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.

LUKE 9:5KJV
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Luke 9:5 (KJV)

What does Luke 9:5 mean?

Luke 9:5 means that if people in a city do not welcome Jesus’ messengers, the messengers should leave and shake the dust off their feet as a sign that those people have rejected the message. This act serves as a public testimony against the city’s refusal to receive them.

In this verse, Jesus is instructing his disciples as he sends them out to preach. The setting is a mission trip through various towns, where the disciples might face both acceptance and rejection. Shaking the dust from their feet was a symbolic gesture in that culture, showing a clear break and signaling that the responsibility for rejecting the message now rests with those who refused to listen.

The Greek behind Luke 9:5

  • ἐκτινάσσω (ektinassō, "shake off"): This Greek word means to shake out or shake off completely. It highlights the deliberate nature of the action, showing that the disciples are to make a clear and visible statement of separation.
  • μαρτύριον (martyrion, "testimony"): The Greek word here means a witness or evidence. By shaking off the dust, the disciples provide a visible sign or evidence that the people have rejected the message, making it clear to all who see it.
  • πόλις (polis, "city"): The instruction is not just about individuals but about whole communities. The focus on the city shows that the message and its rejection have a communal impact, not just a personal one.

Why Luke 9:5 matters

  • Luke 9:5 clarifies that the disciples are not to force their message on anyone but are to move on when rejected, leaving the outcome in God’s hands.
  • The verse shows that rejection of the message is serious and has consequences, but it also frees the messenger from responsibility once the message has been faithfully delivered.
  • This instruction connects to the wider passage by preparing the disciples for both acceptance and rejection, teaching them how to respond in each situation without bitterness or argument.

Where else these words appear

“off” Greek G660 · used in 2 verses

  • Acts 28:5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

“dust” Greek G2868 · used in 5 verses

  • Matthew 10:14 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.
  • Luke 10:11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
  • Acts 13:51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

“testimony” Greek G3142 · used in 20 verses

  • Matthew 8:4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
  • Luke 5:14 And 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.
  • 2 Corinthians 1:12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

“will” Greek G1209 · used in 48 verses

  • Matthew 10:14 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.
  • Luke 16:4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
  • 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.