Luke 10:29-37
Luke 10:29-37

Luke 10:29-37

29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Luke 10:29-37: Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Verse 29: “But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?”

The lawyer, seeking to justify his previous question, asks Jesus to define “neighbor.” He wants to limit the scope of who he must love.

Verse 30: “And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.”

Jesus begins a parable. A man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho is attacked by robbers. They steal his clothes, beat him, and leave him nearly dead.

Verse 31: “And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.”

A priest, a religious leader, sees the injured man but chooses to avoid him. He crosses to the other side of the road.

Verse 32: “And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.”

A Levite, another religious figure, also sees the man. He too avoids helping and passes by on the other side.

Verse 33: “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,”

A Samaritan, considered an outsider and enemy by Jews, sees the injured man. Unlike the others, he feels compassion.

Verse 34: “And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”

The Samaritan takes action. He treats the man’s wounds with oil and wine, places him on his own animal, and takes him to an inn for further care.

Verse 35: “And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”

The next day, the Samaritan gives the innkeeper money to continue caring for the man. He promises to cover any additional expenses upon his return.

Verse 36: “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?”

Jesus asks the lawyer to identify which of the three men acted as a neighbor to the injured man.

Verse 37: “And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”

The lawyer correctly identifies the Samaritan as the true neighbor. Jesus instructs him to follow the Samaritan’s example and show mercy to others.