What Does Luke 10:32 Mean in the King James?
And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Levite sees the wounded man, and the same seeing that could open a path toward him becomes the moment he chooses the far side.
THE MEANING
You can recognize another person’s suffering and still keep your distance. Here, seeing is real, but it does not become approach; the turn to the other side leaves the wounded man alone.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie this undoes is that noticing suffering already counts as helping.
THE ROOT
ἰδών
idōn
GROWS FROM
ὁράω
horaō
To see or perceive.
“looked on” in this verse is idōn. The word ἰδών comes from ὁράω, “to see, perceive.” The same Greek word opens the next verse, where seeing leads to compassion: sight stands at the fork between passing by and drawing near.
ALSO GROWS
horasis: Vision; the act or faculty of seeing.
ὅρασις
It keeps seeing connected to perception, not mere proximity to what is in front of you.
horama: A vision or appearance; something seen.
ὅραμα
It shows the same word family can name what is perceived, while this verse shows that perception alone does not determine the response.
ἀντιπαρῆλθεν
antiparēlthen
GROWS FROM
ἔρχομαι
erchomai
To come or go; the verb here is compounded to describe passing by on the opposite side.
“passed by on the other side” in this verse is antiparēlthen. The verb carries a direction: the Levite does not merely continue onward but passes on the opposite side. The motion makes his distance visible after the moment of seeing.
ALSO GROWS
parerchomai: To pass by.
παρέρχομαι
It shares the movement of going past, making clear that the Levite’s response is an active passing by.
eiserchomai: To enter or go in.
εἰσέρχομαι
This compound shares the verb for going; its inward direction throws the Levite’s outward turn away from the wounded man into relief.
THE PATTERN
Seeing a need becomes mercy when it crosses the distance between recognition and response.
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?THE THREAD
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,Both verses use the same Greek word, ἰδών (idōn), “having seen.” In one, the man passes by on the opposite side; in the next, seeing is followed by compassion and coming near.
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