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Mtt 10:10 is presented in different phraseology across Versions, for instance:

NIV: no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.

NKJV: nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.

In some versions, Jesus permits, besides the on-clothing, one pair of sandals and a staff. In some others, only the on- clothing is permitted. Going further, the disciples are instructed to shake the dust off their feet on the face of non-receptive house) town( Mtt 10:14), a symbolic act that is better done when one is wearing sandals ( Easy, take off the pair and strike one against the other, with falling of the dust becoming visible to the people watching!) . So, which version of Mtt 10:19 has the English translation most conforming to the original?

PS: BHSE question In Matthew 10:10 - What does "τροφῆς" specifically refer to? deals with the last part of Verse 10 that is ' keep'. Hence, this one is a different question.

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  • It's not obvious why one would think these translations have a different meaning. Commented Oct 26 at 13:55
  • It appears that NIV is trying to say the same thing as NKJV in a smoother way. Commented Oct 26 at 15:46
  • Perry Webb, NIV could be read as " No bag for the journey or extra shirt or ( extra) sandals.." whereas NKJV could read as " nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics ( one permitted), nor sandals, nor staffs Commented Oct 27 at 13:12

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Here is my very literal translation of Matt 10:10 -

nor provision-bag for [the] way/journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staff; for the workman [is] worthy of his provisions.

This verse is easy to translate and uncontroversial. Most versions I checked are fairly faithful to the Greek on https://biblehub.com/matthew/10-10.htm

Let us compare this Matt 10:10 with the parallel account in Mark 6:8, 9 -

He instructed them to take nothing but a staff for the journey—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— and to wear sandals, but not a second tunic.

From this we learn several things when we compare with the account in Matthew:

  • that sandals were to be worn
  • that a staff was to be taken
  • that no provisions by way of food nor money were to be taken - the trip was to be an act of faith in divine provision for the journey

Thus, we find that according to the record in Matt 10:10, that the "no second tunic" appears to apply equally to the staff and sandals. Indeed, Ellicott reaches the same conclusion about Matt 10:10 -

Neither shoes, nor yet staves.—The apparent contradiction between these words and St. Mark’s “nothing except a staff only,” “be shod with sandals,” is explained by what has been said above. They were to have none of the reserved comforts of common travellers, no second staff in case the first should break, no second pair of shoes in which to rest the worn and weary feet.

This is all that can be said of Matt 10:10. Now, if the OP wishes to ask about the second missionary journey, that is another question that involved different rules from Jesus because of several factors.

The NIV translation "keep", in this context, is simply another English expression for food and other provisions for the journey. Thus, the NIV and NKJV give very similar results in this verse.

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  • as I understand the question, the issue is whether the modifier "two" before "tunics" also modifies (pair of) "sandals." In other words, were they to go barefoot or were they limited to one pair? Commented Oct 27 at 16:47
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    @DanFefferman - many thanks for the clarification - most helpful that I had completely missed. I will update my answer. Commented Oct 27 at 20:41
  • Dottard and Dan Fefferman, Lk 22:35 gives a clue :" And He said to them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” Commented Oct 29 at 9:30

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