Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 10:14

"And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, as ye go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet." — Matthew 10:14 (ASV)

Shake off the dust of your feet — This act was a familiar symbol of indignation, as in the case of St. Paul at Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:51). The Jewish maxim, that even the very dust of a heathen land brought defilement with it, added to its significance. It was a protest in action, declaring (as our Lord declares in words) that the city or house that did not receive the messengers of the Christ was below the level even of the Gentiles.