17:12 There met him ten men that were lepers. For account of the leprosy, and the laws of Moses concerning it, see PNT Mt 8:2. These lepers, excluded from other society, grouped together for company.
Stood afar off. As required by the law of Moses (Le 13:46).
17:11-19 A sense of our spiritual leprosy should make us very humble whenever we draw near to Christ. It is enough to refer ourselves to the compassions of Christ, for they fail not. We may look for God to meet us with mercy, when we are found in the way of obedience. Only one of those who were healed returned to give thanks. It becomes us, like him, to be very humble in thanksgivings, as well as in prayers. Christ noticed the one who thus distinguished himself, he was a Samaritan. The others only got the outward cure, he alone got the spiritual blessing.
