Luke 17:12 kjv
And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
Luke 17:12 nkjv
Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.
Luke 17:12 niv
As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance
Luke 17:12 esv
And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance
Luke 17:12 nlt
As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance,
Luke 17 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 13:45-46 | The leper... his clothes shall be torn, and his head bare... and he shall dwell alone... | Law on lepers' isolation and declaration. |
| Num 5:2-3 | Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper... | Purity laws, removal of the unclean. |
| 2 Kgs 5:1-14 | Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man... but he was a leper. | Healing of Naaman's leprosy by Elisha. |
| 2 Chr 26:19-21 | Uzziah... the leprosy brake forth in his forehead... so he was a leper unto the day of his death... | King Uzziah struck with leprosy for disobedience. |
| Mt 8:2-4 | A leper came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. | Jesus' direct healing of a leper by touch. |
| Mk 1:40-45 | And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him... | Jesus' compassion, cleansing, and command for privacy. |
| Lk 5:12-16 | And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy... | Parallel account of Jesus healing a leper. |
| Mt 10:7-8 | And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers... | Jesus empowers disciples to heal lepers. |
| Lk 7:22 | And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities... and to the poor the gospel is preached. | John the Baptist's disciples hear about Jesus' healings. |
| Isa 53:4 | Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. | Prophetic suffering, paralleled with disease. |
| Heb 13:12 | Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. | Jesus suffering outside the city like the outcasts. |
| John 4:9 | How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? | Prejudices between Jews and Samaritans, relevant to Lk 17:11. |
| Acts 10:28 | You know how unlawful it is for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation... | Cultural barriers related to cleanliness and separation. |
| Mk 14:3 | While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper... | Mention of "Simon the Leper" indicating healing or former status. |
| Isa 35:5-6 | Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart... | Prophecy of miraculous healings in the Messianic age. |
| Lk 9:51-56 | And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem... | Jesus' resolute journey towards Jerusalem, a key Lukan theme. |
| Lk 10:38 | Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village... | Another instance of Jesus entering a village. |
| Jas 2:2-4 | For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel... and you have respect... | Warning against showing partiality and societal prejudice. |
| Lk 18:38-39 | And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. | Blind man crying out to Jesus from afar. |
| Ps 38:11 | My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off. | Depiction of social isolation and abandonment due to affliction. |
| Lam 1:16 | For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water... For the Comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me... | Lament over separation and distant comfort. |
Luke 17 verses
Luke 17 12 Meaning
Luke 17:12 describes Jesus' encounter with ten men afflicted with leprosy as He enters a village. These men, bound by the Old Testament law that mandated isolation for their condition, maintained a physical distance from Him, acknowledging their state of uncleanness. The verse sets the scene for a significant display of Jesus' power and compassion, as well as the later revealing of varying responses to His mercy.
Luke 17 12 Context
Luke 17:12 is situated within Jesus' final journey towards Jerusalem (Lk 9:51), a period characterized by His extensive teachings on the Kingdom of God and numerous healing miracles. Specifically, Luke 17:11 notes that Jesus was traveling "through the midst of Samaria and Galilee," a route that positioned Him in an area where Jewish and Samaritan communities intermingled. This geographical detail becomes significant when one of the ten lepers later identified as a Samaritan.
In the historical and cultural context of ancient Israel, leprosy (a broad term for severe skin conditions, not always identical to modern Hansen's disease) was not only a physically devastating ailment but also a source of extreme social and ritual exclusion. The Mosaic Law in Leviticus 13-14 prescribed strict regulations for lepers, including isolation from the community, requiring them to cry out "Unclean, unclean!" and compelling them to live apart from others. This made them societal outcasts, seen often as cursed by God, preventing them from participating in temple worship or normal social interactions. The men standing "afar off" were complying with this deeply ingrained legal and social expectation, signifying their desperation to seek help while respecting the required distance from healthy individuals.
Luke 17 12 Word analysis
- And (Καὶ - Kai): A simple conjunction, connecting this event to Jesus' journey mentioned in the previous verse, signaling a new occurrence during His travel.
- as he entered (εἰσερχομένου αὐτοῦ - eiserchomenou autou): A present participle, indicating an ongoing action—He was in the process of entering. This signifies His intentional presence and approachability, contrasting with the lepers' required distance.
- into a certain village (κώμην τινά - kōmēnin tinā): "A certain village." The lack of a specific name universalizes the location. It was not a prominent city but perhaps an ordinary, humble settlement, emphasizing that Jesus' compassion extends to all places and people.
- there met him (ἀπήντησαν αὐτῷ - apēntēsan autō): "They encountered him," or "came to meet him." This implies an active seeking on the part of the lepers. Despite their legal isolation, they deliberately positioned themselves where they could intersect with Jesus' path, demonstrating their desperate hope and initiative.
- ten men (δέκα ἄνδρες - deka andres): "Ten men." The number "ten" might simply denote the factual count of the group. In biblical numerology, ten can signify completeness, order, or divine organization, suggesting this was a full company of sufferers bound together by their shared affliction. It emphasizes the collective burden and experience.
- that were lepers (λεπροὶ - leproi): "Lepers." This term (from lepros) refers to individuals afflicted with leprosy or other severe skin diseases deemed ritually unclean. It was a visible and unambiguous marker of social, spiritual, and physical alienation, making these individuals among the most marginalized in society.
- which stood afar off (ἀπὸ μακρόθεν ἑστῶτες - apo makrothen hestōtes): "Having stood from afar off" or "standing at a distance." This phrase vividly illustrates their adherence to the Law (Lev 13:45-46) requiring lepers to keep away from others to prevent contamination. It highlights their forced isolation and societal exclusion, underlining the deep physical and spiritual barrier that Jesus would subsequently breach through His compassion and power. Their distance speaks volumes of their perceived uncleanness and the desperation that brought them to risk a distant encounter with a Rabbi.
Luke 17 12 Bonus section
- The collective suffering of "ten men" signifies a bond formed in adversity. Their unity, regardless of their diverse backgrounds (implied later by the Samaritan's identity), highlights a common humanity yearning for restoration.
- The lepers' location "outside" or "afar off" a typical dwelling area symbolizes the boundary between impurity and purity, alienation and inclusion. Jesus' encounter with them on the "outside" prefigures His own willingness to break social and religious barriers to reach the marginalized and excluded.
- The fact that they "met him" (ἀπήντησαν αὐτῷ) shows proactive faith. They did not wait for Jesus to come to them, but positioned themselves to intercept Him, indicating a deep belief in His power to help, even from a distance.
- The biblical concept of "leprosy" often served as a profound metaphor for sin, with its defiling, progressive, and separating nature. Thus, Jesus' cleansing of lepers carried a rich spiritual symbolism of His power over sin and its effects, reconciling those who are estranged back into community with God and others.
Luke 17 12 Commentary
Luke 17:12 immediately draws the reader into a scene of deep human suffering and societal exclusion. As Jesus makes His way through a generic village, a group of ten lepers appears, forming an intentional barrier to the uninfected. Their disease was not just a medical condition; it was a devastating sentence of isolation, condemning them to live apart from family, community, and temple worship. By "standing afar off," they perfectly embodied the Old Testament stipulations for the ritually unclean, demonstrating their full understanding of the dire implications of their condition. This adherence to the law underscored their respect for the established social order and ritual purity, yet their very presence near the village edge indicated a desperate yearning for healing that transcended their limitations. This opening sets the stage for Jesus' revolutionary compassion and divine authority, as He acknowledges and addresses these outcasts who are simultaneously seeking and legally required to remain apart.