36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.
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Luke 22:36 in Other Translations
KJV
36 Then said he unto them,But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
ESV
36 He said to them, "But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.
NLT
36 “But now,” he said, “take your money and a traveler’s bag. And if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one!
MSG
36 He said, "This is different. Get ready for trouble. Look to what you'll need; there are difficult times ahead. Pawn your coat and get a sword.
CSB
36 Then He said to them, "But now, whoever has a money-bag should take it, and also a traveling bag. And whoever doesn't have a sword should sell his robe and buy one.
Luke 22:36 Meaning and Commentary
Luke 22:36
Then said he unto them That is, Jesus said unto them, as the Persic version expresses it:
but now he that hath a purse let him take it, and likewise his scrip; signifying hereby, that from this time forward, immediately after his departure from them, after his death, resurrection, and ascension, when they should be sent into all the world to preach the Gospel, it would be otherwise with them than before; that they should be reduced to great penury and distress, should neither have food, nor money to buy any with; and that they should suffer hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, and have no certain dwellingplace, as was their case; see ( 1 Corinthians 4:11 ) and that they would not be received, and entertained in the manner they had been; and therefore it would be advisable, if they had any provisions, to take them with them in their scrips; or if they had any money, to carry it with them in their purses; for glad would they be to provide themselves with necessaries at any rate:
and he that hath no sword; the word "sword" is not in this clause, but in the next; it is only in the original, "he that hath not"; which, at first sight; looks as if the sense was, he that hath not a purse, or a scrip, to sell, and buy a sword with, let him sell his garment, and buy one: but, as De Dieu observes, the phrase, "he that hath not", is the same with "he that has nothing"; who is a poor man, and has no money to buy a sword with, let him part with his garment, which rich men, who had money, had no need to do; though the Syriac, Persic, and Arabic versions put the word sword, in both clauses;
he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy a sword; that is, if he could get one no other way. Christ here uses the common dialect of the nation, as Dr. Lightfoot observes. So on the feast of dedication of the temple,
``if a man had not any thing to eat, but what he had by alms, he must beg, or (wtwok rkwm) , "sell his garment", and take oil, and lamps, and light them F21.''
These words of Christ are not to be understood literally, that he would have his disciples furnish themselves with swords at any rate, since he would never have said, as he afterwards does, that two were sufficient; which could not be enough for eleven men; or have forbid Peter the use of one, as he did in a very little time after this: but his meaning is, that wherever they came, and a door was opened for the preaching of the Gospel, they would have many adversaries, and these powerful, and would be used with great violence, and be followed with rage and persecution; so that they might seem to stand in need of swords to defend them: the phrase is expressive of the danger they would be exposed to, and of their need of protection; and therefore it was wrong in them to be disputing and quarrelling about superiority, or looking out for, and expecting temporal pomp and grandeur, when this would be their forlorn, destitute, and afflicted condition; and they would quickly see the affliction and distress begin in himself. In "seven" ancient copies of Beza's, it is read in the future tense, "he shall take, he shall sell, he shall buy".
FOOTNOTES:
F21 Maimon. Hilch. Megilla Uchanucha, c. 4. sect. 12.
Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
Luke 22:36 In-Context
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”“Nothing,” they answered.
36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.
37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That’s enough!” he replied.
36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. 37 It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors'; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
Judas carried the common purse which paid for the things they needed. So, Jesus did not have a wallet. Identification papers weren't the norm in the Roman Empire.
In Luke 22:36, Jesus instructs his disciples to buy swords. The best understanding of this passage is that Jesus is endorsing the carrying of weapons for personal protection.
Jesus is saying: Up until now, things have gone well, but a dramatic change is coming. Satan will attack you and stir up enemies against you. Whereas people were hospitable to you on your earlier mission journeys, now they will be hostile and inhospitable. Be ready.
Luke 22 records that Jesus told His disciples to observe the Passover "in remembrance of me." Jesus took an old symbol and filled it with new meaning. The meaning of Jesus' words and actions is rooted in His command to remember. As today's disciples, we observe the Lord's Supper in remembrance of Christ.
Exodus 21:18-19 says that if people are quarreling and one strikes the other and injures him seriously but not permanently (even with a weapon), he is responsible only to compensate the injured man for loss of time and medical expenses.
Purse, [E] a bag for money. The Hebrews, when on a journey, were provided with a bag, in which they carried their money, ( Genesis 42:35 ; Proverbs 1:14 ; 7:20 ; Isaiah 46:6 ) and, if they were merchants, also their weights. (
Jesus is telling the disciples what they should bring on their travels as they spread the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). He has told them to bring money and a bag, and that a sword will be more important than a cloak (Luke 22:35–36).
So, according to Luke, women whom Jesus had healed in turn provided for him out of their “resources,” with Mary Magdalene and Joanna capturing our attention – one by virtue of her husband, and the other, by her stature in the story of Jesus.
And in Psalm 144:1, David wrote: "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle..." Besides instruments of warfare, weapons were used in the Bible for the purpose of self-defense; nowhere in Scripture is this forbidden.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told His disciples to, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (Matt 26:41). Even so, the disciples fell asleep. Yes, prayer can be hard work; it can even be a struggle. But it is also a sure way to withstand temptation.
When verbally attacked, our inclination may be to argue, retaliate, or justify ourselves. But as St. Paul admonishes us: ``Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
While He was being crucified, “Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing'” (Luke 23:34). The declaration of their need for forgiveness makes it clear that they were guilty, despite their ignorance. Some sins we willingly and rebelliously commit; others we are entirely unaware of.
Then he said to all of them, “When I sent you out empty-handed, did you lack anything?” “Not a thing,” they answered. “God provided all we needed.” Jesus said, “But now I say to you: Take what you need. If you have money, take it—and a knapsack and a sword.
Jesus is telling the disciples what they should bring on their travels as they spread the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). He has told them to bring money and a bag, and that a sword will be more important than a cloak (Luke 22:35–36).
Given what Jesus says in Luke 22:36, given the fact that a sword is a lethal weapon, Jesus affirms lethal force in self-defense. And in this New Testament passage, Jesus doesn't limit the time of day. Certainly, lethal force should be avoided if possible.
We are all going to stand where Jesus stood. For we are dust and to dust we shall return. And though part of us will die, there is another part that can experience eternal life. And as we look at Jesus's life, what we will see is a constant letting go, a constant surrender, a constant giving of himself.
A cloak, a long, heavy, robe-like coat, was an Old Testament symbol of authority. For a prophet in Israel, it was a symbol of the power of God resting on him. When Elijah first met Elisha (1 Kings 19:19), he threw his cloak around him. I wonder what it was like to feel the weight of the anointing of the Spirit of God.
Introduction: My name is Edwin Metz, I am a fair, energetic, helpful, brave, outstanding, nice, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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