Mark 6

And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.

And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;

And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:

But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.

And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.

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.

And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.

But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.

For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.

For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;

And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.

And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.

And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.

And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.

And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.

And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.

And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:

Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.

He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?

He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

And they did all eat, and were filled.

And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.

And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

What does Mark 6:11 mean?

Explanation

Mark 6:11 is a command given by Jesus Christ to His disciples as He sends them out on a mission to preach and heal.

This verse captures His instruction on how to respond when faced with rejection.

Jesus tells His disciples that if any place does not welcome them or listen to their message, they should leave that place and symbolically shake the dust off their feet.

This act of shaking dust from one's feet was a symbolic gesture implying that one has done all that can be done in a particular situation and is now dissociating oneself from the rejection or negative response encountered.

Additionally, this act serves as a "testimony against them," a solemn witness indicating that the opportunity for repentance and acceptance was available but was willfully ignored.

The verse closes with a stern warning that emphasizes the severity of rejecting the message of the gospel.

Jesus compares the fate of such a city unfavorably to that of Sodom and Gomorrha, implying that the consequences for rejecting His disciples would be graver than those for the infamous cities destroyed for their wickedness in the Old Testament.

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Historical Context

During the time of Mark 6:11, Jesus and His disciples were preaching in Galilee and the surrounding regions.

The cultural context of this passage lies in the Jewish practice of shaking off the dust from one's feet when leaving Gentile lands as a sign of separation from their idolatrous practices.

Jesus reinterprets this practice to signify something much deeper: a rejection of the message of God's kingdom rather than just a cleansing from Gentile impurity.

In a broader historical setting, the region was under Roman rule, and there were various religious and philosophical beliefs held by the people. The Jewish people were looking for a Messiah, but many expected a political liberator rather than a spiritual one.

Hence, the disciples were facing a skeptical audience, diverse in their beliefs and expectations.

Theological Insights

This verse has been interpreted in different theological perspectives:

Divine Judgment: The notion of a more severe judgment for the city that rejects the disciples than for Sodom and Gomorrha reinforces the belief in divine judgment based on the light of revelation received and rejected.
Evangelical Mission: This instruction has been seen as foundational for missiology, emphasizing the responsibility of the messenger to deliver the word of God and the consequence of its rejection by the hearers.
Personal Responsibility: Individual accountability is highlighted here, as the act of shaking off the dust places the responsibility for rejection squarely on those who refuse to listen.

Practical Applications

In practical terms, this verse suggests the following applications:

Letting Go: Like the disciples, people today might face rejection.

This teaching advises that sometimes it is necessary to let go of negative responses and move on.

Witnessing: The act of "shaking the dust off" can be metaphorically applied to providing a witness to the truth, even if that witness is rejected.
Conduct in Ministry: For those involved in Christian ministry, this passage provides guidance on how to react to non-receptive audiences, knowing when to persevere and when to move on.

Cross-References

Matthew 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."
Luke 10:10-11: "But 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."
Acts 13:51: "But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium."
Genesis 19:24-25: "Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground."

Language Study

In the original Greek text of Mark 6:11, key words include:

"Shake off" (ἐκτινάξατε, ektinaxate): to violently shake or cast off, implying total separation.
"Dust" (κονιορτὸν, koniorton): in this context, it represents the residue of a place that is unworthy or unclean.
"Testimony" (μαρτύριον, martyrion): meaning witness or evidence, implying that the act shall stand as a testimony in the judgment against those who reject the message.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In Jewish culture, the act of shaking off dust had echoes in the practice of separating from Gentiles and their pagan practices.

Comparatively, various ancient cultures had rituals of purification or symbolic acts of rejecting an association with a place or person.

In other religious interpretations, such as in Hinduism, the idea of leaving a city that rejects religious truths can be likened to the practice of dusting one's feet after walking out of a place considered impure.

Scientific Perspectives

While the verse does not directly intersect with scientific concepts, the act of shaking off dust can be metaphorically related to the idea of cleanliness or decontamination, a principle that is central in various scientific practices to prevent cross-contamination, the removal of dirt symbolizes a separation or a reducing of influences or elements considered harmful.

Commentaries

Bible commentaries offer various perspectives:

Some focus on the urgency and seriousness of Jesus' message; the instruction to shake off the dust highlights the disciples' role as emissaries of an imminent kingdom.
Others see it as an indication of God's grace; the gesture is not only an act of judgment but also a final call to repentance by leaving behind a witness that cannot be ignored.
Still, others remark on the foreshadowing of the Gospel's spread to the Gentiles; as the disciples shake off the dust, it symbolizes the message going forth to new audiences beyond the Jewish people.

Mark 6

Mark 6

What does Mark 6:11 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 6:11 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?