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Monday, December 23rd, 2024
the Fourth Week of Advent
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Matthew 10:27

What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Apostles;   Commandments;   Minister, Christian;   Thompson Chain Reference - Go Preach;   Housetops;   Leaders;   Ministers;   Preach, Go;   Preaching;   Religious;   The Topic Concordance - Fear;   Manifestation;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Apostles, the;   Darkness;   Ministers;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Denial;   Light;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Darkness;   Hutchinsonians;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Apostle;   House;   Joseph;   Mystery;   Scribes;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Disciples;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Atonement;   Mss;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Candlestick;   Courage;   Darkness (2);   Denial;   Disciple (2);   Discourse;   Ear (2);   Fear ;   House;   Impotence;   Light;   Profession (2);   Tongue ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - House;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Messenger;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Apostle;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Light;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fear;   Jesus Christ (Part 2 of 2);   Mystery;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for April 11;   My Utmost for His Highest - Devotion for February 15;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
I tell you all this secretly, but I want you to tell it publicly. Whatever I tell you privately, you should shout for everyone to hear.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
What I tell you in dercknes that speake ye in lyght. And what ye heare in the eare that preache ye on the housse toppes.
International Standard Version
What I tell you in darkness you must speak in the daylight, and what is whisperedwhat you hear">[fn] in your ear you must shout from the housetops.
New American Standard Bible
"What I tell you in the darkness, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.
New Century Version
I tell you these things in the dark, but I want you to tell them in the light. What you hear whispered in your ear you should shout from the housetops.
Update Bible Version
What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, proclaim on the house-tops.
Webster's Bible Translation
What I tell you in darkness, [that] speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, [that] publish ye upon the house-tops.
Amplified Bible
"What I say to you in the dark (privately), tell in the light (publicly); and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops [to many people].
English Standard Version
What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
World English Bible
What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
What I tell you in darkness, speak ye in the light; and what ye hear in the ear, proclaim on the house-tops.
Weymouth's New Testament
What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what is whispered into your ear, proclaim upon the roofs of the houses.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
That thing that Y seie to you in derknessis, seie ye in the liyt; and preche ye on housis, that thing that ye heeren in the ere.
English Revised Version
What I tell you in the darkness, speak ye in the light: and what ye hear in the ear, proclaim upon the housetops.
Berean Standard Bible
What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.
Contemporary English Version
Whatever I say to you in the dark, you must tell in the light. And you must announce from the housetops whatever I have whispered to you.
American Standard Version
What I tell you in the darkness, speak ye in the light; and what ye hear in the ear, proclaim upon the house-tops.
Bible in Basic English
What I say to you in the dark, say in the light: and what comes to your ear secretly, say publicly from the house-tops.
Complete Jewish Bible
What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.
Darby Translation
What I say to you in darkness speak in the light, and what ye hear in the ear preach upon the houses.
Etheridge Translation
Whatsoever I say to you in darkness, declare you in the light; and whatsoever you have heard in your ears, proclaim upon the [fn] roofs.
Murdock Translation
Whatever I say to you in the dark, that speak ye in the light; and what ye have heard in your ears, proclaim ye on the housetops.
King James Version (1611)
What I tell you in darkenesse, that speake yee in light: and what yee heare in the eare, that preach yee vpon the house tops.
New Living Translation
What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!
New Life Bible
You tell in the light what I tell you in the dark. You must speak with a loud voice from the roofs of houses what you have heard.
New Revised Standard
What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.
Geneva Bible (1587)
What I tell you in darkenesse, that speake yee in light: and what yee heare in the eare, that preach yee on the houses.
George Lamsa Translation
What I tell you in the dark, tell it in the daylight; and what you hear with your ears, preach on the house tops.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
What I am saying to you in the darkness, tell ye in the light, - and, what whispered into the ear ye are hearing, proclaim ye on the housetops.
Douay-Rheims Bible
That which I tell you in the dark, speak ye in the light: and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the housetops.
Revised Standard Version
What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
What I tell you in darknesse, that speake ye in lyght: And what ye heare in the eare, that preach ye on the houses.
Good News Translation
What I am telling you in the dark you must repeat in broad daylight, and what you have heard in private you must announce from the housetops.
Christian Standard Bible®
What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper,
Hebrew Names Version
What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops.
Lexham English Bible
What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.
Literal Translation
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light. And what you hear in the ear, proclaim on the housetops.
Young's Literal Translation
that which I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light, and that which you hear at the ear, proclaim on the house-tops.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
What I tell you in darcknes, that speake ye in light: and what ye heare in the eare, that preach ye vpon the house toppes.
Mace New Testament (1729)
what I tell you in private, declare it in publick: and what is whisper'd in the ear, proclaim from the battlements of the house.
New English Translation
What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.
New King James Version
Luke 12:3-7">[xr] "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
Simplified Cowboy Version
What I tell you around the campfire at night, tell everyone else durin' the day. What I whisper to you in private, tell the whole world.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.
Legacy Standard Bible
What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.

Contextual Overview

16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. 24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I tell: Matthew 13:1-17, Matthew 13:34, Matthew 13:35, Luke 8:10, John 16:1, John 16:13, John 16:25, John 16:29, 2 Corinthians 3:12

that preach: Proverbs 1:20-23, Proverbs 8:1-5, Acts 5:20, Acts 5:28, Acts 17:17

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 22:8 - thy roof 1 Samuel 9:25 - the top 2 Samuel 11:2 - the roof of Psalms 119:13 - I declared Proverbs 1:21 - General Proverbs 15:7 - lips Isaiah 48:6 - and will Jeremiah 19:2 - and proclaim Ezekiel 40:4 - behold Matthew 24:17 - the housetop Mark 4:22 - General Luke 5:19 - housetop Luke 11:33 - may see Luke 12:3 - housetops Ephesians 3:9 - to Ephesians 6:20 - boldly Philippians 2:16 - Holding Colossians 4:4 - I may Revelation 14:6 - preach Revelation 22:10 - Seal

Cross-References

Genesis 10:20
These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.
Genesis 10:28
And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

What I tell you in darkness,.... Hence Christ proceeds to encourage his disciples to an open, plain, and faithful ministration of the Gospel, not fearing the faces and frowns of men. For with respect to the Gospel, his meaning is, that what was hid and covered should not remain so, but should be revealed, and made known, and they were the persons who were to do it; and it was with that view that he had communicated it to them: and whereas he had told them it "in darkness"; not in a dark and obscure manner; for though he spoke in parables to others, yet to them he made known the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven: and if at any time he delivered parables, or dark sayings, to them, he would afterwards, or when alone, explain them to them; but his meaning chiefly is, that what he communicated to them in private houses, when they were by themselves, and no one saw, or heard them, and so were in darkness with respect to others,

that speak ye in light; openly and publicly in the synagogues and temple, in the high places of the city, streets, or fields, wherever there is a concourse of people; hide and conceal nothing, but speak out all clearly, distinctly, fully, without the least reserve, or throwing any obscurity on it, which may cover the true sense of it from the view of the people.

And what ye hear in the ear, or is whispered to you by me, as your master. Christ alludes to the custom of the Jewish doctors, who had each an interpreter, into whose ear he used to whisper his doctrine, and then the interpreter delivered it to the people: so it is said s,

"Rab came to the place of R. Shilla, and he had no speaker to stand by him; wherefore Rab stood by him, and explained.''

The gloss upon it is,

"an interpreter stands before a doctor whilst he is preaching, and the doctor לוחש לו, "whispers to him" in the Hebrew tongue, and he interprets it to the multitude in a tongue they understand.''

Again t,

"they said to Judah bar Nachmani, the interpreter of Resh Lekish, stand for a speaker for him.''

The gloss upon it is,

"to cause his exposition to be heard by the congregation,

שילחוש לך, "which he shall whisper to thee".''

Now it was absolutely requisite, that the speaker, or interpreter, should faithfully relate what the doctor said; sometimes, it seems, he did not: it is said u in commendation of the meekness of R. Aba,

"that he delivered one sense, and his speaker said another, and he was not angry.''

The gloss says,

"his speaker was, he that interpreted to the multitude what he לוחש לו, "whispered to him" in the time of preaching.''

Sometimes one doctor is said to whisper in the ear of another, when he instructed him, or informed him of anything. R. Jochanan w whispered R. Joshua באודניה, "in his ear". The Jews have a notion that the law was given this way; so they interpret "the eloquent orator" in Isaiah 3:3 x this is he to whom it is fit to deliver the words of the law, שניתנה בלחש, "which was given by whispering": and so, it seems, the Gospel was in like manner delivered by Christ to his disciples. It was reckoned a very great honour, and a token of magisterial dignity, to have one to whisper in the ear to, and speak for them. So to one that related his dream, that he saw an ass standing at his pillow, and braying, answer is made, thou shalt be a king, that is, the head of a school; and "a speaker" or "an interpreter shall stand by thee" y. Our Lord very justly takes upon him the character of a doctor, master, and dictator, and solemnly charges his disciples, clearly, loudly, and faithfully to declare what he suggested to them.

That preach ye, says he,

upon the housetops; for the roofs of their houses were not ridged, but plain, and flat, upon which they could stand or walk; and battlements were made about them to prevent their falling off, according to the law in Deuteronomy 22:8. Here many religious actions were performed: here Peter went up to pray, Acts 10:9 and here persons sometimes sat and read: hence that passage in the Misna z if any one קורא בראש הגג, "was reading on the top of a roof", and the book is rolled out of his hand, c. and sometimes they made their proclamations from hence of their festivals and solemn days, and particularly of their sabbath which was done by the sound of a trumpet, that the people might cease from work in the fields, and shut up their shops in the city, and light up their lamps. This proclamation, by the sound of a trumpet, was made six times by the chazan, or minister of the congregation, from an housetop; and, it is said, that there was, גג מיוחד בגובה העיר, "a peculiar roof in the highest part of the city", and from the middle of it he blew the trumpet a. In allusion to this, our Lord orders his disciples to blow the trumpet of the everlasting Gospel; and loudly proclaim to all the truths and mysteries of grace, which he had made known to them.

s T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 20. 2. t T. Bab. Sanhed. fol. 7. 2. u T. Bab. Sota, fol. 40. 1. w T. Hieros Kiddushin, fol. 65. 4. x T. Bab. Chagiga, fol. 14. 1. y T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 56. 1. z Erubin, c. 10. sect. 3. a T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 35. 2. & Gloss. in ib.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What I say to you in darkness ... - That is, in “secret,” in “private,” in “confidence. The private instructions which I give you while with me do you proclaim publicly, on the “house-top.” The “house-top,” the flat roof, was a public, conspicuous place. See 2 Samuel 16:22. See also the notes at Matthew 9:1-8.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 10:27. What I tell you in darkness — A man ought to preach that only which he has learned from God's Spirit, and his testimonies; but let him not pretend to bring forth any thing new, or mysterious. There is nothing that concerns our salvation that is newer than the new covenant; and in that there are, properly speaking, no mysteries: what was secret before is now made manifest in the Gospel of the ever-blessed God. See Ephesians 3:1-12.

What ye hear in the ear — The doctor who explained the law in Hebrew had an interpreter always by him, in whose ears he softly whispered what he said; this interpreter spoke aloud what had been thus whispered to him. Lightfoot has clearly proved this in his Horae Talmudicae, and to this custom our Lord here evidently alludes. The spirit of our Lord's direction appears to be this: whatever I speak to you is for the benefit of mankind,-keep nothing from them, declare explicitly the whole counsel of God; preach ye, (κηρυξατε proclaim), on the house-tops. The houses in Judea were flat-roofed, with a ballustrade round about, which were used for the purpose of taking the air, prayer, meditation, and it seems, from this place, for announcing things in the most public manner. As there are no bells among the Turks, a crier proclaims all times of public worship from the house-tops. Whoever will give himself the trouble to consult the following scriptures will find a variety of uses to which these housetops were assigned. Deuteronomy 22:8; Joshua 2:6; Judges 9:51; Nehemiah 8:16; 2 Samuel 11:2; 2 Kings 23:12; Isaiah 15:3; Jeremiah 32:29, and Acts 10:9.

Lightfoot thinks that this may be an allusion to that custom, when the minister of the synagogue, on the Sabbath eve, sounded with a trumpet six times, upon the roof of a very high house, that from thence all might have notice of the coming in of the Sabbath. The first blast signified that they should heave off their work in the field: the second that they should cease from theirs in the city: the third that they should light the Sabbath candle, &c.


 
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