Luke 10:10-12 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

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 Matthew 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 Matthew 10:15.