4795. sugkuria

Lexical Summary

sugkuria: coincidence, chance, circumstance

Original Word: συγκυρία
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: sugkuria
Pronunciation: soong-koo-ree'-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (soong-koo-ree'-ah)
KJV: chance
NASB: chance
Word Origin: [from a comparative of G4862 (σύν - along) and kureo "to light or happen" (from the base of G2962 (κύριος - Lord))]

1. concurrence, i.e. accident

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

chance.

From a comparative of sun and kureo (to light or happen; from the base of kurios); concurrence, i.e. Accident -- chance.

see GREEK sun

see GREEK kurios

HELPS Word-studies

4795 sygkyría (from 4862 /sýn, "identified with" and kyreō, "to happen co-incidentally") – properly, what occurs together by God's providential arrangement of circumstances – all achieving His eternal purpose in each scene of life. 4795 (sygkyría) is used only in Lk 10:31.

Lk 10:31: "According to [divine] co-incidence (4795 /sygkyría), a certain priest was going down in that way . . . "

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from a comp. of sun and kureó (to happen)
Definition
chance
NASB Translation
chance (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4795: συγκυρία

συγκυρία, συγκυριας, ἡ (συγκύρειν, to happen, turn out), accident, chance: κατά συγκυρίαν, by chance, accidentally, Luke 10:31. (Hippocrates; ecclesiastical and Byzantine writings; Greek writings from Polybius down more common use συγκυρησις and συγκυρημα (Winer's Grammar, 24).)

Topical Lexicon

Scriptural Context

Luke 10:31 sets the lone New Testament occurrence of συγκυρία (sygkuría): “Now by chance a priest was going down that same road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.” (Berean Standard Bible). The term frames the opening moment of the Good Samaritan parable, where a providentially significant encounter is introduced under the appearance of mere coincidence.

Literary Function in the Parable

1. Narrative Tension. The word signals an unexpected intersection of lives—injured traveler, priest, Levite, and eventually Samaritan—inviting the hearer to ponder what people do with unplanned moments.
2. Irony of Opportunity. While the event seems accidental, Jesus uses it to expose deliberate choices. The priest’s “chance” meeting becomes the test of his compassion, revealing the heart behind formal religiosity.
3. Contrast with Samaritan Response. The Samaritan’s loving action shows that what appears random to humans can be the arena for God’s mercy to enter through those willing to obey the second great commandment (Luke 10:27).

Theological Insights

• Apparent Randomness under Sovereign Rule. Scripture affirms divine governance over all events (Proverbs 16:33; Romans 8:28). συγκυρία underscores that believers experience God’s providence through seemingly incidental encounters.
• Human Responsibility. The word highlights that divine sovereignty never negates moral accountability. The priest’s neglect is still judged even though the meeting was “by chance.”
• Gospel Implication. The Samaritan prefigures Christ, who enters humanity’s path “by divine appointment,” binding wounds and bearing the cost of restoration (Isaiah 53:4-5; 1 Peter 2:24).

Historical and Cultural Background

In Hellenistic literature συγκυρία described the convergence of circumstances beyond human control. Jewish wisdom had a comparable concept in בִּקְרֶה (miqreh, Ruth 2:3; Ecclesiastes 9:11), yet always assumed that the LORD remains the unseen director. Jesus speaks into this shared cultural notion, neither denying the language of chance nor ceding any part of creation to blind fate.

Ministry Significance

1. Pastoral Care. Wounded souls often cross a minister’s path unexpectedly. Recognizing συγκυρία moments equips shepherds to act decisively with grace.
2. Evangelism. Acts 8:26-40 and Acts 16:13-15 illustrate divine appointments that resemble “chance” meetings; readiness to witness turns coincidence into conversion.
3. Discipleship. Training believers to view the ordinary schedule as a platform for God’s purposes nurtures alertness to the Spirit’s prompting (Ephesians 5:15-16).
4. Compassion Ministries. The parable motivates churches to engage marginalized neighbors encountered in everyday life, not merely through organized programs.

Practical Application for Individual Believers

• Cultivate Margin. The priest was likely time-bound by ritual obligations. Allowing space in one’s routine prepares room for unexpected service.
• Sensitivity to Suffering. Look beyond surface interruptions to discern hidden distress needing Christ’s touch.
• Stewardship of Influence. Professional title or religious standing does not exempt anyone from loving the neighbor placed “by chance” in one’s path.

Doctrinal Harmony

The single usage of συγκυρία harmonizes with the broader biblical witness: God employs ordinary contingencies to fulfill His redemptive plan (Genesis 50:20; Esther 4:14; Acts 27:43-44). Chance in Scripture is never autonomous; it is the human vantage on sovereign orchestration.

Conclusion

Strong’s Greek 4795 points to a moment that outwardly looks accidental yet inwardly carries eternal weight. Luke 10:31 urges every follower of Christ to treat each unplanned encounter as a summons to manifest divine compassion, trusting that underneath every συγκυρία lies the purposeful hand of God.

Forms and Transliterations

συγκυριαν συγκυρίαν sunkurian synkyrian synkyrían

Englishman's Concordance

Luke 10:31 N-AFS
GRK: κατὰ συγκυρίαν δὲ ἱερεύς
NAS: And by chance a priest was going down
KJV: by chance there came down
INT: By chance now a priest

Strong's Greek 4795
1 Occurrence

συγκυρίαν — 1 Occ.