Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Samaritan, seeing he was healed, immediately turned back, with a loud voice, glorifying God. This emphasis on a "loud voice" is significant; it suggests a public, unashamed declaration of praise, perhaps contrasting with the hoarse voices of lepers and making the miracle unmistakable to everyone around.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.
English Standard Version (ESV)
As Jesus sends ten lepers to show themselves to the priests, the narrative builds toward a powerful lesson on gratitude. While all ten are healed on their way, only one, a Samaritan, recognizes the source of his miracle and returns to Jesus. This act of profound thankfulness stands in stark contrast to the ingratitude of the nine, highlighting a recurring theme in Jesus' ministry about the true nature of faith and devotion.
When faced with a miraculous healing, what takes priority: following instructions or expressing thanks? This story reveals a surprising answer.
Imagine being one of ten lepers, suffering from a disease that ostracized you from society. Jesus tells you and your companions to go show yourselves to the priests – the official way to prove you're healed and can reintegrate.
Most of the lepers obey. They start the journey, likely expecting the healing to manifest along the way. But one man, upon seeing he's healed, doesn't wait. He immediately turns back.
His urgent need isn't to fulfill the ritualistic step of seeing the priests first; it’s to pour out his heart in praise to the One who actually made him well. His immediate action is to glorify God with a loud voice. This shows that for him, acknowledging God's power and expressing gratitude was a more pressing, immediate need than completing the prescribed steps. It’s a powerful picture of prioritizing worship.
Jesus himself points out the shocking contrast between the healed and the unhealed – and it has everything to do with where they came from.
Jesus makes a striking observation: nine were healed, but only one returned to give glory to God. And this one? He was a Samaritan.
To the Jews listening, Samaritans were outsiders, viewed with suspicion and often contempt. They weren't part of the 'chosen' people in the same way. Yet, this 'stranger,' this 'alien' as some translations put it, demonstrated a faith and gratitude that put the nine Jewish lepers to shame.
Ask a follow-up
Jesus calls his faith saving, implying a deeper spiritual reality beyond just physical healing. While the nine focused on their restored physical condition and social reintegration, the Samaritan focused on the Divine source of the miracle and His instrument, Jesus. This emphasizes that true faith isn't just about receiving blessings, but about recognizing and responding to God with genuine thankfulness, regardless of background or social standing.
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.
piptō · Greek Verb
To prostrate oneself; an act of deep reverence, submission, or worship, often used to show humility before God or a superior.
Samareitēs · Greek Noun
An inhabitant of Samaria; in the New Testament, they were considered social and religious outcasts by the Jews, often representing those on the margins who receive grace.
This event highlights the tension between Jewish and Samaritan relations, with Jesus commending a Samaritan for his faith and gratitude, a stark contrast to the ingratitude of the nine Jewish lepers who were also healed.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus travels through Samaria and Galilee
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, passing through the region between Samaria and Galilee, a journey that brought him into contact with different peoples and communities.
c. AD 30-33
Ten lepers encounter Jesus
Ten men suffering from leprosy, a deeply isolating and visible disease, called out to Jesus from a distance, pleading for mercy.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus directs lepers to the priests
Jesus instructed the ten lepers to go and present themselves to the priests, following the requirements of Mosaic Law for cleansing rituals.
c. AD 30-33
Lepers are healed
As the lepers obeyed Jesus and went on their way to the priests, they discovered they were miraculously healed of their leprosy.
c. AD 30-33
Samaritan leper returns in gratitude
One of the healed lepers, a Samaritan, immediately turned back upon realizing he was well, crying out to God and falling at Jesus' feet in thanks.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus questions the absence of others
Jesus noted that only this one foreigner, the Samaritan, had returned to give glory to God, contrasting his gratitude with the silence of the other nine.
This passage describes a similar healing of a leper by Jesus, highlighting the leper's plea for compassion and Jesus' command to show himself to the priest, emphasizing the ritualistic aspect of the healing.
Luke 17:11-14This is the immediate preceding context, showing all ten lepers crying out to Jesus and being instructed to go show themselves to the priests, setting the stage for the surprising lack of return from nine of them.
Luke 17:17-19Jesus himself notes the absence of the other nine and highlights the rarity of thankfulness, directly contrasting the one grateful Samaritan with the ungrateful majority and emphasizing the faith that saved him.
Romans 1:20-21This passage speaks to the human tendency to suppress the truth and become unthankful, even when God's power is evident, mirroring the ingratitude of the nine lepers who saw God's power but did not glorify Him.
1 Thessalonians 5:18This verse calls for giving thanks in all circumstances, which is the very act this Samaritan leper models by immediately and publicly praising God for his healing.
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…
The Samaritan, seeing he was healed, immediately turned back, with a loud voice, glorifying God. This emphasis on a "loud voice" is significant; it suggests a public, unashamed declaration of praise, perhaps contrasting with the hoarse voices of lepers and making the miracle unmistakable to everyone around.
As Jesus sends ten lepers to show themselves to the priests, the narrative builds toward a powerful lesson on gratitude. While all ten are healed on their way, only one, a Samaritan, recognizes the source of his miracle and returns to Jesus. This act of profound thankfulness stands in stark contrast to the ingratitude of the nine, highlighting a recurring theme in Jesus' ministry about the true nature of faith and devotion.
As Jesus sends ten lepers to show themselves to the priests, the narrative builds toward a powerful lesson on gratitude. While all ten are healed on their way, only one, a Samaritan, recognizes the source of his miracle and returns to Jesus. This act of profound thankfulness stands in stark contrast to the ingratitude of the nine, highlighting a recurring theme in Jesus' ministry about the true nature of faith and devotion.
"Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan." — The Samaritan, seeing he was healed, immediately turned back, with a loud voice, glorifying God. This emphasis on a "loud voice" is significant; it suggests a public, unashamed declaration of prais…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026