“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

Matthew 10:16

 

📜 Background, Setting & Purpose

 

✍️ Author

 

Matthew, writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

 

👥 Written To

 

Israel — specifically the twelve apostles being commissioned by Jesus.

 

⏲️ When

 

During Christ’s earthly ministry, approximately A.D. 30, before the cross, before Pentecost, and before the revelation of the mystery given to Paul.

 

🌍 Setting & Purpose of Matthew (book-level)

 

Matthew presents Jesus as Israel’s Messiah and King, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy. His ministry is directed to the covenant nation of Israel in fulfillment of promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

 

Matthew 10 records the formal commissioning of the twelve apostles to proclaim:

 

“The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 10:7)

 

This is the Kingdom Gospel, directed exclusively to Israel (Matt. 10:5–6).

 

📖 Immediate Context (Matthew 10:5–15)

 

Jesus has just instructed the apostles:

 

• Do not go to Gentiles (10:5)

• Go only to the lost sheep of Israel (10:6)

• Preach the kingdom (10:7)

• Expect both acceptance and rejection

 

Now He prepares them for hostility.

 

✨ Phrase-by-Phrase Breakdown

 

“Behold, I send you out…”

 

Jesus Himself is commissioning them.

 

They are not self-appointed messengers.
They are representatives of Israel’s Messiah announcing the Kingdom.

 

“…as sheep in the midst of wolves.”

 

Sheep are defenseless. Wolves are predators.

 

Jesus is warning them that they will face hostility, rejection, and persecution, even among their own people.

 

This opposition is not accidental—it is expected.

 

Israel, as a nation, would largely reject their King.

 

“Therefore be wise as serpents…”

 

Wise does not mean deceitful. It means discerning, prudent, and aware.

 

Serpents in Scripture are cautious and alert.

 

The apostles were to exercise spiritual discernment, recognizing danger without being naïve.

 

“…and harmless as doves.”

 

Harmless means innocent, pure, and without aggression.

 

They were not to retaliate, manipulate, or defend themselves through worldly means.

 

Their authority came from God—not force.

 

❌ What This Verse Does Not Mean

 

• Not a command to adopt worldly cleverness or deception

• Not instruction for political activism or self-defense strategies

• Not Church Age doctrine regarding spiritual warfare methods

 

This is a Kingdom commission given to Israel’s apostles.

 

✅ What This Verse Does Mean

 

• The apostles would face real persecution

• They were to exercise discernment without compromising purity

• God’s messengers often face rejection

• Kingdom truth provokes opposition

 

🔗 Cross-References for Going Deeper

 

Matthew 10:5–6 — Sent only to Israel
Matthew 15:24 — Jesus sent to Israel
1 Thessalonians 5:21–22

Philippians 1:9–10

 

📘 Doctrinal Summary

 

Matthew 10:16 is part of Christ’s Kingdom commission to the twelve apostles, sent specifically to the nation of Israel before the cross to proclaim the nearness of the promised Kingdom. In its primary doctrinal context, this instruction belongs to Israel’s prophetic program and explains the opposition the apostles would face as representatives of Israel’s Messiah. However, while this command was given directly to the twelve, its spiritual principle applies to believers in every age. The Lord’s instruction to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” reflects the necessity of discernment, spiritual maturity, and purity in a hostile world.

 

Paul gives the same emphasis to grace-age believers, urging them to “test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21–22), and to grow in knowledge and discernment so they may “approve the things that are excellent” (Philippians 1:9–10). This wisdom comes through daily study of the Word of God, which is “living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). Therefore, while Matthew 10:16 must be understood in its proper doctrinal setting, its application remains vital today: believers must pursue discernment, remain spiritually alert, and walk in purity through the transforming power of God’s Word.