Luke 10:29

The NET Bible®

But the expert, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

King James Version (1611)
But he willing to iustifie himselfe, said vnto Iesus, And who is my neighbour?

King James Version
But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

English Standard Version
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

New American Standard Bible
But wanting to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

New Century Version
But the man, wanting to show the importance of his question, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Amplified Bible
But he, wishing to justify and vindicate himself, asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Legacy Standard Bible
But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Berean Standard Bible
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Contemporary English Version
But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So he asked Jesus, "Who are my neighbors?"

Complete Jewish Bible
But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Yeshua, "And who is my ‘ neighbor '?"

Darby Translation
But he, desirous of justifying himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

Easy-to-Read Version
But the man wanted to show that the way he was living was right. So he said to Jesus, "But who is my neighbor?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
But he willing to iustifie himselfe, said vnto Iesus, Who is then my neighbour?

George Lamsa Translation
But as he wanted to justify himself, he said to him, And who is my neighbor?

Good News Translation
But the teacher of the Law wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"

Lexham English Bible
But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Literal Translation
But desiring to justify himself, he said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor?

American Standard Version
But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?

Bible in Basic English
But he, desiring to put himself in the right, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

Hebrew Names Version
But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Yeshua, "Who is my neighbor?"

International Standard Version
But the man wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"Luke 16:15;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
But he, willing to justify himself, said to him, And who is my neighbour ?

Murdock Translation
And he, being disposed to justify himself, said: And who is my neighbor?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But he, wyllyng to iustifie hym selfe, said vnto Iesus: and who is my neighbour?

English Revised Version
But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

World English Bible
But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But he willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

Weymouth's New Testament
But he, desiring to justify himself, said, "But what is meant by my `fellow man'?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But he willynge to iustifie hym silf, seide to Jhesu, And who is my neiybore?

Update Bible Version
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor?

Webster's Bible Translation
But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor?

New King James Version
But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

New Living Translation
The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

New Life Bible
The man tried to make himself look good. He asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"

New Revised Standard
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, he, wishing to justify himself, said unto Jesus - And, who is, my, neighbour?

Douay-Rheims Bible
But he willing to justify himself, said to Jesus: And who is my neighbour?

Revised Standard Version
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
He willinge to iustifie him silfe sayde vnto Iesus: Who is then my neghbour?

Young's Literal Translation
And he, willing to declare himself righteous, said unto Jesus, `And who is my neighbour?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But he wolde haue iustified himself, & sayde vnto Iesus: Who is then my neghboure?

Mace New Testament (1729)
but he being desirous to clear himself, said to Jesus, but what is meant by our neighbour?

THE MESSAGE
Looking for a loophole, he asked, "And just how would you define ‘neighbor'?"

Simplified Cowboy Version
But that fellow was up to no good and asked, "But who is my neighbor?"

Contextual Overview

²⁵ Now an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus, saying, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" ²⁶ He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you understand it?" ²⁷ The expert answered, " Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind , and love your neighbor as yourself ." ²⁸ Jesus said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." ²⁹ But the expert, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" ³⁰ Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him up, and went off, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a priest was going down that road, but when he saw the injured man he passed by on the other side. ³² So too a Levite, when he came up to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan who was traveling came to where the injured man was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him. ³⁴ He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

willing: Luke 16:15, Luke 18:9-11, Leviticus 19:34, Job 32:2, Romans 4:2, Romans 10:3, Galatians 3:11, James 2:24

And: Luke 10:36, Matthew 5:43, Matthew 5:44

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:12 - General Exodus 32:24 - So they Deuteronomy 6:25 - General Deuteronomy 22:4 - thou shalt surely 1 Samuel 15:15 - to 1 Samuel 15:20 - Yea 2 Samuel 20:20 - that I should 2 Kings 6:23 - he prepared Job 9:20 - justify Psalms 36:2 - For he Isaiah 43:26 - declare Jeremiah 2:23 - How canst Hosea 12:8 - they Jonah 4:2 - I fled Malachi 1:2 - Wherein Malachi 1:6 - And ye Malachi 2:9 - but Matthew 22:39 - neighbour Matthew 25:44 - when Mark 10:20 - General Luke 18:14 - justified

Cross-References

Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is Pishon; it runs through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.

Genesis 25:18
His descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next to Egypt all the way to Asshur. They settled away from all their relatives.

1 Samuel 15:7
Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is next to Egypt.

1 Kings 9:28
They sailed to Ophir, took from there 420 talents of gold, and then brought them to King Solomon.

1 Kings 22:48
Jehoshaphat built a fleet of large merchant ships to travel to Ophir for gold, but they never made the voyage because they were shipwrecked in Ezion Geber.

1 Chronicles 8:18
Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal.

1 Chronicles 9:10
From the priests: Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jakin;

1 Chronicles 9:13
Their relatives, who were leaders of their families, numbered 1,760. They were capable men who were assigned to carry out the various tasks of service in God's temple.

Job 22:24
and throw your gold in the dust— your gold of Ophir among the rocks in the ravines—

Job 28:16
It cannot be measured out for purchase with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or sapphires.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But he willing to justify himself,.... Upon the foot of his own righteousness, and to make himself appear to be righteous to others; for this the Jews thought themselves able to do, both to justify themselves before God by their own works, and make it out to men, that they were truly righteous persons; and it is a maxim with them, that

"every one המצדיק את עצמו that justifies himself, below (on earth), they justify him above (or in heaven) k.''

No wonder then that this man was desirous of justifying himself; and in order to which

he said, and who is my neighbour? he takes no notice of God, and love to him, as coming into the account of his justification, only of his neighbour; thinking when this question was answered, he should be very able to make it out, that he was not wanting neither in doing justice between himself and his neighbour, nor in showing kindness and beneficence to him; for by his neighbour he meant only an Israelite; one of the same nation and religion with him. So the Jews commonly interpret the word neighbour, either of one that is related to them in nature, קרובו, that is, near akin to them in blood l; or that professes the same religion as they do, and whom they call a neighbour in the law; and so they explain the passage now cited, "and thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself", שהוא רעך בתורה; "that is, who is thy neighbour in the law" m: for they will not allow a Gentile, no, not even a proselyte of the gate to be a neighbour: for thus they say n,

"an Israelite that slays a proselyte of the gate, or the stranger that dwells with him, is not slain for him by the sanhedrim; for it is said, Exodus 21:14 but if a man comes presumptuously upon his neighbour to slay him, c. and there is no need to say he is not slain for a Gentile.''

And again o,

"when a man sees one of them (the Gentiles) fall into the sea, he need not take him up as it is said, Leviticus 19:16 "neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour", ואין זה רעך "but this is not thy neighbour."''

This notion Christ opposes and disproves in the following parable, which is an answer to the lawyer's question.

k T. Bab. Tasnith, fol. 8. 1. l Kimchi in Psal. xv. 3. m Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora, pr. affirm. 9. n Maimon. Hilch. Rotzeach, c. 2. sect. 11. o Ib. c. 4. sect. 11.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To justify himself - Desirous to appear blameless, or to vindicate himself, and show that he had kept the law. Jesus wished to lead him to a proper view of his own sinfulness, and his real departure from the law. The man was desirous of showing that he had kept the law; or perhaps he was desirous of justifying himself for asking the question; of showing that it could not be so easily settled; that a mere reference to the “words” of the law did not determine it. It was still a question what was meant by “neighbor.” The Pharisees held that the “Jews” only were to be regarded as such, and that the obligation did not extend at all to the Gentiles. The lawyer was probably ready to affirm that he had discharged faithfully his duty to his countrymen, and had thus kept the law, and could justify himself. Every sinner is desirous of “justifying himself.” He seeks to do it by his own works. For this purpose he perverts the meaning of the law, destroys its spirituality, and brings “down” the law to “his” standard, rather than attempt to frame his life by “its” requirements.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 29. Willing to justify himself — Wishing to make it appear that he was a righteous man, and that consequently he was in the straight road to the kingdom of God, said, Who is my neighbour? supposing our Lord would have at once answered, "Every Jew is to be considered as such, and the Jews only." Now as he imagined he had never been deficient in his conduct to any person of his own nation, he thought he had amply fulfilled the law. This is the sense in which the Jews understood the word neighbour, as may be seen from Leviticus 19:15-18. But our Lord shows here, that the acts of kindness which a man is bound to perform to his neighbour when in distress, he should perform to any person, of whatever nation, religion, or kindred, whom he finds in necessity. As the word πλησιον signifies one who is near, Anglo Saxon [A.S.], he that is next, this very circumstance makes any person our neighbour whom we know; and, if in distress, an object of our most compassionate regards. If a man came from the most distant part of the earth, the moment he is near you he has a claim upon your mercy and kindness, as you would have on his, were your dwelling-place transferred to his native country. It is evident that our Lord uses the word πλησιον (very properly translated neighbour, from nae or naer, near, and buer, to dwell) in its plain, literal sense. Any person whom you know, who dwells hard by, or who passes near you, is your neighbour while within your reach.