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.
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.”
- BSB If anyone does not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that town, as 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 18:6And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
- Acts 13:51But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.
- Matt 10:14–15And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
- Mark 6:11And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
- Luke 9:53–56And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
- Luke 10:16He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
- Luke 10:10–12But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
- Luke 9:48And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
- Mark 9:37Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
- Neh 5:13Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.
- Matt 10:18And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
- Luke 5:14And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto 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.