Charles Spurgeon Commentary Luke 17:12

"And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off:" — Luke 17:12 (ASV)

Which stood afar off:

The rule was that they should never come upon the public road, or near the highway, lest the disease should be contracted by others who might come near them.

And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers,

Oh, the abundance of human misery that met the Saviour's eye: ten men that were lepers! I was reading only yesterday about what happened in Westminster, many years ago. When the king went along the highway, there were crowds of poor lepers on either side of the road, a shocking sight to see in this dear land of ours; and the king, in his tender mercy, simply passed a law that the lepers should not come near the road again to impose upon his gracious majesty with their misery. That was all he had to do for them; but our glorious King treated lepers very differently: There met him ten men that were lepers.