And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.

and if indeed there may be there the son of peace, rest on it shall your peace; and if not so, upon you it shall turn back.

And if there is a lover of peace there, your peace shall rest upon it; otherwise come back upon you.

And if a son of peace is there, your peace will be with him: but if not, it will come back to you again.

If a peaceful person is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.

Then, if anyone there is deserving of a blessing, your blessing will rest on him; but if not, it will come back on yourselves.

The son of peace - That is, if the "house" or "family" be "worthy," or be disposed to receive you in "peace" and kindness. See Matthew 10:13. "The son of peace" means one "disposed" to peace, or peaceful and kind in his disposition. Compare Matthew 1:1.

The son of peace - In the Jewish style, a man who has any good or bad quality is called the son of it. Thus, wise men are called the children of wisdom, Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:35. So, likewise, what a man is doomed to, he is called the son of, as in Ephesians 2:3, wicked men are styled the children of wrath: so Judas is called the son of perdition, John 17:12; and a man who deserves to die is called, 2-Samuel 12:5, a son of death. Son of peace in the text not only means a peaceable, quiet man, but one also of good report for his uprightness and benevolence. It would have been a dishonor to this mission, had the missionaries taken up their lodgings with those who had not a good report among them who were without.

And if (b) the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
(b) So say the Hebrews: that is, he that favours the doctrine of peace and embraces it.

And if the son of peace be there,.... If there be any elect person or persons in the house, whom God has chosen to partake of peace by the blood of Christ, and the benefits arising from it; and of a conscience peace in their souls, upon the best foundation; and of eternal peace in the world to come, though yet in a state of nature; and which may be known by this sign;
your peace shall rest upon it: the salutation, or wish of peace, shall be well taken, and gratefully received; and upon this you will be kindly invited into the house, and used well by, those of the family;
if not, it shall turn to you again: if there are no sons of peace, no elect persons there, your salutation, or wish of peace and prosperity to the family, will be despised and rejected, and will return to you without any good effect upon them.

A son of peace - That is, one worthy of it.