And by coincidence a priest was going down on that road, and 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.
- BSB Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but 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.
- 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 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 69:20Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; for comforters, but I found none.
- 1 Jn 3:16–18By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
- Hos 6:9As gangs of robbers wait to ambush a man, so the company of priests murder on the path toward Shechem, committing shameful crimes.
- Prov 21:13Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he will also cry out, but shall not be heard.
- Jer 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?
- Eccl 9:11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.
- Hos 5:1“Listen to this, you priests! Listen, house of Israel, and give ear, house of the king! For the judgment is against you; for you have been a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread on Tabor.
- Ps 142:4Look on my right, and see; for there is no one who is concerned for me. Refuge has fled from me. No one cares for my soul.
- Mal 1:10“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you,” says Yahweh of Armies, “neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
- Ruth 2:3She went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
- Job 6:14–21“To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
- 2 Sam 1:6The young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance on Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning on his spear; and behold, the chariots and the horsemen followed close behind him.
- Prov 24:11–12Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!
- Ps 38:10–11My heart throbs. My strength fails me. As for the light of my eyes, it has also left me.
- Jas 2:13–16For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
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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.