What Does Luke 17:16 Mean in the King James?
And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
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 Greek word for giving thanks carries favor inside it: gratitude recognizes what has been received.
THE MEANING
Gratitude can take the whole body, not only the voice: it appears face-down at Jesus’ feet. The person offering it remains fully named, a Samaritan.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It unsettles the belief that a person’s outsider status decides whether their response can be recognized: this verse names a Samaritan as the one whose gratitude is visible.
THE ROOT
εὐχαριστῶν
eucharistōn
GROWS FROM
χάρις (charis), joined with εὖ (eu) in εὐχαριστέω
χάρις means favor; εὐχαριστέω means to give thanks.
“giving him thanks” in this verse is eucharistōn. The verb for giving thanks carries χάρις, “favor,” within it. Gratitude here is more than a courtesy word: it recognizes favor and directs that recognition toward the one who gave.
ALSO GROWS
eucharistia: thanksgiving
εὐχαριστία
This noun from the same word-family names the act of giving thanks in a related form.
charizomai: grant freely; forgive
χαρίζομαι
This branch shows favor moving outward as something freely granted, extending the word-family beyond gratitude.
charisma: gift
χάρισμα
This branch names what is freely given, connecting favor with the gift that gratitude recognizes.
THE PATTERN
Gratitude makes recognition visible by directing received good toward its giver.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.THE THREAD
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.The same Greek verb-family for giving thanks appears in both verses. Luke shows gratitude taking bodily form at Jesus’ feet; Thessalonians places that same act across every circumstance.
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