Luke 17:13They lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"
The setting
Border village, ~30 AD. Ten desperate men see Jesus approaching and simultaneously shout across the required distance in modern-day West Bank. Their voices echo together in unified desperation.
The emotion here: recording the raw desperation of human need
The original word
eleēson (ἐλέησον) — show mercy, from eleos meaning compassion that moves to action
Why it matters
They called Him 'Master' (epistata) — a term used only by disciples, showing they recognized His authority
Read with care
What most readers miss in Luke 17:13
This was a collective cry — ten individual voices becoming one desperate plea
Common misconceptionPeople think this was polite religious language, but it was desperate shouting from men who had nothing left to lose.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Luke 17:13
Bible Genome reading
Luke 17:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Luke 17:13 comes from the book of Luke, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to lepers. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include desperation, seeking help. Notable phrases: have mercy on us. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
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