesus. In 1Corinthians href="/desk/?q=1co+9:14&sr=1">1 Corinthians 9:14) “even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel,” which resembles the combination here. This last is the more probable explanation. [source]
1 Timothy 5:18 The labourer is worthy of his hire [αχιος ο εργατης του μιστου αυτου]
These words occur in precisely this form in Luke 10:7. It appears also in Matthew 10:10 with της τροπης — tēs trophēs (food) instead of του μιστου — tou misthou In 1 Corinthians 9:14 Paul has the sense of it and says: “so also the Lord ordained,” clearly meaning that Jesus had so said. It only remains to tell whether Paul here is quoting an unwritten saying of Jesus as he did in Acts 20:35 or even the Gospel of Luke or Q (the Logia of Jesus). There is no way to decide this question. If Luke wrote his Gospel before a.d. 62 as is quite possible and Acts by a.d. 63, he could refer to the Gospel. It is not clear whether Scripture is here meant to apply to this quotation from the Lord Jesus. For εργατης — ergatēs (labourer) see note on Philemon 3:2. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 10:7 mean?

In the same now - house remain eating and drinking the things [supplied] by them worthy [is] for the workman of the wages of him Not move from house to house
ἐν αὐτῇ δὲ τῇ οἰκίᾳ μένετε ἐσθίοντες καὶ πίνοντες τὰ παρ’ αὐτῶν ἄξιος γὰρ ἐργάτης τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ μὴ μεταβαίνετε ἐξ οἰκίας εἰς οἰκίαν

αὐτῇ  the  same 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
τῇ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
οἰκίᾳ  house 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: οἰκία  
Sense: a house.
μένετε  remain 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: μένω  
Sense: to remain, abide.
ἐσθίοντες  eating 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἐσθίω 
Sense: to eat.
πίνοντες  drinking 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: πίνω  
Sense: to drink.
τὰ  the  things  [supplied] 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἄξιος  worthy  [is] 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄξιος  
Sense: weighing, having weight, having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much.
ἐργάτης  workman 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐργάτης  
Sense: a workman, a labourer.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
μισθοῦ  wages 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: μισθός  
Sense: dues paid for work.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
μεταβαίνετε  move 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: μεταβαίνω  
Sense: to pass over from one place to another, to remove, depart.
οἰκίας  house 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: οἰκία  
Sense: a house.
οἰκίαν  house 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: οἰκία  
Sense: a house.