Luke 10:32
New International Version
So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

New Living Translation
A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

English Standard Version
So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

Berean Standard Bible
So too, when a Levite came to that spot and saw him, he passed by on the other side.

Berean Literal Bible
And likewise also a Levite having come to the spot, and having seen him, passed by on the opposite side.

King James Bible
And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

New King James Version
Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.

New American Standard Bible
Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

NASB 1995
“Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

NASB 1977
“And likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

Legacy Standard Bible
Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

Amplified Bible
Likewise a Levite also came down to the place and saw him, and passed by on the other side [of the road].

Christian Standard Bible
In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

American Standard Version
And in like manner a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.

Contemporary English Version
Later a temple helper came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side.

English Revised Version
And in like manner a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then a Levite came to that place. When he saw the man, he, too, went around him and continued on his way.

Good News Translation
In the same way a Levite also came there, went over and looked at the man, and then walked on by on the other side.

International Standard Version
Similarly, a descendant of Levi came to that place. When he saw the man, he also went by on the other side.

Majority Standard Bible
So too, when a Levite came to that spot and saw him, he passed by on the other side.

NET Bible
So too a Levite, when he came up to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

New Heart English Bible
In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.

Webster's Bible Translation
And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

Weymouth New Testament
In like manner a Levite also came to the place, and seeing him passed by on the other side.

World English Bible
In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and in like manner also, a Levite, having been around the place, having come and seen, passed over on the opposite side.

Berean Literal Bible
And likewise also a Levite having come to the spot, and having seen him, passed by on the opposite side.

Young's Literal Translation
and in like manner also, a Levite, having been about the place, having come and seen, passed over on the opposite side.

Smith's Literal Translation
And likewise also a Levite, having been in the place, having come and seen him, went on the opposite side.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
In like manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And similarly a Levite, when he was near the place, also saw him, and he passed by.

New American Bible
Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.

New Revised Standard Version
So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And likewise a Levite came and arrived at that place, and saw him and passed on.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“And so also a Levite coming arrived at that place and he saw him and he passed by.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
In like manner, also, a Levite, when he came to the place, went and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

Godbey New Testament
And likewise also a Levite, being at the place, coming and seeing, passed by on the other side.

Haweis New Testament
And a Levite also, in the same way, being near the place, came, and seeing him, kept the opposite side of the road.

Mace New Testament
a Levite too came to the same place, gave him a look, and pass'd on.

Weymouth New Testament
In like manner a Levite also came to the place, and seeing him passed by on the other side.

Worrell New Testament
And, in like manner, a Levite also, coming to the place, and seeing him, passed by on the opposite side.

Worsley New Testament
Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place, went and looked at him, and then crossed the way and passed by.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
31Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, when a Levite came to that spot and saw him, he passed by on the other side. 33But when a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, he looked at him and had compassion.…

Cross References
Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

James 2:14-17
What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? / Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. / If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? ...

1 John 3:17-18
If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? / Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Isaiah 58:6-7
Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke? / Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Matthew 9:13
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 25:41-45
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. / For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, / I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.’ ...

1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

Proverbs 21:3
To do righteousness and justice is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Zechariah 7:9-10
“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Administer true justice. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another. / Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’

Matthew 12:7
If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

Romans 13:8-10
Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. / The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” / Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Galatians 5:14
The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”


Treasury of Scripture

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

Psalm 109:25
I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.

Proverbs 27:10
Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.

Acts 18:17
Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.

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Levite Manner Opposite Passed Side Spot Way
Luke 10
1. Jesus sends out at once seventy disciples to work miracles, and to preach;
13. pronounces a woe against certain cities.
17. The seventy return with joy;
18. he shows them wherein to rejoice,
21. and thanks his Father for his grace;
23. magnifies the happy estate of his church;
25. teaches the lawyer how to attain eternal life,
30. and tells the parable of the good Samaritan;
38. reprimands Martha, and commends Mary her sister.














So too, a Levite
The Levites were members of the tribe of Levi, set apart for religious duties in Israel. Historically, they were responsible for the care of the tabernacle and later the temple, assisting the priests in their sacred duties. The mention of a Levite in this parable is significant because it highlights a person who, by virtue of his religious role, would be expected to show compassion and adherence to God's laws, including the command to love one's neighbor. The Greek word for Levite, "Λευίτης" (Leuitēs), emphasizes his identity as a religious figure, which makes his actions—or lack thereof—more poignant in the narrative.

when he came to that spot
The phrase "came to that spot" indicates a deliberate approach to the location where the injured man lay. The Greek word "ἐλθὼν" (elthōn) suggests an intentional movement, implying that the Levite was aware of the situation. This detail underscores the Levite's conscious decision-making process, as he was not merely passing by without noticing the man in need. The specificity of "that spot" serves to focus the reader's attention on the exactness of the encounter, emphasizing the opportunity for the Levite to act.

and saw him
The act of seeing, "ἰδὼν" (idōn), is crucial in this context. It indicates that the Levite was fully aware of the man's condition. In biblical terms, seeing often implies understanding and acknowledgment. The Levite's sight of the injured man should have prompted a response of compassion and mercy, as seeing is often the first step toward action. This phrase highlights the Levite's moral and spiritual failure, as he chooses to ignore the need he clearly perceives.

passed by on the other side
The phrase "passed by on the other side" is translated from the Greek "ἀντιπαρῆλθεν" (antiparēlthen), which conveys a deliberate avoidance. This action is not merely a passive neglect but an active decision to distance oneself from the situation. In the cultural and religious context of the time, such behavior would be seen as a failure to fulfill the law's demands for mercy and compassion. The Levite's choice to avoid the injured man contrasts sharply with the expected behavior of someone in his religious position, serving as a critique of empty religiosity that lacks genuine love and compassion.

(32) Likewise a Levite.--The passage is memorable as the only mention of Levites in the Gospels. He is represented as at once better and worse than the priest--better in that he does not altogether turn aside, but "comes" and looks; worse in that his second thoughts are at variance with his first, and prevail against them. If he has more light, he also sins more against it. He, too, may have been coming, like the priest, from his week of service in the Temple.

Verse 32. - And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. They both, priest and Levite, shrank from the trouble and expense of meddling with the poor victim of the robbers; perhaps a cowardly fear of being identified with the robbers was mixed with these feelings. The whole of their conduct was inhuman, but not unnatural; alas! how faithfully is it copied by multitudes of men and women professing Christianity now! The Levite's conduct was better and worse than his official superior's - better, in that he did feel a little pity, and stopped to look, no doubt compassionately, on the sufferer; and worse, because he selfishly strangled the noble impulse in its birth, and passed on to his own place without so much as throwing a cloth over the poor maimed body to shelter it from the scorching sun, or the cold night dew.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
So too,
Ὁμοίως (Homoiōs)
Adverb
Strong's 3668: In like manner, similarly, in the same way, equally. Adverb from homoios; similarly.

[when] a Levite
Λευίτης (Leuitēs)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3019: From Leui; a Levite, i.e. Descendant of Levi.

came
ἐλθὼν (elthōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

to
κατὰ (kata)
Preposition
Strong's 2596: A primary particle; down, in varied relations (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined).

that
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

spot
τόπον (topon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5117: Apparently a primary word; a spot, i.e. Location; figuratively, condition, opportunity; specially, a scabbard.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

saw [him],
ἰδὼν (idōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

he passed by on the other side.
ἀντιπαρῆλθεν (antiparēlthen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 492: To pass opposite, on the opposite side of the road. From anti and parerchomai; to go along opposite.


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NT Gospels: Luke 10:32 In the same way a Levite also (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 10:31
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