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And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city.
Matthew 10:11 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy; and stay there until you go on.
  • KJV And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
  • BSB Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy there and stay at his house until you move on.
  • ESV And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart.
  • NKJV “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.
  • NLT “Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

In each town the disciples should seek out a 'worthy' host and remain there. This keeps their focus on the message rather than on seeking comfort.

Overview

Jesus directs the disciples to lodge with someone receptive to their message rather than moving from house to house. Staying put avoided the appearance of seeking better hospitality and kept attention on the gospel. The instruction reflects the orderly, single-minded conduct fitting for those who represent Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 12

  • Luke 10:7–8Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don’t go from house to house.
  • Job 31:32(the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);
  • Acts 18:1–3After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth.
  • 1 Kgs 17:9–24“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you.”
  • Luke 10:38–42As they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
  • Mark 6:10He said to them, “Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there.
  • Gen 19:1–3The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his face to the earth,
  • Luke 9:4Into whatever house you enter, stay there, and depart from there.
  • Judg 19:16–21Behold, an old man came from his work out of the field at evening. Now the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he lived in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites.
  • Acts 16:15When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and stay.” So she persuaded us.
  • 3 Jn 1:7–8because for the sake of the Name they went out, taking nothing from the Gentiles.
  • Luke 19:7When they saw it, they all murmured, saying, “He has gone in to lodge with a man who is a sinner.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 10:11YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 10:11 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.