Luke 10:35: Meaning Explained
‹And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave› them ‹to the host, and said unto him, Take...
In this verse, the Good Samaritan takes the injured man to an inn and pays the innkeeper two denarii, equivalent to about two days' wages for a laborer, to cover immediate care. He then makes an extraordinary promise to cover any additional expenses incurred during the man's recovery when he returns. This shows the Samaritan isn't just providing temporary aid but is ensuring the man receives complete, sustained care until he is fully healed.
What’s Happening Here
This verse concludes Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), told in response to a lawyer's question about who qualifies as a 'neighbor.' After a priest and a Levite ignore a robbed and beaten man, a Samaritan, a member of a group despised by Jews, stops, tends to his wounds, transports him to safety, and here arranges and funds his ongoing recovery at an inn.
Key Words
Why It Matters
This verse moves the parable from a simple act of mercy to a model of costly, long-term commitment. It challenges the listener to consider that true neighborly love often requires sustained personal investment and responsibility, not just a one-time gesture. In a modern context, it asks us to examine whether our compassion includes follow-through and a willingness to bear ongoing cost for someone's complete restoration.
Did You Know?
The two denarii paid upfront would have covered about two weeks of basic lodging and food in a first-century inn, indicating the Samaritan intended for the man to have substantial time to recover.