Luke 10:28

And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

And {G1161} he said {G2036} unto him {G846}, Thou hast answered {G611} right {G3723}: this {G5124} do {G4160}, and {G2532} thou shalt live {G2198}.

“That’s the right answer,” Yeshua said. “Do this, and you will have life.”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus said. “Do this and you will live.”

And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

Luke 10:28 is a pivotal verse in the exchange between Jesus and a lawyer, immediately preceding the famous Parable of the Good Samaritan. It encapsulates Jesus's direct affirmation of the lawyer's own correct understanding of the path to eternal life according to the Law.

Context

This verse comes as a direct response from Jesus to a lawyer who, testing Him, asked, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Instead of answering directly, Jesus turned the question back to the lawyer, asking what was written in the Law. The lawyer correctly summarized the Law by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." Jesus's reply in Luke 10:28 confirms the lawyer's perfect theological answer and then adds the critical imperative: "this do, and thou shalt live." This statement sets the stage for the lawyer's follow-up question, "And who is my neighbour?", which prompts the well-known Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37).

Key Themes

  • The Standard of the Law: Jesus affirms that perfect and complete adherence to the Law, particularly the summary of loving God and neighbor, is indeed the way to attain life. It underscores the divine ideal of righteousness and God's perfect standard.
  • The Nature of "Life": The "life" spoken of here, especially in the context of the initial question about "eternal life," refers to spiritual life, true flourishing, and eternal fellowship with God, not merely physical existence.
  • Human Inability: While Jesus affirms the principle, the subsequent dialogue and the Parable of the Good Samaritan subtly highlight the profound difficulty, if not impossibility, for fallen humanity to perfectly fulfill this command. It points to a deeper need beyond mere intellectual understanding or self-justification.
  • Action Over Mere Knowledge: Jesus's addition, "this do," emphasizes that knowing the Law is insufficient; it demands active, perfect obedience.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word for "live" is zaō (ζάω), which means "to live, to be alive, to have life." In this context, particularly given the lawyer's question about "eternal life" (Greek: zōēn aiōnion, ζώην αἰώνιον), it signifies not just physical existence but a profound spiritual vitality and an enduring relationship with God. It implies thriving and truly experiencing the fullness of God's intended life for humanity, a spiritual state of being fully alive.

Practical Application

Luke 10:28 presents a profound challenge and a crucial truth for all generations. While Jesus affirms that perfect obedience to the law of love would grant eternal life, the consistent message of the Bible is that fallen humanity is incapable of such perfection (Romans 3:20). This verse, therefore, serves not as a path to salvation by works, but as a mirror reflecting our inability to meet God's perfect standard, thus highlighting our desperate need for grace and a Savior. It points us to the fact that only Christ perfectly fulfilled the law on our behalf. For believers today, it reminds us that while we are saved by grace through faith, the command to love God with all our being and our neighbor as ourselves remains the fundamental ethical framework for a life transformed by the Holy Spirit. It calls us to actively pursue genuine love, not just intellectually assent to its importance, recognizing that our ability to do so flows from God's grace.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Ezekiel 20:11

    And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which [if] a man do, he shall even live in them.

  • Leviticus 18:5

    Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I [am] the LORD.

  • Matthew 19:17

    And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

  • Nehemiah 9:29

    And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

  • Galatians 3:12

    And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

  • Luke 7:43

    Simon answered and said, I suppose that [he], to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

  • Romans 10:4

    For Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

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