King James Version

What Does Luke 9:5 Mean?

Luke 9:5 in the King James Version says “And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony ...” — study this verse from Luke chapter 9 with commentary, cross-references, and original Greek word analysis.

“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 9:5 · KJV

Context

3

And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.

4

And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.

5

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.

6

And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

7

Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
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. This command addresses the inevitable reality of rejection in gospel ministry. The conditional "whosoever will not receive you" (hosoi an mē dexōntai hymas, ὅσοι ἂν μὴ δέξωνται ὑμᾶς) uses dechomai (δέχομαι), meaning to welcome or accept—the same word used for receiving Christ Himself (Luke 9:48). To reject the messenger is to reject the message and its divine sender.

The dramatic gesture of shaking off dust (ton koniorton apo tōn podōn hymōn apotinaxate, τὸν κονιορτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν ἀποτινάξατε) carries profound symbolic weight. Pious Jews returning from Gentile lands would shake dust from their feet to avoid bringing ceremonial uncleanness into Israel. Jesus commands the reverse—disciples should treat rejecting Jewish towns as spiritually unclean, more defiled than pagan territory. This shocking inversion demonstrates that covenant privilege without covenant faithfulness brings greater judgment (Luke 12:47-48).

The phrase for a testimony against them (eis martyrion ep' autous, εἰς μαρτύριον ἐπ' αὐτούς) reveals the gesture's legal character. Martyrion (μαρτύριον) means witness or evidence in a judicial sense—the shaken dust serves as courtroom testimony on judgment day. This is not vindictive but prophetic, a visible enacted parable warning that rejection of God's ambassadors has eternal consequences. Paul and Barnabas later enacted this very command at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:51), demonstrating apostolic continuity with Jesus' instructions.

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Historical & Cultural Context

This instruction occurs within Jesus' commissioning of the Twelve (Luke 9:1-6), His first sending of the disciples on independent mission. Luke emphasizes their limited resources—no staff, bag, bread, money, or extra tunic (9:3)—forcing total dependence on God's provision through hospitable hosts. This itinerant poverty modeled prophetic tradition and demonstrated the kingdom's radically different value system.

First-century Jewish hospitality culture made this teaching especially significant. Ancient Near Eastern societies considered hospitality a sacred duty; Abraham's hospitality to angels (Genesis 18) epitomized this value. To refuse hospitality to traveling teachers was not merely rude but a serious breach of covenant community responsibility. Jesus' disciples, traveling as His authorized representatives, deserved reception as if Jesus Himself had come (Luke 10:16).

The dust-shaking gesture had rabbinic precedent but Jesus transformed its meaning. Pharisaic tradition taught that Gentile territory conveyed ceremonial defilement, requiring dust removal upon returning to the Holy Land. By commanding disciples to shake dust from Jewish towns that rejected the gospel, Jesus declared that covenant ethnicity without faith in Messiah offered no spiritual advantage (Luke 3:8). This foreshadowed the gospel's expansion to Gentiles and the tragic rejection of Jesus by the covenant nation, culminating in His lament over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44) and the temple's destruction (Luke 21:5-6, fulfilled in AD 70).

Reflection Questions

  1. How does this passage challenge the modern tendency to endlessly accommodate those who persistently reject the gospel?
  2. What is the relationship between the freedom to reject God's messengers and accountability for that rejection?
  3. How should ministers balance persistence in evangelism with the biblical mandate to 'shake off the dust' and move on?
  4. In what ways does covenant privilege (religious heritage, biblical knowledge, church membership) increase rather than decrease accountability before God?
  5. How does Jesus' commissioning of disciples with authority yet vulnerability (no provisions, facing rejection) model the church's mission today?

Original Language Analysis

Greek · 23 words
καὶ1 of 23

“And”

G2532

and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

ὅσοι2 of 23

“whosoever”

G3745

as (much, great, long, etc.) as

ἂν3 of 23
G302

whatsoever

μὴ4 of 23

“not”

G3361

(adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas g3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether

δέξωνταί5 of 23

“receive”

G1209

to receive (in various applications, literally or figuratively)

ὑμᾶς6 of 23

“you”

G5209

you (as the objective of a verb or preposition)

ἐξερχόμενοι7 of 23

“when ye go”

G1831

to issue (literally or figuratively)

ἀπὸ8 of 23

“from”

G575

"off," i.e., away (from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative)

τῆς9 of 23
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

πόλεως10 of 23

“city”

G4172

a town (properly, with walls, of greater or less size)

ἐκείνης11 of 23

“that”

G1565

that one (or (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed

καὶ12 of 23

“And”

G2532

and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

τὸν13 of 23
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

κονιορτὸν14 of 23

“dust”

G2868

pulverulence (as blown about)

ἀπὸ15 of 23

“from”

G575

"off," i.e., away (from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative)

τῶν16 of 23
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

ποδῶν17 of 23

“feet”

G4228

a "foot" (figuratively or literally)

ὑμῶν18 of 23

“your”

G5216

of (from or concerning) you

ἀποτινάξατε19 of 23

“shake off”

G660

to brush off

εἰς20 of 23

“for”

G1519

to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases

μαρτύριον21 of 23

“a testimony”

G3142

something evidential, i.e., (genitive case) evidence given or (specially), the decalogue (in the sacred tabernacle)

ἐπ'22 of 23

“against”

G1909

properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e., over, upon, etc.; of re

αὐτούς23 of 23

“them”

G846

the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Luke. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Luke 9:5 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Luke 9:5 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Acts 18:6Acts 13:51Matthew 10:14-15Mark 6:11Luke 9:48Luke 10:16

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