Luk 10:25-37 | NETfull | STEP | Now an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Luke 10:25-37

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25 Now ^{▼▼ Grk “And behold.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).} an expert in religious law ^{▼▼ Traditionally, “a lawyer.” This was an expert in the interpretation of the Mosaic law (see also Luke 7:30, where the same term occurs).} stood up to test Jesus, ^{▼▼ Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ^{▼▼ The combination of inherit with eternal life asks, in effect, “What must I do to be saved?”} 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you understand it?” ^{▼▼ Grk “How do you read?” The pronoun “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.} 27 The expert ^{▼▼ Grk “And he”; the referent (the expert in religious law, shortened here to “the expert”) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.} answered, “ Love ^{▼▼ Grk “You will love.” The future indicative is used here with imperatival force (see ExSyn 452 and 569).} the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind , ^{▼▼ A quotation from Deut 6:5. The fourfold reference to different parts of the person says, in effect, that one should love God with all one’s being.} and love your neighbor as yourself .” ^{▼▼ This portion of the reply is a quotation from Lev 19:18. The verb is repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.} 28 Jesus ^{▼▼ Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.} said to him, “You have answered correctly; ^{▼▼ Jesus commends the reply (you have answered correctly). What is assumed here, given the previous context, is that he will respond to Jesus’ message, as to love God is to respond to his Son; see v. 22.} do this, and you will live.”

29 But the expert, ^{▼▼ Grk “And he”; the referent (the expert in religious law, shortened here to “the expert”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} wanting to justify ^{▼▼ Or “vindicate.”} ^{▼▼ The expert in religious law picked up on the remark about the neighbor and sought to limit his responsibility for loving. Some believed this obligation would only be required toward the righteous (Sir 12:1–4). The lawyer was trying to see if that was right and thus confidently establish his righteousness (wanting to justify himself).} himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, ^{▼▼ Grk “answering, said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “replied.”} “A man was going down ^{▼▼ The journey from Jerusalem to Jericho was 17 mi (27 km), descending some 1800 ft (540 m) in altitude. It was known for its danger because the road ran through areas of desert and caves where the robbers hid.} from Jerusalem ^{▼▼ For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; Journey of Paul map 1-F4; Journey of Paul map 2-F4; Journey of Paul map 3-F4; Journey of Paul map 4-F4.} to Jericho, ^{▼▼ For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.} and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat ^{▼▼ Grk “and beat,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.} him up, and went off, leaving him half dead. ^{▼▼ That is, in a state between life and death; severely wounded.} 31 Now by chance ^{▼▼ The phrase by chance adds an initial note of hope and fortune to the expectation in the story.} a priest was going down that road, but ^{▼▼ Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context between the priest’s expected action (helping the victim) and what he really did.} when he saw the injured man ^{▼▼ Grk “him”; the referent (the injured man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} he passed by ^{▼▼ It is not said why the priest passed by and refused to help. It is not relevant to the point of the parable that no help was given in the emergency situation.} on the other side. ^{▼▼ The text suggests that the priest went out of his way (on the other side) not to get too close to the scene.} 32 So too a Levite, when he came up to ^{▼▼ Here κατά (kata) has been translated “up to”; it could also be translated “upon.”} the place and saw him, ^{▼▼ The clause containing the aorist active participle ἐλθών (elqōn) suggests that the Levite came up to the place, took a look, and then moved on.} passed by on the other side. 33 But ^{▼▼ Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context between the previous characters (considered by society to be examples of piety and religious duty) and a hated Samaritan.} a Samaritan ^{▼▼ This is at the beginning of the clause, in emphatic position in the Greek text.} who was traveling ^{▼▼ The participle ὁδεύων (hodeuōn) has been translated as an adjectival participle (cf. NAB, NASB, TEV); it could also be taken temporally (“while he was traveling,” cf. NRSV, NIV).} came to where the injured man ^{▼▼ Grk “he”; the referent (the injured man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him. ^{▼▼ “Him” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The verb means “to feel compassion for,” and the object of the compassion is understood.} ^{▼▼ Here is what made the Samaritan different: He felt compassion for him. In the story, compassion becomes the concrete expression of love. The next verse details explicitly six acts of compassion.} 34 He ^{▼▼ Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Instead, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.} went up to him ^{▼▼ The words “to him” are not in the Greek text but are implied. The participle προσελθών (proselqōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.} and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil ^{▼▼ The ancient practice of pouring oil was designed to comfort and clean the wounds (Isa 1:6).} and wine on them. Then ^{▼▼ Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. Because of the length and complexity of this Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.} he put him on ^{▼▼ It is not clear whether the causative nuance of the verb included actual assistance or not (“helped him on” versus “had him get on”; see L&N 15.98), but in light of the severity of the man’s condition as described in the preceding verses, some degree of assistance was almost certainly needed.} his own animal, ^{▼▼ His own animal refers to a riding animal, presumably a donkey, but not specified.} brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The ^{▼▼ Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.} next day he took out two silver coins ^{▼▼ Grk “two denarii.”} ^{▼▼ The two silver coins were denarii. A denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s pay for a laborer; this would be an amount worth about two days’ pay.} and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way.’ ^{▼▼ Grk “when I come back”; the words “this way” are part of an English idiom used to translate the phrase.} 36 Which of these three do you think became a neighbor ^{▼▼ Jesus reversed the question the expert in religious law asked in v. 29 to one of becoming a neighbor by loving. “Do not think about who they are, but who you are,” was his reply.} to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 The expert in religious law ^{▼▼ Grk “And he”; the referent (the expert in religious law) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.} said, “The one who showed mercy ^{▼▼ The neighbor did not do what was required (that is why his response is called mercy) but had compassion and out of kindness went the extra step that shows love. See Mic 6:8. Note how the expert in religious law could not bring himself to admit that the example was a Samaritan, someone who would have been seen as a racial half-breed and one not worthy of respect. So Jesus makes a second point that neighbors may appear in surprising places.} to him.” So ^{▼▼ Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding summary.} Jesus said to him, “Go and do ^{▼▼ This recalls the verb of the earlier reply in v. 28.} the same.”