Matthew 10:12
As you enter the house, greet it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Matthew 10:12
As you enter the house, greet it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The instruction to "greet it" isn't just a polite hello; it's a command to actively pronounce peace upon the household. This ancient concept of peace encompassed all well-being—temporal, spiritual, and eternal—making the greeting a profound blessing and a promise of God's favor.
Jesus is sending his disciples out to preach, instructing them to rely entirely on God's provision and to seek out those who are receptive to their message. When they enter a home, they are to offer a customary greeting of "peace" to the household, which carries a profound spiritual meaning of well-being and divine favor. This initial act of greeting sets the stage for whether the disciples will stay in that home and impart God's blessing, or if their peace will be withdrawn due to rejection.
When Jesus told his disciples to say 'Peace be to this house,' what did they really mean? It was more than just a casual hello.
The word 'peace' (shalom in Hebrew) carried a profound weight in ancient Jewish culture. It wasn't just the absence of conflict, but a deep sense of well-being, wholeness, and prosperity in all areas of life – spiritual, physical, and relational. When the disciples were instructed to bring 'peace' to a household, they were essentially invoking God's comprehensive blessing and favor upon that family. This was a powerful act, carrying the authority and promise of Christ himself.
Jesus didn't just want his disciples to be polite; he wanted their entrance to be a spiritual event. Why the emphasis on the way they entered?
The instruction to 'salute' the house wasn't merely about social etiquette. It was about initiating a sacred encounter. The greeting was the 'opening' – the first act of bringing Christ's presence and blessing. The disciples were to deliberately and intentionally bring a message of divine favor. This initial act was crucial because it set the tone for whether the household would be receptive to the deeper message the disciples carried. It was an invitation for God’s peace to dwell there.
This passage from Luke is a parallel account where Jesus explicitly states the greeting to be offered: 'Peace be to this house.' It clarifies the specific intent of the greeting, highlighting it as a blessing for all well-being.
1 Samuel 25:6This Old Testament passage shows a similar customary greeting ('Peace be to you, and peace be to your house') used in everyday life, demonstrating that Jesus was repurposing an existing cultural practice for a spiritual purpose.
John 14:27Jesus' parting words to his disciples, 'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you,' echo the theme of peace. This verse underscores that the peace Jesus commissions his followers to bring is His own divine peace.
Psalm 122:7This psalm speaks of praying for 'peace within your walls and security within your towers,' which connects to the idea of wishing comprehensive well-being and safety upon a household, mirroring the disciples' commission.
barnesMatthew 10:12: "And when ye come into an house, salute it."
And when ye come into a house, salute it - The word "house" here evidently means "family," as it does in the following verse. See also Matthew 12:25, and John 4:53; "And himself believed and his whole house." The apostles were directed to salute the family - to show them the customary tokens of respect, and to treat them with civility. Religion never requires or permits its friends to outrage the common rules of social contact. It dema…
clarkeMatthew 10:12: "And when ye come into an house, salute it."
Salute it - Λεγουτες, ειρηνη εν τω οικω τουτω, saying, "Peace be to this house." This clause, which, as explanatory of the word ασπασασθε, is necessary to the connection in which it now stands, is added, by the MSS. D and L, and forty-three others, the Armenian, Ethiopic, Slavonic, Saxon, Vulgate, all the copies of the old Itala, Theophylact, and Hilary. The clause is also found in several modern versions. The modern Greek has λεγοντες…
The instruction to "greet it" isn't just a polite hello; it's a command to actively pronounce peace upon the household. This ancient concept of peace encompassed all well-being—temporal, spiritual, and eternal—making the greeting a profound blessing and a promise of God's favor.
Jesus is sending his disciples out to preach, instructing them to rely entirely on God's provision and to seek out those who are receptive to their message. When they enter a home, they are to offer a customary greeting of "peace" to the household, which carries a profound spiritual meaning of well-being and divine favor. This initial act of greeting sets the stage for whether the disciples will stay in that home and impart God's blessing, or if their peace will be withdrawn due to rejection.
Jesus is sending his disciples out to preach, instructing them to rely entirely on God's provision and to seek out those who are receptive to their message. When they enter a home, they are to offer a customary greeting of "peace" to the household, which carries a profound spiritual meaning of well-being and divine favor. This initial act of greeting sets the stage for whether the disciples will stay in that home and impart God's blessing, or if their peace will be withdrawn due to rejection.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Matthew 10:12 is available in the Sola app.
"As you enter the house, greet it." — The instruction to "greet it" isn't just a polite hello; it's a command to actively pronounce peace upon the household. This ancient concept of peace encompassed all well-being—temporal, spiritual,…