Luke 17 16

Luke 17:16 kjv

And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

Luke 17:16 nkjv

and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

Luke 17:16 niv

He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him?and he was a Samaritan.

Luke 17:16 esv

and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.

Luke 17:16 nlt

He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

Luke 17 verses

Luke 17 16 Meaning

Luke 17:16 describes the single healed leper who returned to Jesus, demonstrating profound humility and gratitude. He prostrated himself, a posture of ultimate reverence and submission, at Jesus's feet and vocally expressed thanks. Crucially, this individual is identified as a Samaritan, highlighting the radical inclusivity of God's grace and salvation offered through Jesus, often defying ethnic and religious prejudices of the time. His action contrasts sharply with the nine other lepers who, though healed, did not return to give thanks.

Luke 17 16 Context

Luke 17:16 is part of the account of Jesus healing ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19). This event takes place as Jesus journeys through the border region between Samaria and Galilee, on His way to Jerusalem. Lepers in ancient Israel were societal outcasts due to their disease being considered a divine punishment and requiring strict ritual isolation under Mosaic Law (Lev 13-14). Their cries to Jesus (Luke 17:13) highlight their desperation. Jesus's command for them to show themselves to the priests (Luke 17:14) was a direct instruction to follow the Law, enabling their formal re-entry into society. The specific mention of the returning healed man being a Samaritan is highly significant in the Jewish context, where Samaritans were despised for their mixed heritage and deviant religious practices, viewed as schismatics. His profound gratitude stands in stark contrast to the nine Jewish lepers who did not return, challenging prevailing ethnic and religious assumptions about spiritual responsiveness. This act emphasizes faith, worship, and inclusive salvation over mere physical healing or ethnic affiliation.

Luke 17 16 Word analysis

• and (καὶ - kai): Connects the previous verse (healing) with the consequence of one leper's response. It signals a shift in focus to this individual's reaction.

• fell down (ἔπεσεν - epesen): From piptō, meaning "to fall, fall down, alight." Denotes a sudden and complete collapse. This is not a stumble but a deliberate act of prostration, signifying humility, worship, and profound respect. It implies complete surrender.

• on his face (ἐπὶ πρόσωπον - epi prosopon): Literally "upon face." Reinforces the posture of prostration, an ultimate act of reverence and adoration in ancient cultures and the Bible. It speaks of total submission and humility before a greater authority or divine being.

• at His feet (παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ - para tous podas autou): Literally "beside His feet." This position signifies subservience, humility, discipleship, and worship. It is the place where one might seek mercy, learn, or acknowledge sovereign power.

• giving Him thanks (εὐχαριστῶν αὐτῷ - euchariston autō): From eucharistēo, meaning "to be thankful, return thanks, give thanks." This is the action for which the individual returned. This is the root word for "Eucharist," emphasizing the core act of thanksgiving in Christian worship. His gratitude is immediate and outward.

• And he was (καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν - kai autos ēn): Emphatic, highlighting a significant identifying characteristic. The "he himself" stresses the person's identity.

• a Samaritan (Σαμαρείτης - Samareitēs): This crucial identification provides immense theological and cultural weight. Samaritans were of mixed Israelite and Assyrian heritage, worshiping God on Mount Gerizim and rejecting much of the Jewish canon outside the Pentateuch. They were despised by orthodox Jews. This detail underscores that gratitude and true faith transcended ethnic and religious boundaries, directly challenging Jewish exclusivism.

• fell down on his face at His feet: This entire phrase conveys a profound act of worship and adoration. It's a non-verbal declaration of who Jesus is to the Samaritan – someone worthy of ultimate reverence and gratitude, bordering on divine recognition. It's more than just thanks; it's worshipful thanks.

• giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan: This conjunction links the unexpected act of gratitude and worship with the unexpected identity of the worshiper. The Samaritan, an outsider by Jewish standards, is the one who exhibits the desired spiritual response, providing a sharp contrast and highlighting Jesus's universal mission and God's acceptance of those considered unworthy by human standards. The conjunction 'and' often signifies a crucial addition, emphasizing the unexpected identity.

Luke 17 16 Bonus section

The Samaritan's return is the only one described with a physical act of prostration and thanksgiving (verse 15 notes him glorifying God but not specifically falling down). This highlights the qualitative difference in his response, going beyond mere verbal acknowledgment. Luke often emphasizes Jesus's interactions with Samaritans and other outcasts (e.g., Good Samaritan parable, Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well), signaling his inclusive Gospel message. The story of the ten lepers, especially with the Samaritan's actions, serves as a poignant parable of thanksgiving and spiritual well-being; only the one who returned received the commendation, "Your faith has made you well," implying a deeper healing beyond the physical for which gratitude played a pivotal role. The incident underlines the difference between common grace (physical healing for all ten) and redemptive grace (faith, salvation, spiritual wholeness for the one who returned).

Luke 17 16 Commentary

Luke 17:16 powerfully portrays true gratitude rooted in worship. The lone returning leper, a Samaritan, physically expresses a profound reverence for Jesus, contrasting with the nine others who received the same physical healing but lacked the spiritual discernment to return. His prostration is a spontaneous act of eucharisteo, not just thankfulness for a cure, but recognition of Jesus's authority and perhaps even His divine nature. This narrative subverts contemporary Jewish prejudice by showing that sincere faith and a thankful heart were found in an ethnic outcast, demonstrating that God's grace and salvation are for all people, irrespective of societal standing or previous religious affiliation. It is a vital reminder that genuine faith moves beyond simply receiving benefits to acknowledging the Benefactor in worship. This event exemplifies Jesus’s consistent pattern of highlighting faith found outside traditional religious circles (e.g., the Centurion, the Syrophoenician woman), affirming that a humble, grateful heart is paramount in the kingdom of God.