In journeying from Jerusalem to Jericho, the traveler had to pass through a portion of the wilderness of Judea. The road led down a wild, rocky ravine, which was infested with robbers, and was often the scene of violence. It was here that the traveler was attacked, stripped of all that was valuable, and left half dead by the wayside. As he lay thus, a priest came that way; he saw the man lying wounded and bruised, weltering in his own blood; but he left him without rendering any assistance. He "passed by on the other side." Then a Levite appeared. Curious to know what had happened, he stopped and looked at the sufferer. He was convicted of what he ought to do, but it was not an agreeable duty. He wished that he had not come that way so that he would not have seen the wounded man. He persuaded himself that the case was no concern of his, and he too "passed by on the other side."

På vejen fra Jerusalem til Jeriko måtte den rejsende gå gennem en del af Judæas ørken. Vejen førte ned gennem en øde og stenet kløft, som var hjemsøgt af røvere og ofte en skueplads for voldshandlinger. Det var her den rejsende blev overfaldet, frataget alt af værdi og efterladt halvdød ved vejkanten. Medens han lå der i denne tilstand, kom en præst forbi stedet. Han så manden, der lå der såret, kvæstet og blødende, men han gik fra ham uden at hjælpe ham. Han "gik lige forbi". Så kom en levit. Han var nysgerrig efter at få at vide, hvad der var sket, så han standsede og så på den lidende. Han var overbevist om, hvad han burde gøre, men det var ikke en behageligpligt. Han ønskede, at han ikke var kommet den vej, så at han havde undgået at se den stakkels mand. Han forsikrede sig selv om, at det var et tilfælde, der ikke kom ham ved, og også han "gik lige forbi".