Be
even to thy enemy in distress as kind, humane, and merciful, as this Samaritan
was. As the distress was on the part of a Jew, and the relief was afforded by a
Samaritan, the lawyer, to be consistent with the decision he had already given,
must feel the force of our Lord’s inference, that it was his duty to act to any
person, of whatever nation or religion he might be, as this Samaritan had acted
toward his countryman. It is very likely that what our Lord relates here was a
real matter of fact, and not a parable; otherwise the captious lawyer might have
objected that no such case had ever existed, and that any inference drawn from
it was only begging the question; but as he was, in all probability, in
possession of the fact himself, he was forced to acknowledge the propriety of
our Lord’s inference and advice. - Adam
Clarke
Be
even to thy enemy in distress as kind, humane, and merciful, as this Samaritan
was. As the distress was on the part of a Jew, and the relief was afforded by a
Samaritan, the lawyer, to be consistent with the decision he had already given,
must feel the force of our Lord’s inference, that it was his duty to act to any
person, of whatever nation or religion he might be, as this Samaritan had acted
toward his countryman. It is very likely that what our Lord relates here was a
real matter of fact, and not a parable; otherwise the captious lawyer might have
objected that no such case had ever existed, and that any inference drawn from
it was only begging the question; but as he was, in all probability, in
possession of the fact himself, he was forced to acknowledge the propriety of
our Lord’s inference and advice. - Adam
Clarke