Matthew 10:12

12 "When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting.

Matthew 10:12 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 10:12

And when ye come into an house
Or the "house"; that is, the house of an hospitable man, when, upon inquiry, found out:

salute it;
meaning the inhabitants of it; or, as the Persic version reads, those of the household, especially the master of the family. Some copies add, saying, peace be to this house, as in ( Luke 10:5 ) and so read the Vulgate Latin, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel; and is a very just, and proper explanation of saluting: for the usual form of salutation among the Jews was in such words; of which (See Gill on Matthew 5:47) by which is meant all kind of happiness, and prosperity, temporal, spiritual, and eternal.

Matthew 10:12 In-Context

10 You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.
11 "When you enter a town or village, don't insist on staying in a luxury inn. Get a modest place with some modest people, and be content there until you leave.
12 "When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting.
13 If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation.
14 If they don't welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.