Luke 10:31-32

10:31 Now by chance ¹  a priest was going down that road, but ²  when he saw the injured man ³  he passed by ⁴  on the other side. ⁵  10:32 So too a Levite, when he came up to ⁶  the place and saw him, ⁷  passed by on the other side.

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¹ sn The phrase by chance adds an initial note of hope and fortune to the expectation in the story.

² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context between the priest’s expected action (helping the victim) and what he really did.

³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the injured man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴ sn It is not said why the priest passed by and refused to help. It is not relevant to the point of the parable that no help was given in the emergency situation.

⁵ sn The text suggests that the priest went out of his way (on the other side) not to get too close to the scene.

⁶ tn Here κατά (kata) has been translated “up to”; it could also be translated “upon.”

⁷ tn The clause containing the aorist active participle ἐλθών (elqwn) suggests that the Levite came up to the place, took a look, and then moved on.