“Jesus accepted
This question.
He replied.
‘A man
Was going down
From Jerusalem
To Jericho.
He fell
Into the hands
Of robbers.
They stripped him.
They beat him up.
They went away,
Leaving him half dead.’”
ὑπολαβὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν Ἄνθρωπός τις κατέβαινεν ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς Ἱερειχώ, καὶ λῃσταῖς περιέπεσεν, οἳ καὶ ἐκδύσαντες αὐτὸν καὶ πληγὰς ἐπιθέντες ἀπῆλθον ἀφέντες ἡμιθανῆ.
Luke uniquely had Jesus tell a story to answer the question from the lawyer. Jesus accepted (ὑπολαβὼν) this inquiry about the meaning of neighbor. He said (εἶπεν) that a man (Ἄνθρωπός), presumably Jewish, was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho (τις κατέβαινεν ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς Ἱερειχώ), about 23 miles. However, he fell into the hands of some robbers (καὶ λῃσταῖς περιέπεσεν). They stripped him (οἳ καὶ ἐκδύσαντες αὐτὸν) and beat him up, inflicting wounds on him (καὶ πληγὰς ἐπιθέντες). Then they went away (ἀπῆλθον). They left him half dead (ἀφέντες ἡμιθανῆ). This was a simple story about a robbery that took place on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. More than one violent robber attacked this man. They took everything, including his clothes, and beat him up. Then they left him to die, since he was badly wounded. People get robbed and beaten up all the time. Do you really care about it?
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 