Luke 10 · Verse 31

Luke 10:31

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

Luke 10:31, King James Version

Luke 10:31 in other translations

BSB	Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
WEB	By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
ASV	And by chance a certain priest was going down that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
YLT	‘And by a coincidence a certain priest was going down in that way, and having seen him, he passed over on the opposite side;
DARBY	And a certain priest happened to go down that way, and seeing him, passed on on the opposite side;
BBE	And by chance a certain priest was going down that way: and when he saw him, he went by on the other side.
Webster	And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

What does Luke 10:31 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 10:31-32

31-32. came down a ... priest ... and a Levite--Jericho, the second city of Judea, was a city of the priests and Levites, and thousands of them lived there. The two here mentioned are supposed, apparently, to be returning from temple duties, but they had not learnt what that meaneth, 'I will have mercy and not sacrifice' [Trench]. saw him--It was not inadvertently that he acted. came and looked--a further aggravation. passed by--although the law expressly required the opposite treatment even of the beast not only of their brethren, but of their enemy (De 22:4; Ex 23:4, 5; compare Is 58:7).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 31. By chance. Accidentally, or as it happened. It means that he did not do it with a design to aid the man that was wounded.

A certain priest. It is said that not less than twelve thousand priests and Levites dwelt at Jericho; and as their business was at Jerusalem, of course there would be many of them constantly travelling on that road.

When he saw him. He saw him lie, but came not near him.

Passed by on the other side. On the farther side of the way. Did not turn out of his course even to come and see him.

(h) "passed by on the other side" Ps 38:11

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 31 And by chance - Κατα συγκυριαν properly means the coincidence of time and circumstance. At the time in which the poor Jew was half dead, through the wounds which he had received, a priest came where he was. So the priest's coming while the man was in that state is the coincidence marked out by the original words. Priest and Levite are mentioned here, partly because they were the most frequent travelers on this road, and partly to show that these were the persons who, from the nature of their office, were most obliged to perform works of mercy; and from whom a person in distress had a right to expect immediate succor and comfort; and their inhuman conduct here was a flat breach of the law, Deu 22:1-4.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 10:25-37

If we speak of eternal life, and the way to it, in a careless manner, we take the name of God in vain. No one will ever love God and his neighbour with any measure of pure, spiritual love, who is not made a partaker of converting grace. But the proud heart of man strives hard against these convictions. Christ gave an instance of a poor Jew in distress, relieved by a good Samaritan. This poor man fell among thieves…

Read the full comment on Luke 10:25-37 →

Luke 10:31 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

κατὰkataByG2596

συγκυρίανsugkurianchanceG4795

δὲdenowG1161

ἱερεύςhi'ereusa priestG2409

τιςtiscertainG5100

κατέβαινενkatebainenwas going downG2597

ἐνenonG1722

τῇtēatheG3588

ὁδῷhodōroadG3598

ἐκείνῃ,ekeinēthat,G1565

καὶkaiandG2532

ἰδὼνidōnhaving seenG1492

αὐτὸνautonhimG846

ἀντιπαρῆλθεν.antiparēlthenhe passed by opposite.G492

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 10:31

1 John 3:16-18
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Psalms 69:20
Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
Proverbs 21:13
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
Hosea 6:9
And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.
Ruth 2:3
And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
Hosea 5:1
Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.
Psalms 142:4
I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
Ecclesiastes 9:11
I 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 favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Malachi 1:10
Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
2 Samuel 1:6
And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
Proverbs 24:11-12
If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

by.
Ru 2:3; *marg:
2Sa 1:6; Ec 9:11
priest.
Jer 5:31; Ho 5:1; 6:9; Mal 1:10
he passed.
Job 6:14-21; Ps 38:10,11; 69:20; 142:4; Pr 21:13; 24:11,12
Jas 2:13-16; 1Jo 3:16-18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Luke 10:30
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.
Luke 10:31
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
Luke 10:32
And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

Read all of Luke 10

Luke 10:31 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y aconteció, que descendió un sacerdote por aquel camino, y viéndole, se pasó de un lado.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Or, par aventure, un sacrificateur descendait par ce chemin-là, et, le voyant, passa outre de l’autre côté;
German Elberfelder 1871	Von ungefähr aber ging ein gewisser Priester jenes Weges hinab; und als er ihn sah, ging er an der entgegengesetzten Seite vorüber.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Accidit autem ut sacerdos quidam descenderet eadem via: et viso illo præterivit.