Luke 9:5

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.”

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Other translations

WEBBE

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.”

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.

ASV

And as many as receive you not, when ye depart from that city, shake off the dust from your feet for a testimony against them.

BBE

And if any people will not take you in, when you go away from that town, put off its dust from your feet for a witness against them.

Original Greek

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The early church

For it is very improbable that those who despise the saving Word, and the Master of the household, will show themselves kind to His servants, and seek further blessings.
Cyril of Alexandria · d. 444Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
The dust is shaken off from the Apostles' feet as a testimony of their labours, that they entered into a city, and the apostolical preaching had reached to the inhabitants thereof. Or the dust is shaken off when they receive nothing (not even of the necessaries of life) from those who despised the Gospel. But if any by treacherous negligence, or even from zeal, despise the word of God, their communion must be shunned, the dust of the feet must be shaken off, lest by their vain deeds which are to be compared to the dust, the footstep of a chaste mind be defiled.
Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
He pronounces it to be foreign to the character of a preacher of the heavenly kingdom to run from house to house and change the rights of inviolable hospitality; but as the grace of hospitality is supposed to be offered, so also if they are not received the dust must be shaken off, and they are commanded to depart from the city; as it follows, And whosoever will not receive you when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony, &c. Or it is a great return of hospitality which is here taught, i. e. that we should not only wish peace to our hosts, but also if any faults of earthly infirmity obscure them, they should be removed by receiving the footsteps of apostolical preaching.
Ambrose of Milan · d. 397Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–9

Christ sent his twelve disciples abroad, who by this time were able to teach others what they had received from the Lord. They must not be anxious to commend themselves to people's esteem by outward appearance. They must go as they were. The Lord Jesus is the fountain of power and authority, to whom all creatures must, in one way or another, be subject; and if he goes with the word of his ministers in power, to deliver sinners from Satan's bondage, they may be sure that he will care for their wants. When truth and love thus go together, and yet the message of God is rejected and despised, it leaves men without excuse, and turns to a testimony against them. Herod's guilty conscience was ready to conclude that John was risen from the dead. He desired to see Jesus; and why did he not go and see him? Probably, because he thought it below him, or because he wished not to have any more reprovers of sin. Delaying it now, his heart was hardened, and when he did see Jesus, he was as much prejudiced against him as others, Lu 23:11.

Read Matthew Henry on Luke 9 →

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Topics

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.