Luke 5:12 kjv

And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Luke 5:12 nkjv

And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."

Luke 5:12 niv

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."

Luke 5:12 esv

While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."

Luke 5:12 nlt

In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. "Lord," he said, "if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean."

Luke 5 verses

Luke 5 12 Meaning

Luke 5:12 describes an encounter between Jesus and a man afflicted with advanced leprosy. The verse highlights the man's profound desperation, his recognition of Jesus' power, and his humble request for cleansing, not just healing. This powerful statement of faith ("If You will, You can make me clean") underlines the leper's understanding that Jesus possessed both the authority and the capacity to overcome his debilitating condition and restore him to physical health and communal acceptance. It points to Jesus' divine power to address human suffering in its totality, encompassing both physical ailments and social/ritual exclusion.

Luke 5 12 Context

Luke Chapter 5 begins with Jesus teaching from a boat, leading to the miraculous catch of fish and the calling of Simon Peter, James, and John as disciples. This event firmly establishes Jesus' divine authority and power over creation. Prior to this, Jesus had already demonstrated His authority over demons and sickness in Capernaum (Luke 4:33-41). The healing of the leper immediately follows these events, further illustrating Jesus' unique power to perform acts that only God could accomplish. In the historical and cultural context, leprosy was a devastating disease, both physically and socially. Under Mosaic Law (Leviticus 13-14), lepers were declared ceremonially unclean, outcast from society, forced to live separately, and prohibited from interacting with healthy people. Their disease was often seen as a sign of divine judgment. Therefore, healing a leper was not merely a physical cure; it was a profound act of social and religious restoration, challenging deeply ingrained perceptions of purity and demonstrating Jesus' authority over ritual law and physical disease.

Luke 5 12 Word analysis

• And it came to pass: Greek Kai egeneto. A common transition phrase in biblical narrative, signaling a new event or development.
• when he was in a certain city: Greek en mia tōn poleōn. Specifies that Jesus was actively ministering, indicating his itinerant ministry, not limited to one place.
• behold: Greek kai idou. An interjection used to draw attention, emphasize, or introduce something significant or surprising. It calls the reader to note the profound encounter about to unfold.
• a man full of leprosy: Greek anēr plērēs lepras.
  • man (anēr): Refers specifically to an adult male.
  • full of (plērēs): Indicates an advanced and severe stage of the disease, affecting his entire body, making his condition unmistakable and more dire. This severity implies greater social exclusion and physical suffering.
  • leprosy (lepras): Greek lepra was a general term for various skin diseases, many of which rendered individuals ceremonially unclean under Jewish law. While it included conditions that are now identified as Hansen's disease, it also covered other serious, chronic, and highly visible dermatological conditions. For the Israelite, this meant absolute social isolation (Lev 13:45-46) and the belief that the disease was divinely inflicted and incurable by human means.
• who seeing Jesus: Greek idon ton Iēsoun. Implies the leper made a deliberate effort to find and see Jesus, indicating initiative and nascent faith. This contrasts with the expectation of lepers to keep their distance.
• fell on his face: Greek pesōn epi prosōpon. This posture signifies profound humility, deep respect, worship, and fervent supplication. It's a gesture used for intense prayer or recognition of divine authority (Gen 17:3; Josh 5:14). It communicates utter dependence.
• and besought him: Greek kai eboulisēn autou (from deomai). "Besought" means to implore, beg earnestly, or entreat with desperation. It conveys the leper's deep need and hope in Jesus.
• saying, Lord: Greek legōn, Kyrie.
  • saying: Communicates his specific request verbally.
  • Lord (Kyrie): An address of respectful acknowledgment, but from a leper, it implies more than mere politeness; it suggests a recognition of Jesus' elevated status, perhaps even His divine authority or Messianic identity.
• if thou wilt: Greek ean thelēis. This phrase expresses respect for Jesus' sovereignty, not a doubt about His power. The leper knew Jesus could (you have the power); he simply deferred to Jesus' divine will in the matter. It acknowledges that healing is not always automatic but is subject to God's wise purpose.
• thou canst: Greek dynasai (from dynamai). Expresses absolute certainty in Jesus' ability and power to perform the miracle. The word implies "you are able," or "you have the power/capacity." It is a profound declaration of faith in Jesus' capability.
• make me clean: Greek me katharisai.
  • me (me): "me," referring to himself, emphasizing his personal, desperate need.
  • clean (katharisai): The primary emphasis is on cleansing rather than simply healing. In the Jewish context, healing a leper made him physically well, but cleansing meant his restoration to ritual purity, allowing him to return to communal worship, social interaction, and daily life. Jesus' act restores the leper physically, socially, and religiously, overturning his defiled status.

Words-Group Analysis

• "a man full of leprosy, who seeing Jesus": This highlights the immediate juxtaposition of overwhelming human suffering and the presence of divine compassion and power. The "fullness" of his leprosy underscores the human impossibility of his situation, making Jesus' forthcoming action even more extraordinary. His intentional "seeing Jesus" suggests active seeking and an initial flicker of hope.
• "fell on his face, and besought him": This depicts extreme humility, worship, and desperate earnestness. His posture and plea indicate he believed Jesus was not merely a physician but one worthy of profound reverence, capable of answering an otherwise impossible request.
• "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean": This is a model prayer for a supplicant approaching divine authority. It combines profound reverence ("Lord"), humble submission to divine will ("if Thou wilt"), unwavering confidence in divine ability ("Thou canst"), and a specific, vital request ("make me clean"). The word "clean" is crucial, reflecting the socio-religious implications of his disease.

Luke 5 12 Bonus section

The miracle of cleansing the leper held profound significance beyond a mere physical healing. According to Jewish law and tradition, leprosy was often associated with sin, especially severe transgressions (e.g., Miriam's leprosy after criticizing Moses in Num 12). Its healing was seen as a divine act, something typically reserved for God (2 Kgs 5:7). By healing this leper, Jesus explicitly demonstrates that He possesses divine authority and power to reverse a condition widely considered a curse from God and incurable by human means. His willingness to allow the leper to approach Him, and particularly His touch (Luke 5:13), would have been scandalous and unthinkable to the contemporary Jewish mind, as it risked defilement. Yet, Jesus' touch did not result in His defilement; rather, His purity and power flowed to the leper, cleansing him. This action prefigures Christ's redemptive work, where He, though holy, took on humanity's uncleanness (sin) not to be defiled, but to cleanse and make us holy. This act was a powerful polemic against the limitations of ritual purity laws and the prevailing beliefs that rigidly excluded the sick, showing Jesus as the true source of all purity and cleansing, fulfilling and transforming the very purpose of the law.

Luke 5 12 Commentary

Luke 5:12 unveils a powerful encounter demonstrating Jesus' unparalleled authority over sickness and ritual defilement. The man's "full of leprosy" state underscored the incurability of his condition by human means and his utter exclusion from society and religious life under Mosaic Law. His act of seeing and then falling before Jesus reflects not just desperation but also deep faith in Jesus' unique ability. His precise request, "Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean," is theological. It confirms his belief in Jesus' divine power (You can) while deferring to Jesus' sovereign will (if You will). This statement bypasses any doubt in power, focusing solely on the readiness of the Lord to act. Jesus' immediate response in the following verse (not part of the query, but contextually vital) "I will; be clean," confirms both His will and His power, culminating in the man's restoration to full cleanness – physical health and re-entry into the community of God. This miracle foreshadows Jesus' ultimate work of cleansing humanity from the defilement of sin, an even deeper separation from God than leprosy.

• Example 1: The leper models how to approach God in prayer: with profound humility, recognition of His authority, unwavering faith in His ability, and a humble submission to His perfect will.
• Example 2: For those burdened by an "incurable" spiritual or physical ailment, the leper's plea shows that even extreme circumstances are within Christ's power to resolve.