If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whoever doesn’t receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet.
- KJV And 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.
- BSB And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
- ESV And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.
- NKJV And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.
- NASB And whoever does not receive you nor listen to your words, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust off your feet.
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
Where the message is rejected, the disciples are to shake the dust off their feet as they leave. This solemn gesture marks the town's accountability for refusing the gospel.
Overview
Pious Jews shook foreign dust from their feet when leaving Gentile territory; here the act warns that a town rejecting Christ's messengers is treated as outside God's people. It is a testimony against them, placing responsibility on those who refuse rather than on the messengers. The gesture sobers us to the seriousness of spurning the gospel.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Luke 10:10–11But into whatever city you enter, and they don’t receive you, go out into its streets and say,
- Acts 18:6When they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook out his clothing and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles!”
- Neh 5:13Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn’t perform this promise; even be he shaken out, and emptied like this.” All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised Yahweh. The people did according to this promise.
- Acts 13:51But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium.
- Luke 9:5As 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.”
- Mark 6:11Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”
- John 13:20Most certainly I tell you, he who receives whomever I send, receives me; and he who receives me, receives him who sent me.”
- 1 Th 4:8Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.
- Matt 18:5Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,
- Matt 10:40–41He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.
- Mark 9:37“Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me.”
- Acts 20:26–27Therefore I testify to you today that I am clean from the blood of all men,
- Luke 9:48and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great.”
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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 10:14 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
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