Scrip
What Was a Scrip?
A scrip was a small bag, pouch, or wallet made of leather or animal skin, used to carry food, personal belongings, and other essentials during travel. The Hebrew word used in 1 Samuel 17:40 refers to a shepherd's bag, while the Greek word in the New Testament gospels describes a traveler's provision sack. Modern translations typically render the word as "bag" or "wallet" to avoid confusion with the archaic English term.
David's Shepherd's Bag
The most vivid Old Testament appearance of the scrip occurs in the story of David and Goliath. When David went out to face the Philistine giant, he "took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's bag" (1 Samuel 17:40). David's scrip was a practical tool of his daily work as a shepherd, repurposed for the most famous single combat in Scripture. The detail emphasizes that David came as a shepherd, not a soldier, trusting in God rather than conventional weapons.
Jesus' Instructions to the Disciples
The scrip takes on deeper significance in the New Testament when Jesus sent his disciples on their mission journeys. He specifically instructed them to carry no scrip, no money, no extra clothing, and no bread (Matthew 10:10; Mark 6:8; Luke 9:3; 10:4). By prohibiting the provision bag, Jesus required his disciples to depend entirely on the hospitality of those who received them and on God's faithful provision. This radical instruction distinguished the disciples' mission from ordinary travel and demonstrated that the kingdom of God operates on different principles than worldly self-sufficiency.
The Reversal at the Last Supper
Significantly, Jesus later reversed his prohibition against the scrip. At the Last Supper, he told his disciples: "When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?" They answered, "Nothing." He then said, "But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack" (Luke 22:35-36). This reversal recognized that the conditions of the disciples' future ministry would differ from their earlier mission. After Jesus' departure, they would face opposition and hardship requiring practical preparation.
The Theology of Provision
The scrip serves as a concrete symbol in a larger biblical conversation about trust and provision. By sending disciples without bags, Jesus taught them experientially that God provides for those who serve him. The lesson was not that practical preparation is wrong, but that dependence on God must come first. The disciples' experience of lacking nothing without a scrip became the foundation for their later confidence that God would sustain them through every trial.
Ancient Travel and Personal Equipment
In the ancient Near East, travelers typically carried provisions because inns and roadside services were rare and unreliable. A scrip might contain bread, dried fruit, cheese, or other non-perishable foods. Shepherds used their bags to carry food during long days in the pastures. The scrip was thus one of the most basic and essential items of daily life, making Jesus' command to leave it behind all the more striking.
Biblical Context
The scrip appears in 1 Samuel 17:40 as David's shepherd's bag, and in the gospels (Matthew 10:10; Mark 6:8; Luke 9:3; 10:4) where Jesus instructs disciples to carry none. Luke 22:35-36 records Jesus reversing this instruction before his arrest.
Theological Significance
The scrip symbolizes self-provision and human self-sufficiency. Jesus' command to travel without one taught disciples radical dependence on God. The later reversal showed that practical wisdom and divine trust are not mutually exclusive. Together, these teachings form a nuanced picture of Christian ministry that combines faith with responsible preparation.
Historical Background
Leather bags and pouches were common travel equipment throughout the ancient Near East. Archaeological finds from various periods include leather containers used for carrying food and personal items. The Greek word used in the gospels may also have associations with the begging bags carried by itinerant Cynic philosophers, making Jesus' instruction a deliberate contrast with wandering teachers who relied on their own resources.