Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 10:31

"And by chance a certain priest was going down that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side." — Luke 10:31 (ASV)

Priests served in the temple; their highest duty was to offer sacrifices. Levites assisted in the maintenance of the temple services and order. We are not told why the priest and Levite refused to help, but the point of the story seems to require that the priest and the Levite have no legitimate excuse.

The terrain from Jerusalem to Jericho is rugged and isolated. In Bible times, robbers would hide in the hills and caves.