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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Shaking off the dust isn't just a gesture of annoyance; it's a powerful symbolic act. It declares that the place has become spiritually unclean, like a Gentile land, and the disciples are washing their hands of any association with that defilement. This shows how seriously God views the rejection of His messengers and His message, equating it to a profound spiritual impurity.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
As Jesus sends out his disciples to preach, he gives them specific instructions on how to travel and what to do if they are rejected. He's just told them to seek out "worthy" individuals and stay with them, but now he's preparing them for what happens when people refuse to listen or welcome them. This verse is the direct consequence of that rejection, and the following verses will detail the severity of the judgment awaiting those who ignore the disciples' message.
When your message is rejected, Jesus gives His followers a powerful, symbolic action. What does it truly mean to 'shake off the dust'?
Jesus instructs His disciples to 'shake off the dust from your feet' as a public declaration when their message is not received. This wasn't just a casual gesture; it was a profound sign with deep cultural and spiritual meaning.
A Symbol of Cleansing and Rejection
Jesus connects the rejection of His disciples to a terrifying judgment. What makes this rejection so severe?
Shaking off the dust wasn't just about the disciples' feelings; it was about the severe consequences for those who rejected God's messengers and their message. Jesus makes it clear that this rejection is not a minor offense.
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A Warning of Greater Judgment
Understand the original words
dechomai · Greek Verb
The act of welcoming or accepting someone, especially an apostle or messenger; implies belief in their message and fellowship with the messenger.
tinaxate ton koniorton · Greek Verb/Noun phrase
A symbolic gesture of separation or judgment, signifying that those who reject the message of the kingdom are responsible for their own rejection and are no longer under the messenger's influence or ministry.
This instruction to 'shake off the dust' was a potent symbolic act for the Jewish apostles, signifying that rejected towns were no better than unclean Gentile territories. It underscored the gravity of rejecting God's messengers and their message, carrying a severe warning of judgment.
c. 27-30 AD— this verse
Jesus commissions the Twelve Apostles
Jesus sends out his twelve closest followers to preach the coming of the kingdom of God, heal the sick, and cast out demons within Israel.
c. 30 AD
Apostles preach and encounter rejection
The apostles travel through Jewish towns and villages, proclaiming Jesus' message. Some receive them, while others reject their message and authority.
c. 47-49 AD
Paul and Barnabas in Pisidia
In Antioch of Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas shake the dust off their feet after facing stiff opposition and rejection from Jewish leaders.
c. 57-59 AD
Paul in Corinth
After repeated rejection by some Jews in Corinth, Paul declares, 'Your blood be on your own heads; from now on I will go to the Gentiles.'
This passage describes Paul and Barnabas shaking the dust off their feet in Antioch, directly fulfilling Jesus' command as a symbolic act of protest against rejection.
Acts 18:6Similarly, Paul shakes dust from his clothes in Corinth when the Jews reject his message, demonstrating this practice as a tangible sign of judgment against those who refuse God's word.
Luke 9:5This parallel account from Luke includes the same instruction for the disciples, highlighting the consistent teaching of Jesus regarding the consequences of rejecting His messengers and their message.
Nehemiah 5:13While not a direct command, Nehemiah's act of shaking out his lap as a curse against those who did not keep their promises shows a similar ancient gesture of severing ties and invoking judgment, underscoring the weight of the act in Matthew 10:14.
Matthew 10:15This verse immediately following Matthew 10:14 explains the severe consequences for towns that reject the disciples, directly linking the act of shaking off dust to a pronouncement of greater judgment than even Sodom and Gomorrah faced.
barnesMatthew 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."
Shake off the dust of your feet - The Jews taught uniformly that the dust of the Gentiles was impure, and was to be shaken off. To shake off the dust from the feet, therefore, was a significant act, denoting that they regarded them as impure, profane, and paganish, and that they declined any further connection with them. It is recorded that this w…
vincentMatthew 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."
Shake off (ἐκτινάξατε)"The very dust of a heathen country was unclean, and it defiled by contact. It was regarded like a grave, or like the putrescence of death. If a spot of heathen dust had touched an offering, it must at once be burnt. More than that, if by mischance any heathen dust had been brought into Palestine, it did not and could not m…
Shaking off the dust isn't just a gesture of annoyance; it's a powerful symbolic act. It declares that the place has become spiritually unclean, like a Gentile land, and the disciples are washing their hands of any association with that defilement. This shows how seriously God views the rejection of His messengers and His message, equating it to a profound spiritual impurity.
As Jesus sends out his disciples to preach, he gives them specific instructions on how to travel and what to do if they are rejected. He's just told them to seek out "worthy" individuals and stay with them, but now he's preparing them for what happens when people refuse to listen or welcome them. This verse is the direct consequence of that rejection, and the following verses will detail the severity of the judgment awaiting those who ignore the disciples' message.
As Jesus sends out his disciples to preach, he gives them specific instructions on how to travel and what to do if they are rejected. He's just told them to seek out "worthy" individuals and stay with them, but now he's preparing them for what happens when people refuse to listen or welcome them. This verse is the direct consequence of that rejection, and the following verses will detail the severity of the judgment awaiting those who ignore the disciples' message.
"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." — Shaking off the dust isn't just a gesture of annoyance; it's a powerful symbolic act. It declares that the place has become spiritually unclean, like a Gentile land, and the disciples are washing the…
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Last reviewed October 2026