If anyone does not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that town, as a testimony against them.”
Parallel translations
- WEB As many as don’t receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them.”
- KJV And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
- NKJV And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
- NASB And as for all who do not receive you, when you leave that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
- NLT And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Where they are not received, they are to shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against that town. Rejection of the Gospel carries real accountability.
Overview
Jesus instructs the apostles to perform a symbolic act of separation where the message is refused. Shaking off the dust solemnly declares that the people, not the messengers, bear responsibility for rejecting God's word. It warns that to reject the Gospel is a grave matter before God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Acts 18:6But when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
- Acts 13:51So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.
- Matt 10:14–15And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
- Mark 6:11If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them.”
- Luke 9:53–56But the people there refused to welcome Him, because He was heading for Jerusalem.
- Luke 10:16Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
- Luke 10:10–12But if you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go into the streets and declare,
- Luke 9:48And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”
- Mark 9:37“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”
- Neh 5:13I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
- Matt 10:18On My account, you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
- Luke 5:14“Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him. “But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 9:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.