Good Samaritan
A Good Samaritan is someone who helps a person in trouble, especially a stranger, without expecting a reward. The phrase comes from the story of a compassionate traveller told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke.
Where it comes from
The traveller who stops
Jesus tells the story in response to a question about who counts as a neighbour. The helper is a Samaritan, from a community often treated with hostility by the Jewish community of the time.
In the Gospel of Luke, robbers leave a traveller badly injured beside the road. A priest and a Levite pass by, but a Samaritan stops, tends his wounds, and takes him to an inn.
In Gospel of Luke by Luke
A helpful stranger today
Today, the phrase usually praises someone who offers practical help to a stranger. It need not suggest any religious belief.
In the Gospel of Luke, the Samaritan pays the innkeeper to care for the injured traveller and promises to cover further costs. This practical care is what makes him a lasting example of a helpful stranger.
In Gospel of Luke by Luke
How to use Good Samaritan
- Use it for someone who gives practical help to a person in trouble.
- Explain what the person did to help.
- Avoid using it for kindness that involves no real help.
Does a Good Samaritan have to be religious?
No, a Good Samaritan does not have to be religious. Although the phrase comes from the Gospel of Luke, everyday use describes helpful behaviour rather than a person's faith.
Why does it matter that the helper is a Samaritan?
It matters because the Samaritan helps across a boundary of distrust between communities. In the Gospel of Luke, the unexpected helper shows that being a neighbour depends on showing mercy, not belonging to the same group.
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