Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
Parallel translations
- WEB By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
- KJV And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
- ESV Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
- NKJV Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
- NASB And by coincidence a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
- NLT “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A priest sees the wounded man and deliberately avoids him. Religious standing without mercy fails the law's true demand.
Overview
The priest, a representative of Israel's worship, crosses to the other side rather than help. Whatever his reasons, his avoidance shows that ceremonial religion can coexist with a loveless heart. Jesus exposes a piety that honors God in form while neglecting the neighbor God commands us to love.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Ps 69:20Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one.
- 1 Jn 3:16–18By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
- Hos 6:9Like raiders who lie in ambush, so does a band of priests; they murder on the way to Shechem; surely they have committed atrocities.
- Prov 21:13Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too shall cry out and receive no answer.
- Jer 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?
- Eccl 9:11I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.
- Hos 5:1“Hear this, O priests! Take heed, O house of Israel! Give ear, O royal house! For this judgment is against you because you have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor.
- Ps 142:4Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul.
- Mal 1:10“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle useless fires on My altar! I take no pleasure in you,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.
- Ruth 2:3So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.
- Job 6:14–21A despairing man should have the kindness of his friend, even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
- 2 Sam 1:6“I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” he replied, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and the cavalry closing in on him.
- Prov 24:11–12Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
- Ps 38:10–11My heart pounds, my strength fails, and even the light of my eyes has faded.
- Jas 2:13–16For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 10:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.