Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What seems like mere "chance" or coincidence in this moment is actually a divine setup, revealing the priest's failure not just of compassion, but of understanding his own religious obligations. The text highlights that he saw the man, making his choice to turn away a deliberate act, starkly contrasting with what true mercy and adherence to God's law would demand.
Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan in response to a lawyer's question about who his neighbor is. After Jesus describes a man brutally attacked and left for dead on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, a priest encounters him. The priest, despite being in a position to help and likely familiar with the Law's commands, sees the wounded man but deliberately walks past him on the other side of the road.
The text says the priest came 'by chance.' But was it really just a random encounter, or something more profound?
The word used here, 'by chance' (or 'by coincidence'), actually highlights the significance of the moment, not its randomness. It describes a coincidence of circumstances. In the grand narrative of God’s plan, what appears accidental is often a divinely appointed opportunity. For the priest, this wasn't just another day on the road; it was a critical moment where his commitment to God's law was put to the test, veiled as a mere coincidence.
The priest was on his way, presumably to or from his sacred duties. Yet, he completely missed the mark.
This priest, and the Levite who followed, represent a tragic disconnect between religious observance and genuine compassion. Jericho was known as a 'city of priests,' meaning many like him traveled this road. He was a man of religious profession, likely aware of the Law. Yet, seeing a man brutally attacked, he chose to 'pass by on the other side.' This wasn't just a physical act of avoidance; it was a spiritual failure. The Law demanded he help, even an enemy's animal (Deuteronomy 22:4), yet he ignored a fellow human being in desperate need. His duty to God was to 'love your neighbor as yourself,' a command he utterly failed to uphold in this critical moment.
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hiereus · Greek Noun
A person set apart for service to God in the temple, responsible for offering sacrifices and teaching the law to the people. Priests served as mediators between God and the people under the Mosaic Covenant.
The parable was told in a specific context where many priests and Levites lived near Jericho, making the priest's inaction a stark example of religious leaders failing to live out the very Law they upheld.
c. 150 BC - AD 70
Jericho as a Priestly City
Jericho was a significant city with a large population of priests and Levites who served in the Jerusalem Temple. Many would travel this road between Jericho and Jerusalem.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus Teaches and Heals
During his Galilean ministry, Jesus' teachings on love, mercy, and the Law challenged the religious elite and highlighted the hypocrisy of those who outwardly followed religious rules but lacked compassion.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Lawyer's Question
A Jewish lawyer, seeking to test Jesus, asks what he must do to inherit eternal life, leading Jesus to recount the parable of the Good Samaritan.
c. AD 30-33
Parable of the Good Samaritan
Jesus tells the story of a traveler attacked by robbers on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, and the contrasting responses of a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan.
c. AD 62
Destruction of the Second Temple
The Roman-Jewish War and the eventual destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem profoundly impacted Jewish society, faith, and daily life, making the themes of mercy and neighborly love even more poignant.
This passage directly relates to the priest and Levite's failure in the parable, as it commands them to help even an enemy's donkey that is overburdened, highlighting their severe transgression of God's law by ignoring a suffering human.
Isaiah 58:7This verse calls for sharing food with the hungry and bringing the oppressed to your home, a stark contrast to the priest and Levite's actions, showing that true worship involves active compassion and mercy, not just religious observance.
Leviticus 19:18Jesus later identifies loving your neighbor as yourself as the second greatest commandment. The priest and Levite's actions are a direct violation of this, showing how religious status doesn't equate to true righteousness when love is absent.
Matthew 25:40Jesus states that whatever we do for the 'least of these' brothers and sisters, we do for Him. The priest and Levite missed an opportunity to serve Christ by neglecting the man in need.
1 John 3:17This verse directly challenges believers who see a brother in need and close their hearts to him, stating that the love of God does not remain in them. The priest and Levite exemplify this spiritual emptiness.
barnesLuke 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."
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 12,000 priests and Levites dwelt at Jericho; and as their business was at Jerusalem, of course there would be many of them constantly traveling on that road. When he saw him - He saw him lie, but came…
vincentLuke 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."
By chance (κατὰ συγκυρίαν)Only here in New Testament. The word means, literally, a coincidence. By coincidence of circumstances.There came downImperfect, was going down, as Rev.PriestThe Talmudists said that there were almost as many priests at Jericho as at Jerusalem.Passed by on the other side (ἀντιπαρῆλθεν)The verb occurs only here and Luke 10:32.
What seems like mere "chance" or coincidence in this moment is actually a divine setup, revealing the priest's failure not just of compassion, but of understanding his own religious obligations. The text highlights that he saw the man, making his choice to turn away a deliberate act, starkly contrasting with what true mercy and adherence to God's law would demand.
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan in response to a lawyer's question about who his neighbor is. After Jesus describes a man brutally attacked and left for dead on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, a priest encounters him. The priest, despite being in a position to help and likely familiar with the Law's commands, sees the wounded man but deliberately walks past him on the other side of the road.
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan in response to a lawyer's question about who his neighbor is. After Jesus describes a man brutally attacked and left for dead on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, a priest encounters him. The priest, despite being in a position to help and likely familiar with the Law's commands, sees the wounded man but deliberately walks past him on the other side of the road.
"Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side." — What seems like mere "chance" or coincidence in this moment is actually a divine setup, revealing the priest's failure not just of compassion, but of understanding his own religious obligations. The…
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Last reviewed October 2026