Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 17:15-16

"And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, with a loud voice glorifying God; and he fell upon his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan." — Luke 17:15-16 (ASV)

One of them. This man, aware of the power of God and grateful for his mercies, returned to express his gratitude to God for his goodness. Instead of obeying at once the letter of the command, he first expressed his thanks to God and to his Great Benefactor.

There is no evidence, however, that he did not, after he had given thanks to God and poured out his joy at the feet of Jesus, go to the priest as he was directed. Indeed, he could not have been restored to society without doing so. But he first poured out his thanks to God and gave him praise for his wonderful recovery.

The first duty of sinners, after they have been forgiven and have the hope of eternal life, is to prostrate themselves at the feet of their Great Benefactor, and to consecrate themselves to his service. Then let them go and show to others the evidence that they are cleansed. Let them go and mingle, like a restored leper, with their families and friends, and show by the purity and holiness of their lives how great is the mercy that has cleansed them.

He was a Samaritan. See Barnes on Matthew 10:5.

This rendered his conduct more remarkable and striking in the eyes of the Jews. They considered the Samaritans as particularly wicked, and themselves as particularly holy. This example showed them, like the parable of the good Samaritan, that in this they were mistaken. One design of this seems to have been to break down the opposition between the Jews and Samaritans, and to bring the former to more charitable judgments concerning the latter.