But
when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come.
Matthew 10:23
Matthew 10 [16.] “Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
Matthew 10 [21.] “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come.
Matthew 10 [24.] “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household! Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed; and hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
Meaning:
Jesus had just warned the twelve that family members would betray them and that they would be hated by all for his name’s sake, adding the promise, “he who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:21-22). This verse gives practical advice for times of persecution and a promise about the coming of the Son of Man. It is found only in Matthew.
- “when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next”
Enduring to the end does not mean seeking martyrdom. When a town rejects the message and turns violent, the messengers are free to move on. Fleeing keeps the message moving. When persecution broke out in Jerusalem after the death of Stephen, “those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). Paul and Barnabas did the same at Iconium (Acts 14:6-7).
- “you will not have gone through the cities of Israel”
The task of reaching Israel would not be finished quickly. There would always be another town to go to.
- “until the Son of Man has come”
Christians understand these words in several ways. Some see the coming of the Son of Man as Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation, when he received “All authority” in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), fulfilling Daniel’s vision of one like a son of man coming to the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13-14). Others link it to the judgment on Jerusalem in AD 70, when the temple was destroyed as Jesus had foretold. Others see it as his return in glory, meaning that the mission to Israel will continue until the end of the age. Compare Matthew 16:28.
Whatever the exact reference, the main point is clear: the disciples’ work will be cut short by the Son of Man’s coming, not by their enemies. Jesus, not his opponents, will decide when the work is done.
The Significance of Matthew 10:23
- Wisdom under pressure
Followers of Jesus are not called to throw their lives away. There is wisdom in moving on when a door is closed, so that the message can reach others.
- The work continues
The church’s mission is not finished. “This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
Cross-References:
Matthew 10:22: "he who endures to the end will be saved." The promise just before this verse.
Acts 8:4: "Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word." Persecution spread the message.
Daniel 7:13: "there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man," The background of the title.
Conclusion: Jesus told his messengers to flee from a persecuting city to the next, so that the message would keep moving. They would not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man came. Whether this points to his resurrection, his judgment on Jerusalem or his return, the promise is that Jesus, not his enemies, decides when the work is done.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible