Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 6:11
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.
11. the dust under your feet ] For instances of the carrying out of this command, compare the conduct of St Paul at Antioch in Pisidia, Act 13:51, and at Corinth, Act 18:6. The action must be regarded as symbolical of a complete cessation of all fellowship, and a renunciation of all further responsibility. It was customary with Pharisees when they entered Juda from a Gentile land, to do this in token of renunciation of all communion with heathenism; those who rejected the Apostolic message were to be looked upon as those who placed themselves beyond the pale of fellowship and communion.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 11. And whosoever shall not receive you] , whatsoever PLACE will not receive you: this is the reading of BL, four others, and the later Syriac in the margin.
Verily, &c.] All this clause is omitted in BCDL, two others, one Arabic, one Persic, Coptic, Armenian, Vulgate, and all the Itala but three. Mill and Beza approve of the omission, and Griesbach leaves it out of the text. It has probably been transferred here from Mt 10:15. See this subject, from Mr 6:7-11, explained at large on Mt 10:1-15.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And, whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you,…. Who would neither take them into their houses, nor hear what they had to say to them:
when ye depart thence; from the house or the city, or town, in which it is,
shake off the dust under your feet, for a testimony against them; that they had been with them, and attempted to preach the Gospel to them, but they despised and rejected it; wherefore they departed from them as an unworthy people, against whom the dust of their feet would rise as a testimony, in the day of judgment;
[See comments on Mt 10:14].
Verily, I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. This clause is omitted in some copies, and so it is in the Vulgate Latin version, and may perhaps be transcribed from Mt. 10:15, [See comments on Mt 10:15]; though it is in most copies, and is read in the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions. It is certain that there will be a day of judgment; it is fixed, God has appointed it, though it is not known by men or angels: this will be universal; all must appear in it before God, the judge of all, Jews and Gentiles; such who have lived in the earlier ages of time, as well as those that will live nearer that day; such who have only had the dim light of nature to guide them, and also who have been favoured with the Gospel revelation: the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha, though they have had the judgments of God upon them in this world, they will not escape the righteous judgment of God hereafter; things are not over with them, there is still a reckoning to be made, an account to pass with them; their full punishment is not yet executed, even though they have been suffering the vengeance of eternal fire; their bodies must be raised, and they must receive for the things which they have done in them, and which they have so dreadfully and unnaturally abused; and yet, as vile sinners as they have been, and as sore a punishment as they are worthy of, their punishment will be milder and more tolerable, than that of the inhabitants of such places, where the Gospel has been preached, and they have despised and rejected it. May the inhabitants of our land, especially of some parts of it, as of London, and others, consider this!
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
For a testimony unto them ( ). Not in Matthew. Lu 9:5 has “for a testimony against them” ( ). The dative in Mark is the dative of disadvantage and really carries the same idea as in Luke. The dramatic figure of
shaking out (, effective aorist imperative, Mark and Matthew),
shaking off (, present imperative, Luke).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you (kai hos en topos me dedsetai humas mede akousosin humon) “And whatever place receives you not, nor will they give heed to you,” shall be cut off from future witnessing by you, Act 3:22-23.
2) “When ye depart thence,” (ekporeuomenoi ekeithen) “When you go out of that place, – when you leave it behind, as our Lord did rejecting Jerusalem, Mat 23:37-39.
3) “Shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them.” (ektinaksate ton hupokato ton poson humon eis maturion autois) “Shake the dust off under your feet, a testimony to them,” as a testimony against them Luk 10:10-11; Act 13:51, as Paul did, and again Act 18:6; Mat 10:14. Leave even their polluting dust behind.
4) “Verily, I say unto you,” (the remainder of this verse does not appear in the original) To the twelve apostles whom He was sending out, on this limited commission, to the house of Israel only, at this time, Mat 10:5-6.
5) “It shall be more tolerable,” more bearable it will be to those who had lesser knowledge of salvation, than these Jews in the Galilean area, Mat 10:15; Rom 2:12-16; Heb 10:31.
6) “For Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgement,” Luk 10:14. There is a day of judgment for every city, place and person who rejects the voice and call of God to salvation and service, Ecc 12:13-14; Heb 9:27-28.
7) “Than for that city.” Whatever or whoever that rejecting city or person or people may be, Pro 29:1, Rom 2:16; Rom 14:11-12. Rejection of the gospel is a more serious sin, than the violation of the Law of Moses.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(11) Whosoever shall not receive you.The better MSS. give, whatsoever place shall not receive you. (See Note on Mat. 10:14.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Ver. 11. See Trapp on “ Mat 10:14 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mar 6:11 . . ; another instance of inconsequent construction beginning with a relative clause and passing into a conditional one = and whatever place does not receive you, if ( understood) they, its people, do not listen to you (so Schanz and Weiss in Meyer). , the dust that is under your feet, instead of and in Matthew and Luke. The dust of their roads adhering to your feet, shake it off and leave it behind you. Mar 6:12-13 report the carrying out of the mission by the Twelve through preaching and healing. : the burden of their preaching was, Repent. Luke has the more evangelic term, . The other aspect of their ministry is summed up in the expulsion of many demons, and the cure of many suffering from minor ailments, ( cf. Mar 6:5 ). In Mark’s account the powers of the Twelve appear much more restricted than in Matthew ( cf. Mar 10:8 ). The use of oil in healing ( ) is to be noted. Some have regarded this as a mark of late date (Baur). Others (Weiss, Schanz) view it as a primitive practice ( vide Jas 5:14 ). Many conjectural opinions have been expressed as to the function or significance of the oil. According to Lightfoot and Schttgen it was much used at the time by physicians.
The instructions to the Twelve present an interesting problem in criticism and comparative exegesis. It is not improbable that two versions of these existed and have been drawn upon by the synoptists, one in the Logia of Matthew, reproduced, Weiss thinks, substantially in Luk 10 (mission of Seventy), the other in Mar 6 , used (Weiss) in Luk 9:1-6 . Matthew, according to the same critic, mixes the two. Similarly Holtzmann, who, however, differs from Weiss in thinking the two versions entirely independent. Weiss reconstructs the original version of the Logia thus:
1.Mat 9:38 = Luk 10:2 , prayer for labourers.
2.Luk 10:3 = go forth, I send you as lambs among wolves.
3.Mat 10:5-6 , go not to Samaria, but to Israel only.
4.Luk 10:4-11 , detailed instructions.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
whosoever = whatever people.
shake off. Figure of speech paraemia. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
whosoever: Neh 5:13, Mat 10:14, Luk 9:5, Luk 10:10, Luk 10:11, Act 13:50, Act 13:51, Act 18:6
It shall: Eze 16:48-51, Mat 10:15, Mat 11:20-24, Luk 10:12-15, Joh 15:22-24, Heb 6:4-8, Heb 10:26-31, 2Pe 2:6, Jud 1:7
and: Gr. or
in the day: Mat 12:36, Rom 2:5, Rom 2:16, 2Pe 2:9, 2Pe 3:7, 1Jo 4:17
Reciprocal: 1Ki 13:8 – go Mat 5:18 – verily Mat 8:4 – for Mat 11:24 – more Mar 13:9 – a Mar 14:18 – Verily Luk 5:14 – for
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1
Shaking off the dust was an old custom practiced to indicate a feeling of disgust against a person or place; I have no information as to its origin. More tolerable . . . in the day of judgment, not afterwards. To use some everyday language, some people will have a harder time in getting past the judgment than others. The reason is that some have more and better opportunities than others.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Verse 11
These directions (Mark 6:7-11) resulted from a wise regard to the circumstances of the case, and a deliberate forethought in providing for the future, in the surest and best way. They were not, as might perhaps be supposed, an abandonment of prudential considerations, under a blind dependence upon the providence of God. So great and general was the interest then felt throughout Galilee, in the ministry and miracles of Jesus, that there could be under those circumstances no safer or surer reliance for support than the spontaneous hospitality of those interested in the cause. We observe that this, though the earliest apostolic practice, is not to be considered as a model for imitation in modern times. Many of the ecclesiastical arrangements of Jesus and his apostles were particularly adapted to their times and circumstances; and, in the same manner, the arrangements which we make must often be accommodated to ours.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
6:11 {4} And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
(4) The Lord severely avenges evil done to his servants.