What I tell you in darkness, that speak you in light: and what you hear in the ear, that preach you on the housetops.
I tell.
Matthew 13:1-17,34,35 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side…
Luke 8:10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
John 16:1,13,25,29 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended…
that preach.
Proverbs 1:20-23 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: …
Proverbs 8:1-5 Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? …
Acts 5:20,28 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life…
speak in the daylight
Here, the transition from "dark" to "daylight" signifies moving from private instruction to public proclamation. The daylight represents openness and visibility, suggesting that the truths of the Gospel are meant to be shared openly and fearlessly. This aligns with the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), where Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of all nations. The cultural context of the time valued public discourse, and speaking in the daylight would ensure that the message reached a wide audience.
what is whispered in your ear
This phrase suggests a personal and direct communication from Jesus to His disciples, akin to a master imparting secret knowledge to his students. In ancient Jewish culture, the whispering of secrets was a way to convey important information that required careful handling. This can be seen as a type of Jesus Christ as the ultimate teacher, who imparts divine wisdom to His followers. It also reflects the prophetic tradition where God communicates His messages to prophets in a personal manner, as seen with Samuel and Isaiah.
proclaim from the housetops
In ancient Israel, houses often had flat roofs that served as additional living space. Proclaiming from the housetops would ensure that the message was heard by as many people as possible, symbolizing boldness and clarity in sharing the Gospel. This imagery is powerful, as it calls for the disciples to be unashamed and vocal about their faith. The rooftops, being the highest point of a home, represent the elevation of God's truth above all else. This connects to the call for believers to be a "city on a hill" (Matthew 5:14), visible and influential in the world.
Jesus begins with, “What I tell you in the dark”. He is speaking of those quiet, private moments when He personally teaches His followers.
• Think of evenings around the fire when the Twelve listened while the crowds were gone (Mark 4:34).
• This is the Lord’s pattern: reveal truth first to His own, then send them out (John 16:13; Psalm 25:14).
• Even today, He still meets us in the “secret place” (Psalm 91:1), guiding us through His Word, giving clarity before any public ministry begins.
The next phrase is, “speak in the daylight”. Private truth is never meant to stay private.
• Lamps are built for stands, not baskets (Luke 8:16).
• Jesus pushes His disciples—and us—into the open where the light is unmistakable (Acts 5:20).
• In daylight everything is visible; likewise, the gospel is to be shared openly, without shame (Philippians 2:15; Romans 1:16).
Jesus then says, “what is whispered in your ear”. This pictures the intimate instruction a rabbi gives his student, leaning in so only the disciple hears.
• The Lord still speaks through His Spirit, reminding us of His words (John 14:26).
• That gentle voice directs our paths (Isaiah 30:21) and can be as soft as Elijah’s “gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12).
• Such personal words are precious—but they are seed, intended to bear public fruit.
Finally, “proclaim from the housetops”. Flat roofs in ancient Israel served as natural platforms for public announcements.
• The image is fearless broadcasting: let the entire neighborhood hear (Acts 4:20).
• Our commission is global, not merely local (Acts 1:8).
• Whether the audience is friendly or hostile, the call remains: “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).
• Jeremiah felt a fire in his bones when he tried to stay silent (Jeremiah 20:9); the same fire should move us.
Matthew 10:27 moves from private revelation to public proclamation. Jesus draws us close, teaches us in quiet moments, then insists we carry His unaltered message into the open, boldly and without apology. What He whispers to our hearts must echo from the rooftops so that light reaches every corner and every listener has the chance to hear.
(27) What I tell you in darkness.--The words point to our Lord's method of teaching, as well as to the fact of its being esoteric, and disclosed only to the chosen few, and to them only as they were "able to bear it" (John 16:12). Parables, and dark sayings, and whispered hints, and many-sided proverbs, were among the forms by which He led them on to truth. They, in their work as teachers, were not to shrink through any fear of man from giving publicity to what they had thus learnt. To "proclaim on the housetops"--the flat roofs of which were often actually used by criers and heralds for their announcements--is, of course, a natural figure for the fullest boldness and freedom in their preaching.Verse 27. - The parallel passage, Luke 12:3, is verbally similar, but of reverse meaning. In Matthew it is a charge to the disciples to proclaim publicly what Christ tells them privately; in Luke it is a statement that what they say privately shall be proclaimed publicly. St. Luke gives only another side of the preceding verse; St. Matthew, a fresh point. The connexion with ver. 26 is - Do not cover up your relation to me, but say out bravely the message that I give you. What I tell you. There is no limitation to the time. Those who believe in the present life of Christ and in the reality of present communications from him cannot fail to see here both the true source of their messages as preachers and the necessity of faithfulness to those messages. Observe that the stress is not upon the personality of the Speaker, but upon the communication (λέγω, not ἐγὼ λέγω). In (the, Revised Version) darkness... in (the, Revised Version) light. Both are pictured to the mind. And what ye hear in the ear (εἰς τὸ οϋς). Possibly a reference to the habit of Jewish rabbis sometimes whispering their teaching in the ear of an "interpreter," who repeated it aloud for all to hear (cf. Lightfoot, 'Hor. Hebr.'), but more probably only the common figure of speech for secret instruction; cf. Talm. Bab., 'Berach.,' 22a, "Nahum of Gamzo, whispered it to. R. Akiba, and R. Akiba whispered it to Ben Azai, and Ben Azai went out and taught it to his disciples in the street." Compare also the Old Testament phrase, "uncover the ear" (1 Samuel 9:15, used of God; 1 Samuel 20:2,12, 13, used of man). That preach ye; proclaim (Revised Version); κηρύξατε. Upon the house-tops. Lightfoot ('Hor. Hebr.') thinks that this is an allusion to the minister of a synagogue blowing a trumpet on the roof of a high house to announce the sabbath; but that was a mere signal of a fact (σαλπίζω), not the articulate expression of a communication (κηρύσσω). The phrase much more probably alludes to the fact that the roofs in Eastern cities are the common place for conversation, and to the rapidity with which an announcement there made spreads throughout the town.