Mark 6:8

And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) Save a staff only.—St, Matthew (Matthew 10:10) gives, “neither staves”—i.e., they were to take one only.

No money.—As the margin gives, no brass, or rather bronze, or money. The coins referred to are probably the “farthing” and the “mite” of Mark 12:42.

Benson Commentary

Mark 6:8-9. He commanded that they should take nothing for their journey — That they might be always unencumbered, free, ready for motion. Save a staff only — He that had one might take it; but he that had not, was not to provide one. No scrip, no bread — Our Lord intended by this mission to initiate them into their apostolic work. And it was, doubtless, an encouragement to them all their life after, to recollect the care which God took of them when they had left all they had, and went out quite unfurnished for such an expedition. In this view our Lord himself leads them to consider it, Luke 22:35, When I sent you forth without purse or scrip, lacked ye any thing? See the note on Matthew 10:9-10; where the particular directions here given are explained at large.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

6:7-13 Though the apostles were conscious to themselves of great weakness, and expected no wordly advantage, yet, in obedience to their Master, and in dependence upon his strength, they went out. They did not amuse people with curious matters, but told them they must repent of their sins, and turn to God. The servants of Christ may hope to turn many from darkness unto God, and to heal souls by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See these verses fully explained in the notes at Matthew 10:9-15. In Matthew 10:5 they were commanded not to go among the Gentiles or Samaritans. Mark omits that direction, perhaps, because he was writing for the "Gentiles," and the direction might create unnecessary difficulty or offence. Perhaps he omits it also because the command was given for a temporary purpose, and was not in force at the time of his writing.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Mr 6:7-13. Mission of the Twelve Apostles. ( = Mt 10:1, 5-15; Lu 9:1-6).

See on [1440]Mt 10:1; [1441]Mt 10:5-15.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 6:7"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey,.... To accommodate them in it, except those things after directed to:

save a staff only; a single one, for staves in the plural number are forbidden; see Gill on Matthew 10:10;

no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse. Travellers used to put their bread, or any other sort of food into their scrips, and their money in their girdles; but the disciples were not allowed to carry either, because provision was to be made for them wherever they came at free cost, it being what their labour was worthy of; See Gill on Matthew 10:9, Matthew 10:10.

Geneva Study Bible

{3} And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:

(3) Faithful pastors should not have their minds set even on things that are necessary for this life, if they might be a hindrance unto them, even if it is just a small hindrance.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 6:8. εἰ μὴ ῥάβδον μόνον: vide in Matthew, ad loc.—χαλκόν: no mention of gold and silver, brass the only money the poor missionaries were likely to handle.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. and commanded them] Now follows a brief summary of the charge, which the Lord proceeded to give them on this occasion, and which is recorded at far greater length by St Matthew, Matthew 10:5-42.

save a staff] They were to go forth with their staff as they had it at the time, but they were not (Matthew 10:10) to “seek,” or “procure one carefully” for the purposes of this journey. The “staff” in Matthew 10:10, depends on “acquire not” or “provide not for yourselves” in Mark 6:9.

no scrip] Scrip, from Sw. skrâppa, denotes a “wallet” or “small bag.” Comp. 1 Samuel 17:40, “And (David) took his staff in his hand and chose him five smooth stones, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip.” It was so called, perhaps, because it was designed to hold scraps, trifling articles, scraped off as it were from something larger. It was part of the pilgrim’s or traveller’s equipage: comp. Piers Ploughman’s Vis. 3573;

“I seigh nevere palmere

With pyk ne with Scrippe,”

and Shakespeare, As you like it, III. 2. 171,

“Though not with bag and baggage, yet with scrip and scrippage.” The scrip of the Galilean peasants was of leather, “the skins of kids stripped off whole, and tanned by a very simple process,” used especially to carry their food on a journey, and slung over their shoulders (Thomson’s Land and the Book, p. 355).

no money] “There was no departure from the simple manners of the country in this. At this day the farmer sets out on excursions, quite as extensive, without a para in his purse, and a modern Moslem prophet of Tarshîshx thus sends forth his apostles over this identical region. No traveller in the East would hesitate to throw himself on the hospitality of any villager.” Thomson’s Land and Book, p. 346.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 6:8. Ἵνα, that) That they might be unencumbered, unrestrained, and free [comp. note on Matthew 10:10].

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 8. - They should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only. St. Matthew says (Matthew 10:10), according to the best authorities (μηδὲ ῤάβδον), they were not to take a staff. St. Luke says the same as St. Matthew. The meaning is that they were not to make any special provision for their journey, but to go forth just as they were, depending upon God. Those who bad a staff might use it; those who had not one were not to trouble themselves to procure one. The scrip (πήρα) was the wallet for food. They were to take no money in their purse (μὴ εἰς τὴν ζώνην χαλκόν); literally, brass in their girdle. St. Mark, writing for Romans, uses this word for money. St. Luke, writing for Greeks, uses the term (ἀργύριον) "silver." St. Matthew (Matthew 10:9) says, "provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass." Mark 6:8