Luke17
New King James Version
1Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
2It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
5And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
7And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’?
8But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’?
9Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.
10So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”
11Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.
13And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
15And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
17So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?
18Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”
19And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
20Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation;
21nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
22Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.
23And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them.
24For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.
25But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
26And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:
27They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
28Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
29but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
30Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
31“In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.
32Remember Lot’s wife.
33Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
34I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left.
35Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left.
36Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”
37And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Luke 17.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: To avoid offences, To pray for increase of faith, Humility taught. (11–19). Ten lepers cleansed. (1–10). Christ's kingdom. (20–37).
vv1-10
It is no abatement of their guilt by whom an offence comes, nor will it lessen their punishment that offences will come. Faith in God's pardoning mercy, will enable us to get over the greatest difficulties in the way of forgiving our brethren. As with God nothing is impossible, so all things are possible to him that can believe. Our Lord showed his disciples their need of deep humility. The Lord has such a property in every creature, as no man can have in another; he cannot be in debt to them for their services, nor do they deserve any return from him.
vv11-19
A sense of our spiritual leprosy should make us very humble whenever we draw near to Christ. It is enough to refer ourselves to the compassions of Christ, for they fail not. We may look for God to meet us with mercy, when we are found in the way of obedience. Only one of those who were healed returned to give thanks. It becomes us, like him, to be very humble in thanksgivings, as well as in prayers. Christ noticed the one who thus distinguished himself, he was a Samaritan. The others only got the outward cure, he alone got the spiritual blessing.
vv20-37
The kingdom of God was among the Jews, or rather within some of them. It was a spiritual kingdom, set up in the heart by the power of Divine grace. Observe how it had been with sinners formerly, and in what state the judgments of God, which they had been warned of, found them. Here is shown what a dreadful surprise this destruction will be to the secure and sensual. Thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. When Christ came to destroy the Jewish nation by the Roman armies, that nation was found in such a state of false security as is here spoken of. In like manner, when Jesus Christ shall come to judge the world, sinners will be found altogether regardless; for in like manner the sinners of every age go on securely in their evil ways, and remember not their latter end. But wherever the wicked are, who are marked for eternal ruin, they shall be found by the judgments of God.
Key Words
δέ (dé): but, and, etc.
ἔπω (épō): to speak or say (by word or writing)
πρός (prós): a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated)
μαθητής (mathētḗs): a learner, i.e. pupil
σκάνδαλον (skándalon): a trap-stick (bent sapling), i.e. snare (figuratively, cause of displeasure or sin)
ἐστί (estí): he (she or it) is; also (with neuter plural) they are
ἔρχομαι (érchomai): to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
οὐαί (ouaí): "woe"
διά (diá): through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional)
ὅς (hós): the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
Cross References
Luke 17Direct parallel teaching of Jesus regarding the certainty of offences and the woe due to them.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct parallel where Peter asks about forgiving a brother who sins up to seven times.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Kindred prayer to Christ for spiritual help, where a father cries out, "help thou mine unbelief."
Supported by JFB
Confirms that man cannot benefit or be profitable to God, underscoring our unprofitable servant status.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Old Testament law requiring lepers to cover their lip, cry unclean, and stand afar off.
Supported by JFB
Shows other outcasts with leprosy drawn together at the gate in their shared misery.
Supported by JFB
Parallel discourse on the unexpected judgment coming in the days of the Son of man, like Noah's.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The historical account of Lot's wife looking back and becoming a pillar of salt.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel proverb of judgment where carcasses and eagles/vultures gather.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Asks who has first given to God that it should be recompensed to him again.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Parallel command of Jesus instructing a cleansed leper to show himself to the priest.
Supported by JFB
Parallel of Christ marveling at a Gentile stranger's faith exceeding that of Israel.
Supported by JFB
Confirms the kingdom of God is spiritual (within/among you), consisting of righteousness, peace, and joy.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The historical event of fire and brimstone raining down from heaven upon Sodom.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Identical proverbial teaching on losing one's life to preserve it, and vice versa.
Supported by Matthew Henry