Luke 9:56

56 The Son of man came not to destroy souls, but to save. And they went into another town.

Luke 9:56 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 9:56

For the son of man
Meaning himself, in his state of humiliation:

is not come to destroy men's lives;
the word "men's" is omitted in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Persic versions: and both words, "men's lives", are left out in the Arabic version:

but to save them;
as they might easily observe, by his casting out devils from the bodies of men, and healing all sorts of diseases: and therefore, though it was agreeably to the legal dispensation, and the times of Elijah, to punish offenders in such a manner, it was not agreeably to the Gospel dispensation, and to the ends of the Messiah's coming into the world: so far in this verse, and the latter part of the former verse, are left out in five ancient copies of Beza's, and in the Ethiopic version, but are in the rest of the Eastern versions, and in other copies, and are rightly retained:

and they went to another village;
in Samaria, more civil and courteous, and less prejudiced, and where they got lodging and entertainment.

Luke 9:56 In-Context

54 And when his disciples, James and John, had seen this, they said: Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?
55 And turning, he rebuked them, saying: you know not of what spirit you are.
56 The Son of man came not to destroy souls, but to save. And they went into another town.
57 And it came to pass, as they walked in the way, that a certain man said to him: I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58 Jesus said to him: The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests: but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
The Douay-Rheims Bible is in the public domain.