Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice;
English Standard Version (ESV)
It’s easy to miss that this Samaritan didn't just feel grateful; he immediately "saw that he was healed" and then acted. His faith spurred him to turn back to Jesus, praising God with a loud voice, showing a profound awareness of the Source of his healing before even fulfilling the religious requirement to see the priests. This highlights how a truly thankful heart prioritizes acknowledging God's power directly.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice;
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus sends ten lepers, who cry out to him for mercy, to show themselves to the priests, and as they go, they are miraculously healed. However, only one of them, a Samaritan, returns to Jesus to express his profound gratitude and praise God loudly, highlighting the stark contrast between his faith and the ingratitude of the other nine. This act of profound thankfulness sets the stage for Jesus to reveal a deeper truth about faith and salvation.
What's your first instinct when something amazing happens? This man's response shows a powerful priority.
The man, upon realizing his healing, didn't delay. He 'turned back, praising God with a loud voice.' This wasn't just a polite 'thank you'; it was an immediate, public declaration of God's power. His first act was to give glory to the One who made him whole, even before fulfilling the Mosaic Law's requirement to see the priests. This highlights that our spiritual first response should be to acknowledge God's goodness and power in our lives, placing Him at the center of our gratitude.
Out of ten healed, only one returned to give thanks. Why is genuine gratitude so rare?
Jesus Himself points out the astonishing rarity of this man's gratitude: 'Were not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? None are found that have returned to give glory to God except this stranger.' This isn't an isolated incident; ingratitude is a common human failing. Many people receive God's blessings – healing, provision, forgiveness – but fail to acknowledge the source. We can become so focused on the benefit that we forget the Benefactor. This story is a stark reminder that a truly thankful heart, one that actively returns to praise God, is distinctive and remarkable.
This man was a Samaritan, an outsider to Israel. His faith outshone those who were 'insiders'.
The fact that the one thankful leper was a Samaritan is significant. Samaritans and Jews had deep-seated animosity. Yet, this 'stranger' showed more reverence and gratitude to Jesus, and ultimately to God, than the nine Jewish lepers. Jesus even says, 'Thy faith hath saved thee,' implying a deeper spiritual reality at work in this man beyond just physical healing. His status as an outsider highlights that true faith and gratitude are not determined by religious affiliation or privilege, but by a heart open to God's grace, regardless of one's background.
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Understand the original words
doxazo · Greek Verb
The act of expressing adoration, honor, and thanksgiving to the Creator for His character and works. It is a central duty and response of those who have experienced God's grace.
iaomai · Greek Verb
The restoration of health, wholeness, or soundness; in a biblical context, it often points to God's restorative power over the effects of the fall, encompassing physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
This event highlights the deep divide between Jews and Samaritans in Jesus' day. The fact that a Samaritan, considered an outsider, showed profound gratitude while the Jewish lepers did not, challenged prevailing prejudices and underscored the universal need for thankfulness to God.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus travels through Samaria and Galilee
While journeying towards Jerusalem, Jesus passed through the region bordering Samaria and Galilee, a path that encountered various villages and communities.
Early 1st century AD
Ten lepers cry out to Jesus
As Jesus entered a village, ten men afflicted with leprosy, who were forced to live apart from society, called out to him from a distance, begging for mercy.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus instructs them to see the priests
Jesus told the ten lepers to go and present themselves to the priests. This was the prescribed procedure in Jewish law for those healed of leprosy, as priests were authorized to declare them clean.
Early 1st century AD
Lepers are healed on their way
As they obeyed Jesus and went to show themselves to the priests, all ten men discovered they were cleansed from their leprosy. This miracle was a powerful demonstration of Jesus' authority and compassion.
Early 1st century AD
One Samaritan returns to praise God
One of the ten, a Samaritan, realized he was healed and immediately turned back to Jesus, falling at his feet with a loud voice, praising God for the miracle.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus questions the absence of the others
Jesus noted that only this one foreigner had returned to give glory to God, contrasting his gratitude with the silence of the other nine Jewish lepers, highlighting a common human failing of unthankfulness.
Naaman, a Syrian commander, was healed of leprosy by following Elisha's instructions, and in his healing, he recognized the power of God and returned to give thanks, mirroring the Samaritan leper's gratitude.
Psalm 103:1-5This psalm is a powerful exhortation to the soul to bless the Lord and not forget His benefits, reflecting the heart of the one leper who 'remembered' to return and praise God for his healing.
Romans 12:1Paul urges believers to offer their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is a spiritual response of worship and gratitude, akin to the leper's physical act of returning to glorify God.
1 Thessalonians 5:18This verse instructs believers to give thanks in all circumstances, highlighting that gratitude is God's will for us. The healed leper's immediate praise exemplifies this principle, even when others did not.
barnesLuke 17:15: "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,"
One of them ... - This man, sensible of the power of God and grateful for his mercies, returned to express his gratitude to God for his goodness. Instead of obeying "at once" the "letter" of the command, he "first" expressed his thanks to God and to his Great Benefactor. There is no evidence, however, that he did not, "after" he had given thanks to God, and had poured out his joy at…
pooleLuke 17:15: "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,"
Ver. 15,16. It is most probable that this leper first showed himself to the priest, according to the commandment and the direction of our Saviour, and then returned to give our Saviour thanks. Some think that this glorifying God here mentioned, and his giving thanks to Christ, signify the same thing. I doubt it, because nothing appeareth from this story sufficient to convince us that…
It’s easy to miss that this Samaritan didn't just feel grateful; he immediately "saw that he was healed" and then acted. His faith spurred him to turn back to Jesus, praising God with a loud voice, showing a profound awareness of the Source of his healing before even fulfilling the religious requirement to see the priests. This highlights how a truly thankful heart prioritizes acknowledging God's power directly.
Jesus sends ten lepers, who cry out to him for mercy, to show themselves to the priests, and as they go, they are miraculously healed. However, only one of them, a Samaritan, returns to Jesus to express his profound gratitude and praise God loudly, highlighting the stark contrast between his faith and the ingratitude of the other nine. This act of profound thankfulness sets the stage for Jesus to reveal a deeper truth about faith and salvation.
Jesus sends ten lepers, who cry out to him for mercy, to show themselves to the priests, and as they go, they are miraculously healed. However, only one of them, a Samaritan, returns to Jesus to express his profound gratitude and praise God loudly, highlighting the stark contrast between his faith and the ingratitude of the other nine. This act of profound thankfulness sets the stage for Jesus to reveal a deeper truth about faith and salvation.
"Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice;" — It’s easy to miss that this Samaritan didn't just feel grateful; he immediately "saw that he was healed" and then acted. His faith spurred him to turn back to Jesus, praising God with a loud voice,…
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Last reviewed October 2026