This verse highlights that Jesus was traveling between Samaria and Galilee, on the borders of both regions. This unusual route is significant because Jews typically avoided Samaria, yet Jesus intentionally passed through it, setting the stage for the encounter with the Samaritan leper.
On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse marks the beginning of Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem, a significant pilgrimage that would culminate in his crucifixion. As he traveled from Galilee towards the holy city, his path led him along the borders of both Samaria and Galilee. This geographical detail sets the stage for the following encounter with ten lepers, highlighting the context of his ministry in these regions just before his ultimate sacrifice.
Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem wasn't just a geographical route; it was a strategic path through a land deeply divided.
Luke 17:11 places Jesus on the road to Jerusalem, specifically noting he was 'passing along between Samaria and Galilee.' This wasn't a neutral zone; it was a borderland between two peoples who held deep-seated animosity towards each other.
Why This Route?
Ten men are healed, but only one returns to give thanks. What does this reveal about true faith?
The narrative that immediately follows Luke 17:11 (though not in this specific verse) is the healing of the ten lepers. As Jesus traveled through this region, He encountered these ten outcasts, separated not only by their disease but likely by their ethnic backgrounds.
A Lesson in Gratitude:
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Understand the original words
lepros · Greek Noun
A state of ritual impurity and often physical disease, symbolizing the isolating and destructive nature of sin. Those affected were required to live apart from the community to prevent the spread of uncleanness.
eleeo · Greek Verb
An expression of heartfelt pleading for compassion and kindness, particularly from a superior to an inferior, often used when calling upon God for divine intervention in distress.
epistates · Greek Noun
A term of address used by disciples and those seeking help, signifying someone who exercises authority, instruction, or command over others. It acknowledges the superior status and power of the one being addressed.
katharizo · Greek Verb
To be made ceremonially clean or pure; in the context of leprosy, it refers to the removal of the physical affliction and the restoration to community and worship fellowship.
hiereus · Greek Noun
The religious officials responsible for examining and certifying that a person was no longer afflicted with leprosy, thereby permitting their re-entry into the social and religious life of the covenant community.
This verse pinpoints Jesus' location during his final, fateful journey to Jerusalem. The route, passing between Samaria and Galilee, was geographically significant and set the stage for an encounter that would reveal much about faith and gratitude, especially highlighting the tension between Jewish and Samaritan relations at the time.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem begins
Jesus starts his last journey towards Jerusalem, a significant and dangerous trip that would culminate in his crucifixion and resurrection. This journey spanned several months and took him through various regions of ancient Israel.
c. AD 30
Travel through Samaria and Galilee
Jesus' route led him through or along the borders of Samaria and Galilee. This region was divided, with Samaria often being a difficult territory for Jews to traverse due to historical animosity.
c. AD 30
Encounter with ten lepers
During this journey, Jesus encounters ten lepers who cry out for healing. This event highlights themes of faith, gratitude, and the inclusive nature of Jesus' ministry, as one of the healed is a Samaritan.
c. AD 30
Tension with Jewish leaders
Jesus' ministry, especially his final approach to Jerusalem, occurred amidst increasing opposition from religious authorities who saw him as a threat to their power and the established order.
c. AD 30
The approach to Jerusalem
As Jesus drew nearer to Jerusalem, the anticipation and tension mounted, both among his followers who hoped for a Messiah King, and his enemies who plotted his demise.
This passage highlights Jesus' need to pass through Samaria on his way from Judea to Galilee, establishing a precedent for his travel routes and interactions with Samaritans.
Luke 9:51-56This passage immediately precedes Luke's account of Jesus' journey toward Jerusalem and details a rejection he faced in a Samaritan village, showing the complex relationship between Jesus and Samaritans.
Matthew 19:1This verse marks the beginning of Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem, similar to Luke 17:11, and the Gospel of Matthew also describes his departure from Galilee.
Luke 17:12-19The immediate context of Luke 17:11 is the healing of ten lepers, one of whom is a Samaritan, powerfully illustrating the theme of divine healing and gratitude across ethnic divides.
gillLuke 17:11: "And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee."
And it came to pass as he went to Jerusalem,.... That is, Jesus, as the Persic version expresses it; though the Ethiopic version reads in the plural, "they going to Jerusalem passed", &c. that is, the disciples, or Christ with his disciples; who was now going thither to eat his last passover, and suffer and die for his people: that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galil…
pulpitLuke 17:11: "And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee."
Verse 11. - And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem. Just a note of time and place inserted by St. Luke to remind the reader that all these incidents took place, this important teaching and the momentous revelations concerning man's present and future were spoken, during those last few months preceding the Crucifixion, and generally in that long, slow progress from the north…
This verse highlights that Jesus was traveling between Samaria and Galilee, on the borders of both regions. This unusual route is significant because Jews typically avoided Samaria, yet Jesus intentionally passed through it, setting the stage for the encounter with the Samaritan leper.
This verse marks the beginning of Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem, a significant pilgrimage that would culminate in his crucifixion. As he traveled from Galilee towards the holy city, his path led him along the borders of both Samaria and Galilee. This geographical detail sets the stage for the following encounter with ten lepers, highlighting the context of his ministry in these regions just before his ultimate sacrifice.
This verse marks the beginning of Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem, a significant pilgrimage that would culminate in his crucifixion. As he traveled from Galilee towards the holy city, his path led him along the borders of both Samaria and Galilee. This geographical detail sets the stage for the following encounter with ten lepers, highlighting the context of his ministry in these regions just before his ultimate sacrifice.
"On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw the…" — This verse highlights that Jesus was traveling between Samaria and Galilee, on the borders of both regions. This unusual route is significant because Jews typically avoided Samaria, yet Jesus inten…
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Last reviewed October 2026
