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Luke 10:3
Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

Acts 20:29
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

wise.

Genesis 3:1,13
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? …

Luke 21:15
For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

Romans 16:19
For your obedience is come abroad unto allmen. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

harmless.

Romans 16:18,19
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple…

2 Corinthians 1:12
For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

2 Corinthians 8:20
Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:

therefore be as shrewd as snakes
The call to be shrewd as snakes emphasizes the need for wisdom and discernment. In ancient Near Eastern culture, snakes were often associated with craftiness and intelligence, as seen inGenesis 3:1, where the serpent is described as more cunning than any other beast. This shrewdness is not about deceit but about being wise and strategic in navigating a hostile environment. The disciples are encouraged to be prudent and thoughtful in their actions, avoiding unnecessary conflict while remaining faithful to their mission.

and as innocent as doves.
In contrast to the shrewdness of snakes, the innocence of doves represents purity and harmlessness. Doves were considered symbols of peace and purity in biblical times, often used in sacrificial offerings (Leviticus 1:14). This dual call to be both shrewd and innocent reflects the balance required in the Christian life: to be wise in dealing with the world while maintaining a pure heart and intentions. The innocence of doves aligns with the teachings of Jesus on purity of heart (Matthew 5:8) and the call to live blamelessly (Philippians 2:15). This balance is essential for the disciples as they carry out their mission in a world that is both dangerous and in need of the Gospel.

Jesus begins with an attention-grabbing word: “Behold.” He wants the disciples—and us—to pause and let the gravity of His commission sink in. Similar wake-up calls appear throughout Scripture, such as “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:29) and “Behold, I stand at the door and knock” (Revelation 3:20). Each “Behold” invites immediate focus on what God is about to reveal.

• The initiative is entirely Christ’s. He says, “I am sending,” echoingJohn 20:21: “As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.”

• The mission is outward, not inward. Like the seventy-two inLuke 10:1, the disciples are dispatched to towns and villages, carrying the gospel beyond their comfort zones.

• Authority accompanies the sending (Matthew 28:18-20). When He sends, He equips; when we go, we go under His lordship, not our own ambition.

• Sheep evoke vulnerability—no claws, no fangs, no speed. Wolves picture danger and hostility (Acts 20:29: “savage wolves will come in among you”).

• The contrast is intentional: God chooses weak vessels to display His power (2 Corinthians 12:9).

• Real-world application: persecution is normal, not exceptional (2 Timothy 3:12). Expect opposition, yet remember the Shepherd’s oversight (Psalm 23:4).

• “Therefore” links danger to strategy. Jesus never calls for naïveté.

• Shrewdness is godly wisdom in action—think of Joseph navigating Pharaoh’s court (Genesis 41:33-40) or Paul appealing to his Roman citizenship (Acts 22:25-29).

• Practical expressions:

– Discern motives before entrusting yourself to others (John 2:24-25).

– Choose opportune moments (Colossians 4:5: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity”).

– Communicate truth in a way that anticipates objections (1 Peter 3:15).

• Innocence speaks of purity—no deceit, no retaliation (1 Peter 2:23).

• The dove recalls the Spirit’s descent on Jesus (Matthew 3:16); our conduct should mirror His character.

• Balance is key: shrewdness without innocence becomes manipulation; innocence without shrewdness becomes gullibility.Philippians 2:15 unites both ideals: “blameless and innocent, children of God… shining as lights in the world.”

Matthew 10:16 calls believers to live on mission with open eyes and pure hearts. Christ sends us, knowing the world can be wolf-like, yet He equips us to pair strategic wisdom with uncompromised holiness. Vigilant, discerning, and undefiled, we reflect our Shepherd while engaging a hostile culture with His gospel.

As sheep in the midst of wolves.--Nothing can be more striking than the union of this clear foresight of conflict and suffering with the full assurance of victory and sovereignty. The position of the disciples would be as sheep surrounded by a flock of hungry and raging wolves, the wolf being here, as elsewhere in the New Testament, the symbol of the persecutor.

Wise as serpents.--The idea of the serpent as symbolising wisdom, seems to have entered into the early parables of most Eastern nations. We find it in Egyptian temples, in the twined serpents of the rod of 'sculapius and of Hermes, in the serpent-worship of the Turanian races, in the history in Genesis 3 of the serpent that was "more subtle than any beast of the field." For the most part it appears in Scripture as representing an evil wisdom to be fought with and overcome. Here we learn that even the serpent's sinuous craft presents something which we may well learn to reproduce. When St. Paul "caught men with guile" (2Corinthians 12:16), becoming "all things to all men" (1Corinthians 9:22), he was acting in the spirit of his Master's counsels.

Harmless as doves.--Better,simple, sincere--i.e., "guileless." The Greek indicates more than simple harmlessness--a character in which there is no alloy of baser motives. Once again truth appears in the form of paradox. The disciples of Christ are to be at once supremely guileful and absolutely guileless. Our Lord's reference to this symbolism gains a fresh significance when we remember that He had seen the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descending "like a dove" upon Himself (Matthew 3:16). In and by that Spirit the two qualities that seem so contradictory are reconciled.