The Meaning of Matthew 10:11 Explained

Matthew 10:11

KJV: And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.

YLT: 'And into whatever city or village ye may enter, inquire ye who in it is worthy, and there abide, till ye may go forth.

Darby: But into whatsoever city or village ye enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there remain till ye go forth.

ASV: And into whatsoever city or village ye shall enter, search out who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go forth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  into  whatsoever  city  or  town  ye shall enter,  enquire  who  in  it  is  worthy;  and there  abide  till  ye go thence. 

What does Matthew 10:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 10:5-15 - Missionaries Sent Out
For the present, the Twelve were to confine themselves to Jews, because the Lord's ministry was the climax of the Jewish probation and it was desirable that every opportunity should be given to the lost sheep of the house of Israel to repent. God can never be unmindful of any covenant into which He has entered with the soul. If we believe not, He remaineth faithful.
May we not say that our Lord was the first medical missionary? He has taught us that the healing of disease is often the best way of approaching the soul. The kingdom of God deals not only with our eternal welfare, but with the conditions of human life. On Christ's head are many crowns; social, family and civic life are departments of His beneficent reign. His servants must be without worldly entanglements and live in absolute dependence upon God to whom they have consecrated their lives. The peace of God goes forth and returns. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 10

1  Jesus sends out his apostles, enabling them with power to do miracles;
5  giving them their charge, teaches them;
16  comforts them against persecutions;
40  and promises a blessing to those who receive them

Greek Commentary for Matthew 10:11

The workman is worthy, etc. Matthew 10:11 , There abide , etc. []
“The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” a tract discovered in 1873 in the library of the monastery of the Most Holy Sepulchre at Constantinople, by Bryennios, Metropolitan of Nicomedia, is assigned to the date of 120 a.d., and by some scholars is placed as early as 100 a.d. It is addressed to Gentile Christians, and is designed to give them practical instruction in the Christian life, according to the teachings of the twelve apostles and of the Lord himself. In the eleventh chapter we read as follows: “And every apostle who cometh to you, let him be received as the Lord; but he shall not remain except for one day; if, however, there be need, then the next day; but if he remain three days, he is a false prophet. But when the apostle departeth, let him take nothing except bread enough till he lodge again, but if he ask money, he is a false prophet.” And again (ch. 8): “Likewise a true teacher, he also is worthy like the workman, of his support. Every first-fruit, then, of the products of wine-press and threshing-floor, of oxen and sheep, thou shalt take and give to the prophets, for they are your high-priests … .If thou makest a baking of bread, take the first of it and give according to the commandment. In like manner, when thou openest a jar of wine or oil, take the first of it and give to the prophets; and of money and clothing, and every possession, take the first, as may seem right to thee, and give according to the commandment.” [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 10:11

Mark 6:10 There abide [εκει μενετε]
So also Matthew 10:11; Luke 9:4. Only Matthew has city or village (Matthew 10:11), but he mentions house in Matthew 10:12. They were to avoid a restless and dissatisfied manner and to take pains in choosing a home. It is not a prohibition against accepting invitations. [source]
John 21:12 Ask [ἐξετα.σαι]
Rev., inquire. Implying careful and precise inquiry. It occurs only three times in the New Testament; of Herod's command to search diligently for the infant Christ (Matthew 2:8), and of the apostles' inquiring out the worthy members of a household (Matthew 10:11). [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 10:11 mean?

Into whatever now - city or village you enter inquire who in it worthy is and there remain until you go forth
Εἰς ἣν δ’ ἂν πόλιν κώμην εἰσέλθητε ἐξετάσατε τίς ἐν αὐτῇ ἄξιός ἐστιν κἀκεῖ μείνατε ἕως ἐξέλθητε

Εἰς  Into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
ἣν  whatever 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
δ’  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἂν  - 
Parse: Particle
Root: ἄν  
Sense: has no exact English equivalent, see definitions under AV.
πόλιν  city 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: πόλις  
Sense: a city.
κώμην  village 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: κώμη  
Sense: the common sleeping place to which labourers in the field return, a village.
εἰσέλθητε  you  enter 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: εἰσέρχομαι  
Sense: to go out or come in: to enter.
ἐξετάσατε  inquire 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἐξετάζω  
Sense: to search out.
ἄξιός  worthy 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄξιος  
Sense: weighing, having weight, having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much.
κἀκεῖ  and  there 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: κἀκεῖ  
Sense: and there.
μείνατε  remain 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: μένω  
Sense: to remain, abide.
ἕως  until 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἕως  
Sense: till, until.
ἐξέλθητε  you  go  forth 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἐξέρχομαι 
Sense: to go or come forth of.