Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 10:1

"And he called unto him his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of disease and all manner of sickness." — Matthew 10:1 (ASV)

He whose word (chs. 5–7) and deed (chs. 8–9) were characterized by authority now delegates something of that authority to twelve men. This is the first time Matthew has explicitly mentioned the Twelve, though his language suggests that the Twelve became a recognized group somewhat earlier. This commission was also a stage in the training and preparation of those who, after Pentecost, would lead the earliest thrust of the fledgling church. Twelve were chosen, probably on an analogy to the twelve tribes of Israel (see comment on Mk 3:13).

The authority the Twelve received enabled them to heal “every kind of disease and sickness” (cf. 4:23; 9:35) and to drive out “evil spirits”—spirits in rebellion against God, hostile to humans, and capable of inflicting mental, moral, and physical harm. This is the first mention in Matthew of such spirits .