Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 10:10
But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
Luk 10:10-12
They receive you not
Opportunity wasted
I.
THE OBJECT TO WHICH THIS ALLEGATION RELATES–The kingdom of God.
1. The gospel is designated the kingdom of God, because it is constituted by God. There is claimed on its behalf, strictly and truly, a Divine origin.
2. The gospel is designated the kingdom of God, because it is the ordained instrument of God to restore His authority over the minds of men.
II. THE FACT WHICH THE ALLEGATION AFFIRMS. The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you–
1. In the sacred and inspired writings.
2. In the proclamations and appeals of the ministry.
3. In the conversion of other men.
4. In the partial impressions of your own mind.
III. THE DEPORTMENT WHICH THE ALLEGATION DEPRECATES.
1. Continued carelessness of the truth.
2. Continued rejection of the truth. (J. Parsons.)
The grace of salvation coming near us
I. WHEN MAY THE KINGDOM OF GOD (OR THE GOSPEL) BE SAID TO COME NIGH TO AN INDIVIDUAL OR A PEOPLE?
1. When it comes within the hearing of the ear.
2. When it reaches the understanding.
3. When it gains access to the conscience.
II. WHY THE GOSPEL SALVATION IS BROUGHT NIGH TO SOME WHO ARE FINALLY LOST. (D. A. Clark.)
Symbolical action
To shake off the dust of their feet as a witness against any city which had wholly rejected their message, signified that they had no more part or lot with the inhabitants–that they would retain nothing of theirs, no, not so much as what accidentally cleaved to their sandals. This was one of the many outward significant symbolical acts of which the special messengers of God made constant use. Thus Jeremiah put on a yoke, and hid a girdle by the side of the Euphrates; thus Agabus bound St. Pauls girdle round his own hands and feet; and Paul himself and Barnabas on one occasion used this very sign of shaking off the dust of their feet against the Jews of Antioch in Pisidia, who had rejected Gods word spoken by their mouth. We have given up altogether the use of such signs, and I believe have lost much by our rejection of them. (M. F.Sadler.)
No room for excuse
The Rev. William Grimshaw, an early Methodist of eccentric manner, frequently would preach before the doors of such as neglected the parish worship. If you will not come to hear me at the church, he would say on these occasions, you shall hear me at home; if you perish, you shall perish with the sound of the gospel in your ears. (G. Stevens.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
10. son of peaceinwardlyprepared to embrace your message of peace. See note on “worthy,”(see on Mt 10:13).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But into whatsoever city ye enter,…. On the other hand Christ here directs how to behave towards other cities they should come to, and be rejected:
and they receive you not; refuse to admit them into their houses, or provide in any shape for them, nor hear their message:
go your ways out into the streets of the same. The Ethiopic version reads, “cast the dust off your feet into the streets of it: and say”; aloud, in the most public manner, in the ears of all the people, as follows.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Into the streets thereof ( ). Out of the inhospitable houses into the broad open streets.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “But into whatsoever city ye enter,” (eis en d an polin eiselthete) “Then into whatever city you all enter,” of a different attitude, rebuffing you, Joh 15:20.
2) “And they receive you not,” (kai me dechontai humas) “And they do not receive or accept you,” or your message, Mat 10:14. If they will not accept your words, Mat 10:14; Rev 22:19.
3) “Go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,” (ekselthontes eis tas plateias autes eipate) “Go forth out of its streets, and say,” as you depart, deliver a message of farewell warning with the following sign, Pro 27:1; Pro 29:1; Heb 4:7.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(10, 11) Into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not.See Notes on Mat. 10:13.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“But into whatever city you shall enter, and they receive you not, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust from your city, which cleaves to our feet, we wipe off against you, nevertheless know this, that the Kingly Rule of God is come near.”
After they have made every attempt to evangelise a city or town, if they find themselves ‘not received’ they are to go out into the streets of the city and publicly shake the dust from their feet. (Their non-reception might be revealed among other ways by their being beaten in the synagogue, a treatment meted out to ‘heretics’). This shaking of the dust from the feet was something all pious Jews did on leaving Gentile territory, because such territory was seen as ‘ritually unclean’. Here it would be an indication that that city or town was to be seen as unclean by God. They were thereby cut off from the covenant. They no longer belonged to Israel. They were effectively under a curse. So while Jesus did not approve of immediately bringing down fire on men, He did recognise that they could be committed to the future judgment of God.
At the same time they were to announce to them the reason why they did it. It was because the Kingly Rule of God had approached them, but they had rejected it, and thus God had rejected them. It would thus still give opportunity to any seeking heart to seek them out and receive their message, and enter under the Kingly Rule of God.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Woes On Those Who Will Not Receive the Message of His Disciples (10:10-16).
Inevitably all the wolves will not respond, and we now recognise that Jesus’ message is not only one of mercy but of judgment. His words here are severe. If His disciples are persistently rejected they are to shake the dust of the cities that reject them from their feet. That will be a sign that they are cut off from Israel and that in the coming judgment they will be dealt with by God. For in line with what John said about Him He has come both in Holy Spirit and in fire (Luk 3:16-17). It is a reminder that although in Luk 4:19 He had closed the book after reading of the ‘the Lord’s year of acceptability’, the day of vengeance of God would one day also come (Isa 61:2).
Analysis.
a “But into whatever city you shall enter, and they receive you not, go out into its streets and say (Luk 10:10).
b “Even the dust from your city, which cleaves to our feet, we wipe off against you, nevertheless know this, that the Kingly Rule of God is come near” (Luk 10:11).
c I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city” (Luk 10:12).
d “Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes” (Luk 10:13).
c “But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment, than for you” (Luk 10:14).
b “And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades” (Luk 10:15).
a “He who hears you, hears Me; and he who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me, rejects Him who sent Me” (Luk 10:16).
Note that in ‘a’ they do not receive the disciples, while in the parallel by not receiving the disciples, Jesus is not received, and thus they reject the One Who sent Him. In ‘b’ the dust of their feet is wiped off against them, and yet the Kingly Rule of God has come near them, while in the parallel they think themselves exalted to Heaven but they are brought down to the dust, to Hades. In ‘c’ and its parallel are the declarations that it will be more tolerable in the judgment for infamous cities than for them. And centrally in ‘d’ is the declaration of judgment on the cities in question.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Luk 10:10-11 . Comp. Luk 9:5 ; Mat 10:14 . The refusal to receive them is represented as following immediately upon their entrance ; hence the present . The representation of Luk 10:8 was different: (see the critical remarks).
] out of the house into which ye have entered.
] so that ye should have it again; a symbol of the most contemptuous renunciation , as in Matthew.
. . .] a threatening reference to their penal exclusion from the salvation of the kingdom. See Luk 10:12 ff. Observe that is wanting this time; see the critical remarks.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
DISCOURSE: 1512
THE DANGER OF REJECTING THE GOSPEL
Luk 10:10-16. Into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, 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. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
NOTWITHSTANDING all the care which our Lord took to prepare the minds of men for the reception of his Gospel, his success was very small, insomuch that after his resurrection and ascension to heaven, his disciples amounted to no more than five hundred. He foresaw it would be so; and when sending forth his seventy disciples into all the places whither he himself was about to come, he guarded them against the offence which the contracted influence of his word might occasion. He directed them how to act towards any city which should not receive them: they should express towards its inhabitants the indignation of God, and should make known to them both their iniquity and their folly. In confirmation of what he instructed them to do, he himself denounced his judgments against the cities that had rejected him; and then proceeded to give a general admonition to all to whom his Gospel should come.
Were we addressing ministers, we should consider the subject more immediately in relation to them: but in an address intended only for private Christians, it will be more profitable to wave what relates to the conduct of the ministry, and to suggest rather such reflections as are applicable to mankind at large, especially that part of them which is disobedient to the Gospel of Christ.
I.
How awful is their obduracy!
[Our Lord complained that the cities to which he had ministered had resisted such means as, if used for the awakening of the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon, or even of Sodom and Gomorrha, would have been effectual to bring them to repentance: they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. Now, without stopping to inquire, why God withheld from Sodom the means of grace which would have been effectual, and vouchsafed them to Jewish cities, where he knew they would not be effectual, (a question which no human wisdom can solve,) we would call your attention to this fact as illustrated in the present day.
We acknowledge that the hearers of our Lord had many and great advantages which we have not: but on the other hand, we have great advantages which they had not. We admit, that they were instructed by One who spake as never man spake; and that they saw the mighty works which he wrought in confirmation of his word: but on the other hand, the meanness of his appearance and of his followers was a stumbling-block, which it was exceeding difficult to get over, and which is entirely removed out of our way. Besides, they saw the plan of Christianity only in a very obscure and partial light; whereas we see it in all its fulness and completion: and the evidence we have from that great miracle of all, his resurrection from the dead, is stronger than all those which they beheld. We may, therefore, justly say that our advantages are greater than theirs: and yet multitudes hear the Gospel now, and are unmoved by it: some sneer at it as folly and enthusiasm; and others rest in a mere formal profession of it, without any experience of its transforming power. What then shall we say of them? Are not they blind and hardened in a very awful degree? Are not they also more obdurate than the idolatrous Syrians, or the filthy Sodomites? Yes: far less evidence, and an obscurer statement of the Gospel, would have brought them to repent in dust and ashes; whereas the unbelievers of the present day are proof against an accumulated weight of evidence, and against the full splendour of evangelic truth.
Let this then be considered by us: and when we wonder at the blindness and obduracy of the Jews, let us remember how blind we ourselves have been, and how unaffected by the most stupendous miracles of love and mercy that ever were vouchsafed to men.]
II.
How heinous their guilt!
[Unbelief is in general scarcely ever thought of as a sin: the open infidel justifies himself by a pretended want of evidence; and those who maintain a form of religion fancy themselves possessed of saving faith: so that, whatever men have to condemn in their own conduct, they never think of bemoaning their unbelief. But behold what was Christs judgment respecting this! He considered unbelief as a more heinous sin than any which Tyre and Sidon, or even Sodom and Gomorrha, had committed, and as involving his hearers in a deeper condemnation than any to which the vilest of those cities would be doomed. He also commanded his Disciples to wipe off the dust from their feet against those who received them not, in token of Gods indignation against them, and his abandoning of them to the evil of their own ways [Note: Act 13:51.]. Nor can we wonder at it, when Christ and his Father identify themselves with all the ministers of the Gospel: He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me. What a view does this representation give us of unbelief! And how little idea have the unbelieving world of the light in which they are regarded by a holy God! But when once the Holy Ghost is sent into their hearts to convince them of sin, they become convinced of this sin in particular; and view it in its proper colours, as a mixture of ignorance, impiety, and rebellion.
Let the towering imaginations of the formalist then fall to the ground: let the most decent amongst us see what guilt he has contracted: and let every one acknowledge that God is just in consigning over to perdition those who, either in theory or in practice, reject Christ, and thus eventually make God himself a liar.]
III.
How great their folly!
[The seventy Disciples were especially commanded to testify to those who rejected them, that the contempt which they manifested for their message did not at all invalidate the truth or importance of it: Notwithstanding, be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come unto you. Thus must we say to those who disregard the Gospel: Your unbelief cannot make the faith of God of none effect. If your neglect of the Gospel could set aside its authority, so that you should stand excused for your disobedience to it, your folly would not be so great: but you cannot alter one single word in it: Christ will still be the only Saviour of the world, though you should pour ever so much contempt upon him: and faith in his name will be the only means of obtaining an interest in him, though you should dispute ever so much against it: and that declaration, He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned, will be carried into execution, however you may complain of its harshness and severity. The ridicule and contempt poured on Noah whilst building the ark, did not at all affect the truth of his warnings: the flood came precisely as he had foretold, and swept away all the inhabitants of the earth. And so will it be in the day of judgment: the Gospel will prove true, and its sanctions will be executed, whether men will hear it or whether they forbear. What folly and madness then is it to trifle thus with the words of life! Common sense, methinks, should lead men to consider what they hear, and to search the Scriptures daily whether these things be so. If they can disprove the truth of the Gospel, well: let them then despise it if they please: but if they cannot disprove it, let them obey it; and that not in a partial and formal manner, but unreservedly, and with their whole hearts.]
IV.
How pitiable their condition!
[Could we behold the present state of those who once inhabited Sodom and Gomorrha; could we see their weeping, their wailing, their gnashing of teeth, how would our bowels yearn over them! Yet, grievous as their condition is, it is more tolerable than that which is prepared for the despisers of the Gospel. This is not declared once, but often; and that, too, by him who will assign to all their proper doom. Say, then, whether we should not be filled with pity towards the thoughtless, deceived, and deceiving world? Suppose them enjoying all that earth can give; yet, with such prospects before them, who must not regard them as objects of the tenderest compassion? Behold a man just about to be racked upon the wheel, or to be burned on a slow consuming fire; give him what you will preparatory to his sufferings, you cannot but view him with most heartfelt grief. Thus then should we view the contemners of Christ, whether they manifest that contempt in a way of open infidelity or of secret disaffection. There will be degrees of misery, indeed, proportioned to the degrees of guilt which each has contracted; but the least miserable of those who perish under the light of the Gospel, will have a heavier doom than shall ever fall to the lot of Sodom and Gomorrha. O that our head were a fountain of tears to run down for them night and day; and that we might labour, all of us, whilst yet there is time, to pluck them as brands out of the burning!]
Advice
1.
Let all who hear the Gospel consider their responsibility
[The generality think little but of hearing such or such a man: but be it known to you, that the word you hear is not the word of man, but of God, and is to be so received, if it be agreeable to his revealed will. You know that an ambassador is the representative of his king, and that the reception or rejection of his message is considered as affecting, not him, but his master who sent him. So it is with the ambassadors of Christ [Note: Text, with Joh 13:20.] O that whenever we attend upon the house of God, we might attend as if Christ himself were come down to instruct us, or as if God the Father spoke to us by an audible voice from heaven!]
2.
Let them improve their privileges
[It is an inestimable privilege to have the Gospel faithfully administered to us. What if Sodom and Gomorrha had enjoyed that privilege? they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes, and would probably have remained to this very day. So, if millions that are now in hell had heard what we have, they would perhaps have obeyed the truth and been saved by it. We are sure that many have made a far better improvement of it than we; and therefore we should humble ourselves on a view of our unprofitableness, and labour to bring forth fruits worthy of the culture bestowed upon us.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
Ver. 10. See Mat 10:14 ; Act 13:51 ;
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Luk 10:10-11 . Direction how to act in case of churlish treatment. . Lk. expresses the action so as to make it vivid for Gentile readers to whom the symbolic significance of the act was not familiar = go out of the inhospitable houses into the streets, and then solemnly wipe off the dust that has been taken up by your feet since you entered the town; wiping off ( ) is more expressive than shaking off ( , Mat 10:14 , Luk 9:5 ), it means more thorough work, removing every speck of dust. , for the rest. The solemn symbolic act is to wind up with the equally solemn declaration that the Kingdom of God has come to them with its blessings, and that it is their own fault if it has come in vain.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Luk 10:10. , the streets) near the walls. Comp. on Rev 11:8.-, say) publicly.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
go: Luk 9:5, Mat 10:14, Act 13:51, Act 18:6
Reciprocal: Deu 2:26 – with words Deu 33:11 – smite Eze 2:5 – yet Eze 3:19 – if thou Mar 6:11 – whosoever Luk 8:37 – and he Luk 10:8 – and
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
0
A city that would not give the disciples a welcome was to be considered unworthy. The disciples were to get out of the house and into the street.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 10:10-11. In case of rejection, the Seventy were bidden, even more distinctly than the Twelve (Mat 10:14), to renounce by symbolical act, all intercourse and responsibility.
But know this, despite your rejection, the kingdom of God is come nigh. This word of love (Luk 10:9) becomes now a word of warning and of future judgment. How often men thus transform Gods blessings into a curse for themselves!
Luk 10:12. See on Mat 10:15.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Luk 10:10-12. Into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not Show no willingness to hear your doctrine, and no inclination to give you entertainment, or the necessaries of life; go your way out into the streets, &c. Declare in the most public manner, how greatly they have sinned in rejecting you and your message; and that your declaration may make the greater impression upon them, let it be accompanied with the symbolical action of publicly wiping the dust of their city from off your feet, as a testimony that you will have no communication with such a faithless and disobedient people. Say, Since you reject so gracious and important a message, we cannot but consider you as rejected by God, and devoted to certain and inevitable destruction, and therefore we separate ourselves from all that belongs to you, even from the dust of your city. This was agreeable to the manner of the eastern people, who taught their disciples by symbolical actions, as well as by discourse; see on Mat 10:14. Jesus added, When you have so done, say, Notwithstanding, be ye sure of this And remember it in the midst of all the calamities which are to befall you; that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you That mercy and salvation, present and eternal, the kingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory, have been offered you, though you will not receive them. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable, &c. To make the seventy the more earnest in preaching the gospel, that so, if possible, the people might be prevailed upon to believe and obey it, he proceeds to declare the terrible punishment about to come upon those who should reject it. See on Mat 10:15.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Vers. 10-12. But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, 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. 12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city. This proclamation, and the symbolical act with which it closes, are solemn events; they will play a part in the judgment of those populations., this very dust. The dat. , to you, expresses the idea, we return it to you, by shaking it from our feet. There is the breaking up of every bond of connection (see Luk 9:5). indicates, as it always does, a restriction: Further, we have nothing else to announce to you, excepting that… In spite of the bad reception, which will undoubtedly prevent the visit of Jesus, this time will nevertheless be to them the decisive epoch. , upon you, in the T. R., is a gloss taken from Luk 10:9.
That day may denote the destruction of the Jewish people by the Romans, or the last judgment. The two punishments, the one of which is more national, the other individual, are blended together in this threatening of the Lord, as in that of John the Baptist (Luk 3:9). Yet the idea of the last judgment seems to be the prevailing one, from what follows, Luk 10:14.
This threatening, wherein the full gravity of the present time is revealed, and the deep feeling expressed which Jesus had of the supreme character of His mission, leads the Lord to cast a glance backward at the conduct of the cities whose probation is now concluded, and whose sentence is no longer in suspense. The memory of the awful words which they are about to hear will follow the disciples on their mission, and will impress them with its vast importance.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
10:10 {3} But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
(3) God is a most severe avenger of the ministry of his gospel.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Seventy were to declare publicly two things to the towns (i.e., the people of the towns) that rejected them and their message. They were to pronounce a symbolic rejection for unbelief (cf. Luk 9:5; Mat 10:14; Mar 6:11), and they were to remind the rejecters of the reality of the kingdom offer that they had spurned. This second action was a virtual sentence of judgment.