Luke 17:18 Meaning and Explanation
“There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Only this foreigner returned to give glory to God.
What Does Luke 17:18 Mean?
"Stranger" translates a word meaning one of another race — the very word posted on the temple barrier that kept non-Israelites out of the inner courts. The irony is deliberate: the man fenced out of the temple is the one who comes back to give God glory.
Glory returned to God is the true measure of a healed life, and here it comes from the least expected quarter. The moment stands in a long biblical line — Naaman the Syrian leper, the widow of Sidon (Luke 4:25-27) — in which outsiders shame insiders by the readiness of their faith. Grace creates worshipers wherever it is welcomed; ancestry and familiarity guarantee nothing.
Luke 17:18 in the Original Language
allogenes (ἀλλογενής), 'stranger' -- one of another race; the word used on the temple barrier inscription.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 17:18
What does Luke 17:18 mean?
Only this foreigner returned to give glory to God.