Matthew 10:23 is a verse in the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. Content In the original Greek according to Westcott-Hort for this verse is: Ὅταν δὲ διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, φεύγετε εἰς τὴν ἄλλην· ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ τελέσητε τὰς πόλεις τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads: But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. The New International Version translates the passage as: When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. Analysis Bede states that this fleeing was not to be on account of fear but rather to scatter the seed of their doctrine. Athanasius was known to have taken flight numerous times to evade capture by the Arian sect. This stand in contrast to Tertullian who states that to take flight is unlawful. The final saying "before the Son of Man comes," is interpreted in a number of different ways, which Lapide summarizes as, 1) after the apostles finish preaching they will return to Jesus, 2) you will not finish preaching among the Jews before Jesus' resurrection, after which they will be sent to the Gentiles, 3) you will not, by travelling and preaching, make perfect the faith of the Gospel among the people of Israel, before the second advent of the Son of Man. Commentary from the Church Fathers Chrysostom: "Having foretold the fearful things which should come upon them after His Cross, resurrection, and ascension, He leads them to gentler prospects; He does not bid them presumptuously to offer themselves for persecution, but to fly from it; When they persecute you in this city, flee ye to another. For because this was the first beginning of their conversion, He adapts His words to their state." Jerome: " This must be referred to the time when the Apostles were sent to preach, when it was said to them, Go not into the way of the Gentiles; they should not fear, but may shun persecution. This we see the believers did in the beginning, when