Luke 10 26

Luke 10:26 kjv

He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

Luke 10:26 nkjv

He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?"

Luke 10:26 niv

"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

Luke 10:26 esv

He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?"

Luke 10:26 nlt

Jesus replied, "What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?"

Luke 10 26 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Deut 6:5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart…Foundation of the greatest commandment
Lev 19:18You shall love your neighbor as yourself…Foundation of the second great commandment
Matt 22:37-40You shall love the Lord… This is the first… The second is like it… On these two commandments depend all the Law…Jesus summarizes the entire Law with these two
Mark 12:29-31Similar to Matthew, Jesus highlights the supreme commandments.Confirming love for God and neighbor as the essence
Luke 10:27So he answered, "You shall love the Lord… and your neighbor as yourself."The expert's own immediate answer to Jesus' question
Josh 1:8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it…Emphasizes diligent study and adherence to the Law
Ps 1:2…his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.Blessings promised to those who delight in God's Law
Isa 8:20To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.Scripture as the ultimate standard for truth
Neh 8:8They read from the Book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.Example of reading, explaining, and understanding the Law
Acts 8:30-31"Do you understand what you are reading?" …"How can I, unless someone guides me?"Highlights the need for proper guidance in understanding scripture
2 Tim 2:15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.Calls for accurate and proper interpretation of God's Word
2 Tim 3:16All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.Divine origin and practical purpose of Scripture
Rom 2:17-23If you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God…Critique of those who boast in knowing the Law but fail to live by it
Rom 10:5For Moses writes about the righteousness that comes from the law…Acknowledges the Law's requirements for righteousness
Rom 13:8-10Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.Love as the fulfillment of the Law
Jas 1:22-25But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves…The imperative to not just hear but actively do the word
Jas 2:8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well."Royal law" is fulfilled by loving one's neighbor
Matt 5:17-20"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."Jesus affirms the Law's enduring validity
John 5:39You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.Scrutinizing scripture can miss its ultimate purpose: pointing to Christ
Ps 119:105Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.Scripture as a guide for life and conduct
2 Pet 3:15-16…some things in them that are hard to understand…Acknowledging the challenge in interpreting scripture
Lk 18:18-23A ruler asked Him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"Another encounter asking about eternal life, showing varied responses

Luke 10 verses

Luke 10 26 Meaning

Luke 10:26 presents Jesus' direct counter-question to an expert in the Law who had just asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus turns the inquiry back to the questioner, immediately appealing to the very authority the expert held dear: the Mosaic Law. The verse signifies an emphasis on the supreme authority of God's written word and places the responsibility for understanding and applying that word directly on the individual. It prompts not just recall of scripture, but a deep, personal interpretation and commitment.

Luke 10 26 Context

Luke chapter 10 begins with Jesus sending out seventy-two disciples, emphasizing the urgency of the harvest and instructing them on their mission. Immediately after their joyous return and His subsequent prayer, an "expert in the Law" (νομοδιδάσκαλος, nomodidaskalos) steps forward to test Jesus (Luke 10:25). This was not necessarily a malicious test, but a typical intellectual challenge of the time among religious leaders, seeking to gauge Jesus' understanding of essential Jewish belief and practice. The question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" was a central inquiry in Jewish thought, as it pertained to ultimate salvation and righteousness. Rather than providing a direct answer from His own authority or new teaching, Jesus' response in verse 26 — "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" — cleverly directs the expert back to the very source of truth he professionally espoused. This rhetorical strategy placed the burden of understanding and applying scripture directly on the questioner, setting the stage for the expert's own accurate summary of the Law (Luke 10:27) and the subsequent parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). The historical context highlights that scribes and experts in the Law meticulously studied the Torah and its oral traditions, yet Jesus implies that intellectual knowledge must be accompanied by spiritual comprehension and practical application.

Luke 10 26 Word analysis

  • He said to him, 'What is written in the Law? How do you read it?'

  • "He said to him,"

    • This opening indicates Jesus' immediate response, showing His deliberate approach to teaching and engaging with others. It highlights a personal interaction, despite the implied challenge from the expert.
  • "What" (Τί - Ti):

    • This is an interrogative pronoun, asking for content or identity. It directs the expert to recall the specific commandments or principles from the Law relevant to inheriting eternal life. It suggests a standard or known answer is expected from someone of his profession.
  • "is written" (γέγραπται - gegraptai):

    • This is the perfect passive indicative form of graphō (γράφω), meaning "to write." The perfect tense denotes an action completed in the past with ongoing, enduring results. Here, it refers to that which stands permanently recorded in Scripture. It implies divine authority and unchanging truth. It's not merely "what was written," but "what stands written," emphasizing the abiding nature and authority of God's Word.
  • "in the Law" (ἐν τῷ νόμῳ - en tō nomō):

    • Nomos (νόμος) typically refers to the Mosaic Law (Torah), which for the Jews represented the ultimate divine revelation and the guide for life and righteousness. For an expert in the Law, this was their area of specialized knowledge and spiritual authority. Jesus appeals to the expert's own accepted source of truth.
  • "How" (Πῶς - Pōs):

    • This interrogative adverb inquires about the manner or method. It’s not just what is written, but how one approaches it, interprets it, and applies it. This is a crucial pivot point, moving beyond mere intellectual knowledge or memorization to a deeper level of understanding and personal engagement.
  • "do you read it?" (ἀναγινώσκεις - anaginōskeis):

    • Anaginōskō (ἀναγινώσκω) means "to read," but it carries a connotation beyond merely pronouncing words. It often implies "to read aloud," as was common in synagogues and homes, or "to recognize, to comprehend fully by reading." In this context, it challenges the expert not just on his ability to read the text, but on his interpretation, application, and practical understanding of what he reads, particularly concerning his life and the question of eternal life. It implies that true reading leads to proper understanding and action.
  • Words-group Analysis:

  • "What is written in the Law?"

    • This phrase emphasizes the absolute authority of Scripture. For Jesus, and for the expert in the Law, God's written word was the ultimate standard for truth and conduct. Jesus anchors the discussion firmly on revealed divine instruction, setting the authoritative foundation for any answer about inheriting eternal life.
  • "How do you read it?"

    • This phrase goes beyond simple citation to challenge the expert's interpretive framework, comprehension, and practical application. It implies that mere intellectual knowledge of the Law is insufficient. One must grasp its true meaning, especially its core intent (love for God and neighbor), and live accordingly. This question reveals whether the Law is merely a subject of study or a guiding principle for one's life.

Luke 10 26 Bonus section

This verse subtly introduces a tension often explored in biblical teachings: the difference between mere head-knowledge of scripture and genuine spiritual understanding that leads to life transformation. The expert knew the words of the Law (as proven by his immediate and accurate reply in Luke 10:27), but Jesus' follow-up question, "How do you read it?", implies a potential flaw in his comprehension or, more precisely, his application. It highlights that the goal of reading God's word is not just information gathering, but formation of character and conduct according to divine will. The scene sets the groundwork for Jesus to illustrate that the Law's core—love for God and neighbor—demands sacrificial, tangible action beyond mere observance of rules, challenging the prevailing notion among some religious leaders that precise adherence to outward ordinances alone constituted righteousness.

Luke 10 26 Commentary

In Luke 10:26, Jesus masterfully shifts the responsibility of the question "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" back to the expert in the Law, using a method common in rabbinic discourse. His two pointed questions, "What is written in the Law?" and "How do you read it?", dissect the expert's approach to God's word. The first question ("What is written?") affirms the supreme and unchanging authority of Scripture as the source of truth for spiritual matters, challenging the expert to recall the foundational texts of the Torah concerning eternal life. The second question ("How do you read it?") goes much deeper, probing the expert's personal interpretation, understanding, and, crucially, the application of that written word. It’s a challenge to move beyond academic or intellectual knowledge of the Law to a heartfelt comprehension and obedient practice. It suggests that merely knowing what the Law states is insufficient without truly discerning how it should shape one's life and values. This subtly critiques a possible disconnect between theological understanding and spiritual living, setting the stage for Jesus to unveil the true, living intent of the Law through the Parable of the Good Samaritan.