Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus isn't just warning them about danger; he's highlighting the improbability of their mission. Sending "lambs"—symbols of innocence and vulnerability—into a "den of wolves" underscores that their success will depend entirely on divine protection, not their own strength or strategy. This radical dependence is the very power God will display through them.
Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is sending out seventy additional disciples to prepare towns for his arrival, following the earlier mission of the twelve apostles. He warns them of the dangers they will face, likening their vulnerable mission to lambs being sent into a den of wolves. This stark imagery emphasizes the need for reliance on God, not earthly resources, as they go out to proclaim that the kingdom of God is near.
Jesus sends out his followers not with weapons or defenses, but as lambs. What does this striking image reveal about the nature of their mission and their strength?
When Jesus commissions his disciples in Luke 10:3, he famously states, "behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves." This isn't just a colorful metaphor; it's a profound statement about the spiritual warfare they are entering.
The Nature of the Mission
This isn't a call to naivete, but a declaration that true spiritual victory comes not from worldly power, but from trusting God's provision even when surrounded by hostility.
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Jesus doesn't just tell them how they'll face danger, but also gives them instructions for how to go. What do these directives tell us about the urgency and the source of their authority?
The command "Go your way" in Luke 10:3, coupled with the instruction to carry nothing (as seen in the parallel in Matthew 10:9-10), speaks volumes about the mission's urgency and the disciples' delegated authority.
Urgency and Divine Provision
This approach emphasizes that the Gospel's advance is not dependent on human resources but on divine authority and prompt obedience.
Understand the original words
arnēn · Greek Noun
Refers to a vulnerable creature, often used in scripture as a symbol of innocence, gentleness, or those who are subject to persecution for the sake of the gospel.
lykos · Greek Noun
Often used metaphorically for false teachers, persecutors, or those who oppose the gospel and pose a spiritual threat to the righteous.
c. AD 27-30— this verse
Jesus Appoints the Seventy
Jesus formally commissions seventy additional disciples, sending them out in pairs to prepare towns for his arrival. This mission occurs during his public ministry in Galilee and Judea.
Early 1st century AD
Jewish Society Under Roman Rule
Judea is under Roman occupation, leading to political tension and varying degrees of resistance among Jewish groups. Religious and social landscapes are complex, with different sects holding differing views.
Early 1st century AD
Growth of Early Christian Movement
Following Jesus' resurrection and ascension, the core group of his followers begin to actively spread his teachings, facing initial challenges and opposition from both Jewish and Roman authorities.
Jesus uses the same imagery of 'lambs among wolves' when sending out the twelve apostles, emphasizing their vulnerability and the dangers they would face.
Jeremiah 1:8This passage mirrors the disciples' commissioning, where Jeremiah is told not to fear the people he will speak to, even though he is young and they will be hostile, paralleling the 'lambs among wolves' scenario.
Acts 20:29Paul warns the Ephesian elders about 'fierce wolves' that will come in among them, showing how the threat to God's people described by Jesus in Luke 10 continued long after the initial commissioning.
Matthew 10:28This verse directly follows the 'lambs among wolves' imagery in Matthew, offering the crucial reassurance that believers should fear God, who has power over life and death, rather than those who can only harm the body.
barnesLuke 10:3: "Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves."
See the notes at Matthew 10:16 .
clarkeLuke 10:3: "Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves."
Lambs among wolves - See on Matthew 10:16 (note).
Jesus isn't just warning them about danger; he's highlighting the improbability of their mission. Sending "lambs"—symbols of innocence and vulnerability—into a "den of wolves" underscores that their success will depend entirely on divine protection, not their own strength or strategy. This radical dependence is the very power God will display through them.
Jesus is sending out seventy additional disciples to prepare towns for his arrival, following the earlier mission of the twelve apostles. He warns them of the dangers they will face, likening their vulnerable mission to lambs being sent into a den of wolves. This stark imagery emphasizes the need for reliance on God, not earthly resources, as they go out to proclaim that the kingdom of God is near.
Jesus is sending out seventy additional disciples to prepare towns for his arrival, following the earlier mission of the twelve apostles. He warns them of the dangers they will face, likening their vulnerable mission to lambs being sent into a den of wolves. This stark imagery emphasizes the need for reliance on God, not earthly resources, as they go out to proclaim that the kingdom of God is near.
"Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves." — Jesus isn't just warning them about danger; he's highlighting the improbability of their mission. Sending "lambs"—symbols of innocence and vulnerability—into a "den of wolves" underscores that thei…
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Last reviewed October 2026