Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?”
Parallel translations
- KJV Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
- BSB Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
- NKJV So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
- NASB Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?”
- NLT “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
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
Jesus asks which of the three proved to be a neighbor. He reframes the lawyer's question from 'who qualifies' to 'who acts as a neighbor.'
Overview
Instead of defining the neighbor to be loved, Jesus asks who behaved as a neighbor. The question shifts the focus from limiting obligation to embodying mercy. It forces the lawyer to commend the despised Samaritan over his own religious peers.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Luke 7:42When they couldn’t pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?”
- Matt 21:28–31But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’
- Matt 17:25He said, “Yes.” When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children, or from strangers?”
- Matt 22:42saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “Of David.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 10:36 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.