Lexical Summary péra: beyond, on the other side Original Word: πέρα Strong's Exhaustive Concordance leather pouch for food Of uncertain affinity; a wallet or leather pouch for food -- scrip. HELPS Word-studies 4082 pḗra – a traveler's bag, used for carrying food and money; a traveling pouch ("a bread bag"). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition a leather pouch NASB Translation bag (6). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4082: πήραπήρα, πήρας, ἡ, a wallet (a leather sack, in which travellers and shepherds carried their provisions) (A. V. scrip (which see in B. D.)): Matthew 10:10; Mark 6:8; Luke 9:3; Luke 10:4; Luke 22:35f. (Homer, Aristophanes, Josephus, Plutarch, Herodian, Lucian, others; with τῶν βρωμάτων added, Judith 13:10.) Topical Lexicon Range of New Testament Usage The term appears six times, always in the singular, designating the small leather or woven bag carried by travelers for provisions. In Matthew 10:10; Mark 6:8; Luke 9:3; and Luke 10:4, Jesus forbids His messengers to take such a bag on their first preaching tours. In Luke 22:35-36, during the Upper Room discourse, He recalls that instruction and then permits the bag as circumstances change. The form in verse 35 is singular (πήρας), but the sense is identical. Cultural and Historical Background First-century travelers customarily slung a round bottomed pouch across the shoulder to hold bread, dried fruit, or coins. Shepherds stored stones in a similar pouch (compare David’s “shepherd’s bag” in 1 Samuel 17:40). In Greco-Roman society, wandering philosophers—especially the Cynics—were caricatured with a ναρθηκός (staff) and πήρα (bag) as symbols of self-sufficiency and mendicancy. Jesus intentionally alludes to these familiar images, yet He reverses their meaning: His disciples were not to project detachment or pride but humble dependence on the Father. Instruction in Early Mission Matthew 10:10 records, “Take no bag for the road … for the worker is worthy of his provisions.” The absence of a bag forced the Twelve (and later the Seventy-two) to rely on hospitality from those who received their message. The instruction highlighted: Dependence on Divine Provision When the Lord later asked, “When I sent you without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” they answered, “Nothing” (Luke 22:35). Their lived experience confirmed that obedience brings provision; the absence of the bag became a tangible reminder of the Father’s care (compare Psalm 23:1). Shift in Strategy before the Passion Luke 22:36 introduces a deliberate change: “Whoever has a purse should take it, and likewise a bag.” As Jesus approaches the cross, opposition intensifies and normal hospitality can no longer be presumed. The once-forbidden bag now has a legitimate role. The shift teaches flexibility in mission practice while preserving the underlying principle of trust. What matters is not the presence or absence of material resources but their submission to the Lord’s direction. Theological Themes Illustrated 1. Pilgrimage: The disciple’s life is a journey in which earthly goods are secondary (Hebrews 11:13). Practical Ministry Implications • The preacher or missionary must resist both presumption (stockpiling “bags” for self-security) and unnecessary austerity that distracts from gospel labor. Continuity with Old Testament Imagery David’s simple shepherd’s bag held the stones that toppled Goliath. Similarly, the humble provision or lack of a bag in the disciple’s life becomes the vessel through which God displays His power (2 Corinthians 4:7). Summary Strong’s Greek 4082, while denoting a commonplace item, carries rich missional resonance: first as a symbol of radical dependence, later as a tool of prudent preparation. Whether empty or filled, the πήρα ultimately belongs to the One who equips and sends His servants. Forms and Transliterations πηραν πήραν πηρας πήρας peran pēran pḗran peras pēras pḗrasLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 10:10 N-AFSGRK: μὴ πήραν εἰς ὁδὸν NAS: or a bag for [your] journey, or KJV: Nor scrip for [your] journey, INT: nor provision-bag for [the] way Mark 6:8 N-AFS Luke 9:3 N-AFS Luke 10:4 N-AFS Luke 22:35 N-GFS Luke 22:36 N-AFS Strong's Greek 4082 |
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