What Does Luke 10:10 Mean in the King James?
But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
A city’s refusal does not swallow the message; it sends it out into the open.
THE MEANING
When welcome closes around you, the encounter moves into the city’s shared streets. Rejection is not the last event in this sentence: the messengers go out, and speech is still coming.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that when a community refuses the messenger, nothing remains to be said.
THE ROOT
πλατείας
plateias
GROWS FROM
πλατ-
plat-
Broad, wide; the word for streets carries the sense of broad public space.
The English “streets” gives the location but hides its image of breadth. The speech moves into the city’s wide, shared space, where it can be heard beyond those who refused welcome.
ALSO GROWS
platys: broad, wide
πλατύς
This adjective shares the root behind the word for streets, making their breadth audible beneath the translation.
platynō: to widen, make broad
πλατύνω
This verb shows the same root at work as an opening or enlarging, echoing the move from refusal into public space.
δέχωνται
dechōntai
GROWS FROM
δεχ-
dech-
To receive, welcome, or accept.
“receive” in this verse is dechōntai. The word carries the sense of welcome or acceptance, so the city is withholding its welcome from those who enter. The same root appears in Matthew’s parallel instruction, connecting this refusal to the response that follows.
ALSO GROWS
apodechomai: to accept, welcome
ἀποδέχομαι
This related word makes the welcoming sense of reception explicit.
prosdechomai: to receive, welcome, await
προσδέχομαι
This branch keeps reception tied to openness toward someone arriving.
THE PATTERN
When welcome is refused, the word moves into public space where others can hear it.
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.THE THREAD
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.The word translated “receive” in both verses comes from the same Greek root for welcoming or accepting. Matthew gives a visible counterpart to Luke’s unfinished “and say”: the messengers depart, and the refusal is answered openly.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us