Luke 9:56

56 For the Son of Man didn't come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." They went to another village.

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 When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them, just as Elijah did?"

55 But he turned and rebuked them, "You don't know what kind of spirit you are of.

56 For the Son of Man didn't come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." They went to another village.

57 As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, "I want to follow you wherever you go, Lord."

58 Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."