# Jesus doesn't say \`good' **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [December 4, 2001, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-doesnt-say-good/96846 "2001-12-04T16:24:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dfprovine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@dfprovine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dfprovine)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-doesnt-say-good/96846/1 "2001-12-04T16:24:16Z")
Just for the record, Jesus never said that the Samaritan was good. He just tells the story and says what the guy did, and that he behaved as a neighbor when the others did not. The Samaritan’s actions, per the story, don’t get him any special recognition: he just did what would be expected. Calling him `good' it implies that he went above and beyond the call of duty; but nothing Jesus said supports the `above and beyond’ interpretation. I suppose we call him the Good Samaritan because, by comparison, we are so awful. But Jesus presents the Samaritan’s actions as merely what is expected, and not as being exceptionally `good’. ---
**Author:** ![sford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/edb3f5/32.png) [@sford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sford)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-doesnt-say-good/96846/2 "2001-12-04T16:40:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dfprovine \* > \*\*But Jesus presents the > Samaritan’s actions as merely what is expected, and not > as being exceptionally `good’. \*\* Now-a-days, Jesus would probably describe him as being “Most Excellent”. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-doesnt-say-good/96846/3 "2001-12-04T16:43:38Z")
DFprov, welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards! The link to the Staff Report is: [What’s the origin of “Good Samaritan”?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mgoodsamaritan.html) It is helpful, when starting a new topic, to provide a link to the Staff Report that you are commenting on. That way, everyone can be on the same page (and we avoid people repeating points that are already made in the Staff Report.) While Jesus doesn’t use the word “good”, he uses the word “neighbor”… and I think there is room for disagreement about whether his actions were exceptional or expected. After all, the whole point is that the Samaritan (whom one would expect to by-pass a wounded Israelite) stopped to help, while two Israelites (whom one WOULD expect to help) did not. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-doesnt-say-good/96846/4 "2001-12-04T16:44:36Z")
Thanks for your comments. On this board in this forum, it is customary to provide a link to the column in question so everyone is on the same page. [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mgoodsamaritan.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mgoodsamaritan.html) Also, there is another thread on this topic here: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=102008](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=102008) . Regarding your comments, davidh explains in his thread (linked above) that Samaritans were considered cruel and intolerant. This Samaritan defied that stereotype and took the actions that were expected of a priest and a Levite, both considered more respectable and caring types. Thus he was the _good_ Samaritan as opposed to all the other Samaritans. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-doesnt-say-good/96846/5 "2001-12-05T20:54:44Z")
It’s just a phrase, used for shorthand reference. Much like we refer to “Noah’s Flood” although it’s never called Noah’s Flood in the Book. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-doesnt-say-good/96846/6 "2001-12-06T19:50:29Z")
The phrase has so entered the vocabulary that the original meaning of the word _Samaritan_ is lost. Last night on the news there was a story on a guy who stopped on the interstate to help another driver and was struck and killed by a car. The news anchors and reporters repeatedly referred to him as “the Samaritan”.