Luke 10 Bible Commentary

10:1  Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy others¹, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place², whither he himself was about to come. MISSION AND RETURN OF THE SEVENTY. (Probably in Judea, October, A.D. 29.) Luke 10:1-24
Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy others. That is, other messengers in addition to the twelve apostles.
And sent them two and two before his face into every city and place,
whither he himself was about to come. Luke has told us of the journey through Samaria to Jerusalem (Luke 9:52), and John has told us what occurred at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem (John 7:2). We learn from John also that Jesus was at the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22). The first feast was in October and the latter in December. Jesus evidently spent the time between these feast in Judea, making a tour of that province and sending the seventy before him, thus thoroughly evangelizing it as he had Galilee, by sending out the twelve.

10:2  And he said unto them, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few¹: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest.
The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few. See Matthew 9:37.

10:4  Carry no purse, no wallet, no shoes; and salute no man on the way¹.
And salute no man on the way. This was probably a common direction in cases of haste (2 Kings 4:29). Eastern salutations were tedious and overburdened with ceremony. Those in haste were excused from them.

10:5  And into whatsoever house ye shall enter, first say, Peace [be] to this house¹.
And into whatsoever house ye shall enter, first say, Peace [be] to this house. See Matthew 10:13.

10:6  And if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall turn to you again¹.
And if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall turn to you again. See Matthew 10:13.

10:7  And in that same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give¹: for the laborer is worthy of his hire². Go not from house to house.
And in that same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give. They were not to give trouble and waste time by asking for better food.
For the laborer is worthy of his hire. See 1 Timothy 5:18.

10:11  Even the dust from your city, that cleaveth to our feet, we wipe off against you¹: nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh.
Even the dust from your city, that cleaveth to our feet, we wipe off against you. See Mark 6:11.

10:12  I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city¹.
It shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. For comment, see Matthew 11:24.

10:13  Woe unto thee, Chorazin¹! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
Woe unto thee, Chorazin! etc. See Matthew 11:21.

10:14  But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment¹, than for you.
But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment,
than for you. See Matthew 11:21.

10:15  And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt be brought down unto Hades.
And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt be brought down unto Hades. See Matthew 11:23.

10:16  He that heareth you heareth me; and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me; and he that rejecteth me rejecteth him that sent me¹.
He that heareth you heareth me; and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me; and he that rejecteth me rejecteth him that sent me. See Matthew 10:40.

10:17  And the seventy returned with joy¹, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject unto us in thy name.
And the seventy returned with joy. The report of the seventy is more joyous than that of the twelve, for the sayings of the latter on their return were overshadowed by the news of John the Baptist's death (Luke 9:10).

10:18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven¹.
I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. This may be translated "I was beholding Satan fallen as lightning falls from heaven". The sense indicates that the words refer to the victories over the unclean spirits just reported by the seventy. In their successes Jesus saw Satan falling from the lofty heights with the swiftness of lightning. The overthrow of Satan was then in progress (John 12:31

10:19  Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions¹, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you.
I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions. While the messengers of Christ were, no doubt, literally protected from the poisons of reptiles, etc. (Acts 28:3-6), serpent and scorpions are here to be taken an emblematic of the powers of evil.

10:20  Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven¹.
Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Your joy in visible and temporal success, and in the subjection to you of the powers of evil, is not to be compared to the joy that you have the prospect of heaven.

10:21  In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding¹, and didst reveal them unto babes: yea, Father; for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight.
That thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding,
and didst reveal them unto babes. See Matthew 11:25.

10:22  All things have been delivered unto me of my Father¹: and no one knoweth who the Son is, save the Father; and who the Father is, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal [him].
All things have been delivered unto me of my Father, etc. See Matthew 11:27.

10:23  And turning to the disciples, he said privately, Blessed [are] the eyes which see the things that ye see¹:
And turning to the disciples, he said privately, Blessed [are] the eyes which see the things that ye see. See YFG "Mt 13:16"|.

10:24  for I say unto you, that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which ye see¹, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not.
Many prophets and kings desired to see the things which ye see, etc. See Matthew 13:17.

10:25  And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him¹, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life²? PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN. (Probably Judea.) Luke 10:25-37
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him. For the term "lawyer", see Mark 1:22 and see Luke 11:45. The lawyer stood up to attract attention to himself, and thus give emphasis to his question and its answer.
Saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? The lawyer wished to make trial of the skill of Jesus in solving the intricate and difficult question as to how to obtain salvation. Jesus was probably teaching in some house or courtyard, and his habit of giving local color to his parables suggests that he was probably in or near Bethany, through which the road from Jerusalem to Jericho passes.

10:26  And he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
What is written in the law? how readest thou? Looking upon Jesus as a sabbath-breaker and a despiser of tradition, the lawyer no doubt expected that Jesus would lay down some new rule for obtaining salvation. If so, he was surprised to be thus referred to the law of Moses for his answer.

10:27  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind¹; and thy neighbor as thyself.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind. See Deuteronomy 6:4,5.
And thy neighbour as thyself. See Leviticus 19:18. Having made himself conspicuous by standing up, the lawyer had to give the best answer he knew or sully his own reputation for knowledge. He therefore gives the two great laws which comprise all other laws.

10:28  And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live¹.
Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. The lawyer had asked his question simply as a test. With him the law was simply matter for speculation and theory, and the word "do" was very startling. It showed the difference between his and the Master's views of the law. He had hoped by a question to expose Jesus as one who set aside the law, but Jesus had exposed the lawyer as one who merely theorized about the law, and himself as one who advocated the doing of the law.

10:29  But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor¹?
But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? He could justify his conduct if permitted to define the word "neighbor". He asked his question, therefore, in the expectation of securing such a definition of the word as would enable him to maintain his public standing and quiet his conscience.

10:30  Jesus made answer and said, A certain man¹ was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho²; and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead³.
A certain man. Evidently a Jew, for otherwise the nationality would have been specified.
Was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho is eighteen miles long, and descends about 3,500 feet. About two miles from Jerusalem it passes through the village of Bethany, and for the rest of the eighteen miles it passes through desolate mountain ravines without any habitation save the inn, the ruins of which are still seen about half way to Jericho.
And he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. This district from that time till the present has been noted for robberies, and Jerome tells that the road was called the "bloody way".

10:31  And by chance a certain priest was going down that way¹: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side².
And by chance a certain priest was going down that way. A very natural thing for a priest to do, for there was a very large priestly settlement at Jericho.
And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. He did this although the law commanded mercy and help to a neighbor (Exodus 23:4 Deuteronomy 22:1-4).

10:32  And in like manner a Levite also¹, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side².
And in like manner a Levite also. A temple minister. The tribe of Levi had been set apart by God for his service.
When he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. In the priest and Levite the lawyer saw the picture of his own life, for he saw in them those who knew the law, but did not practice it. There may have been many excuses for this neglect of the wounded man: danger, hate, dread of defilement, expense, but Jesus does not consider any of them worth mentioning.

10:33  But a certain Samaritan¹, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion,
A certain Samaritan. The hereditary enemy of the Jew (John 4:9).

10:34  and came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on [them] oil and wine¹; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
And bound up his wounds, pouring on [them] oil and wine. The ordinary remedies for wounds (Isaiah 1:6).

10:35  And on the morrow he took out two shillings¹, and gave them to the host², and said, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee³.
He took out two shillings. The shilling or denarius was worth about seventeen cents, but it represented the price of a day's labor.
And gave them to the host. The inn-keeper.
Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee. The compassion of the Samaritan bore full fruitage. However heterodox he was, he was after all a worshiper of Jehovah and more orthodox at heart than either the priest or the Levite. Though it was not customary for an inn- keeper to furnish food either for man or beast, he could do so if he chose out of his own stores. The scant cash left by the Samaritan indicates a poverty which made his charity the more praiseworthy. His eye and heart and hand and foot and purse were all subservient to the law of God.

10:36  Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers¹?
Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers? Instead of answering didactically, "Everybody is your neighbor", Jesus had incarnated the law of neighborliness in the good Samaritan, and had made it so beautiful that the lawyer could not but commend it even when found in a representative of this apostate race. He showed, too, that the law was not for causistry but for practice.

10:37  And he said, He that showed mercy on him¹. And Jesus said unto him, Go, and do thou likewise².
He that showed mercy on him. The lawyer avoided the name Samaritan so distasteful to his lips. Jesus gave countenance to no such racial prejudice, even though the Samaritans had rejected him but a few weeks before this (Luke 9:53).
Go, and do thou likewise. All the laws and teachings of God are to be generously interpreted (Matthew 5:43,44) and are to be embodied in the life (Matthew 7:24-27).

10:38  Now as they went on their way¹, he entered into a certain village²: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. JESUS THE GUEST OF MARTHA AND MARY. (Bethany, near Jerusalem.) Luke 10:38-42
Now as they went on their way. He was journeying through Judea, attended by the twelve.
He entered into a certain village. It was the village of Bethany (John 11:1), which was less than two miles from Jerusalem.

10:39  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet¹, and heard his word.
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet,
and heard his word. Sitting at the feet was the ancient posture of pupils (Acts 22:3). Martha honored Christ as a "guest", but Mary honored him as a "teacher".

10:40  But Martha was cumbered about much serving¹; and she came up to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone²? bid her therefore that she help me.
But Martha was cumbered about much serving. She was evidently preparing an elaborate repast, and was experiencing the worry and distraction which usually accompanies such effort.
Lord, dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone?
bid her therefore that she help me. Martha so forms her appeal to Christ as to make it a covert accusation that Mary would not listen to "her" requests.

10:41  But the Lord answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things¹:
Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things. By thus repeating the name, Jesus tempered the rebuke. See also Luke 22:31

10:42  but one thing is needful¹: for Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
But one thing is needful. That is, one duty or privilege is pre-eminent. Bread for the body may be important, but food for the soul is, after all, the one thing needful.
For Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. The expression "good part" is an allusion to the portion of honor sent to the principal guest at a banquet. Its use shows that Jesus had food in mind when he used the expression "one thing is needful", and that he was contrasting spiritual nourishment with physical. The description of the two sisters here tallies with that given at John 12:2,3, for there Martha serve and Mary expresses personal devotion. Our Lord's rebuke is not aimed at hospitality, not at a life full of energy and business. It is intended to reprove that fussy fretfulness which attempts many unneeded things, and ends in worry and fault-finding. It does not set a life of religious contemplation above a life of true religious activity, for contemplation is here contrasted with activity put forth with a faulty spirit. The trend of the New Testament teaching shows that a man must be a "doer" as well as a "hearer" of the word (Luke 8:21; James 1:22,23).