ISB ~ Luke 10 v1

appointed seventy:An episode only in Luke. It is the second missionary tour, since Jesus has sent out the Twelve with similar tasks (9:1-6).

• Jesus patterns his missionary effort on Moses, who commissioned 70 elders to be prophets in Israel (Num 11:24-25). The 71 members of the Jewish court, the Sanhedrin, had already modeled itself after this leadership structure of Moses and the 70 elders. At another level, this number alludes to Gen 10, which describes the origin of the 70 nations of the ancient world, not including Israel. The ministry of the 70 disciples thus anticipates the Church’s mission to the nations (24:47).

two by two:A missionary practice reflected in the early Church (Acts 8:14; 15:39-40).