The Meaning of Luke 23:39 Explained

Luke 23:39

KJV: And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

YLT: And one of the evil-doers who were hanged, was speaking evil of him, saying, 'If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us.'

Darby: Now one of the malefactors who had been hanged spoke insultingly to him, saying, Art not thou the Christ? save thyself and us.

ASV: And one of the malefactors that were hanged railed on him, saying, Art not thou the Christ? save thyself and us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  one  of the malefactors  which were hanged  railed  on him,  saying,  If  thou  be  Christ,  save  thyself  and  us. 

What does Luke 23:39 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The first criminal (robber, Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27) joined the mockery of others around the cross by implying Jesus" inability to save Himself and His fellow sufferers. He was bitterly sarcastic of Jesus. [1] His verbal abuse constituted blasphemy (Gr. eblasphemei). Blasphemy is essentially impious irreverence and defamation. Obviously this man did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Luke may have intended this criminal"s action as a warning to his readers not to do the same thing. Refusing to take Jesus" claims seriously constitutes blasphemy of Him.
"When the two malefactors were hanged beside the Lord, the one was no better than the other.... It is only the grace of God in the cross of Christ that can instantly transform a reviling sinner into an attitude of saving faith and confession. The repentant thief began to see (1) the justice of his own punishment ( Luke 23:41); (2) the sinless character of Christ ( Luke 23:41); (3) the Deity of Christ ( Luke 23:42); (4) a living Christ beyond the grave ( Luke 23:42); and (5) a kingdom beyond the cross, with Jesus as its coming King ( Luke 23:42)." [2]

Context Summary

Luke 23:35-46 - Saving Others By Not Saving Himself
Rulers, soldiers, and malefactors all heaped their insults on the dying Lord, little realizing that they were all included in the great love which was pouring itself out as the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. It may be that we shall have to share the same opprobrium, if we drink of His cup and are baptized with His baptism. But God will do for us as He did for Jesus; He will not leave our soul in the grave nor suffer His own to see corruption, Psalms 16:10.
The signs of renewal, wrought in the heart of the penitent thief, showed the sure work of the Holy Spirit. These were the fear of God, the sense of justice in His suffering, the confession of evil deeds, the recognition of our Lord's sinlessness and dignity, and the anticipation of His coming Kingdom. We may begin a day under the dull skies of earth and close it where there is no need of sun or moon. See Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:6. For the rent veil, see Hebrews 10:20. Dying saints have often passed home with our Lord's last words on their lips, Psalms 31:5; Acts 7:59. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 23

1  Jesus is accused before Pilate, and sent to Herod
8  Herod mocks him
12  Herod and Pilate become friends
13  Barabbas is desired of the people,
24  and is released by Pilate, and Jesus is given to be crucified
26  He tells the women, that lament him, the destruction of Jerusalem;
34  prays for his enemies
39  Two criminals are crucified with him
46  His death
50  His burial

Greek Commentary for Luke 23:39

Railed [εβλασπημει]
Imperfect active, implying that he kept it up. His question formally calls for an affirmative answer (ουχι — ouchi), but the ridicule is in his own answer: “Save thyself and us.” It was on a level with an effort to break prison. Luke alone gives this incident (Luke 23:39), though Mark 15:32; Matthew 27:44 allude to it. [source]
Railed [ἐβλασφήμει]
Imperfect: kept up a railing. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 23:39

Matthew 26:55 A thief [λῃστὴν]
Better Rev., a robber. See John 10:1, John 10:8; and Luke 23:39-43. It is more than a petty stealer; rather one with associates, who would require an armed band to apprehend him. Hence the propriety of the reference to swords and staves. [source]
Mark 15:32 That we may see and believe [ινα ιδωμεν και πιστευσωμεν]
Aorist subjunctive of purpose with ινα — hina They use almost the very language of Jesus in their ridicule, words that they had heard him use in his appeals to men to see and believe.Reproached him (ωνειδιζον αυτον — ōneidizon auton). Imperfect tense. They did it several times. Mark and Matthew both fail to give the story of the robber who turned to Christ on the Cross as told in Luke 23:39-43. [source]
Mark 15:32 Reproached him [ωνειδιζον αυτον]
Imperfect tense. They did it several times. Mark and Matthew both fail to give the story of the robber who turned to Christ on the Cross as told in Luke 23:39-43. [source]
Luke 10:30 Thieves [λῃσταῖς]
See on Matthew 26:55; and Luke 23:39-43. These were not petty stealers, but men of violence, as was shown by their treatment of the traveller. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho passed through a wilderness (Joshua 16:1), which was so notorious for robberies and murders that a portion of it was called “the red or bloody way,” and was protected by a fort and a Roman garrison. [source]
Luke 23:32 Were led [αγω]
(αγω — e4gonto). Imperfect passive of κακουργοι — agō were being led.Malefactors (κακον — kakourgoi). Evil (εργον — kakon), doers (work, αναιρετηναι — ergon). Old word, but in the N.T. only in this passage (Luke 23:32, Luke 23:33, Luke 23:39) and 2 Timothy 2:9. Luke does not call them “robbers” like Mark 15:27; Matthew 27:38, Matthew 27:44. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
To be put to death (αναιρεω — anairethēnai). First aorist passive infinitive of anaireō old verb, to take up, to take away, to kill. [source]

Luke 23:39 Railed [εβλασπημει]
Imperfect active, implying that he kept it up. His question formally calls for an affirmative answer (ουχι — ouchi), but the ridicule is in his own answer: “Save thyself and us.” It was on a level with an effort to break prison. Luke alone gives this incident (Luke 23:39), though Mark 15:32; Matthew 27:44 allude to it. [source]
2 Timothy 2:9 As an evildoer [ὡς κακοῦργος]
Only here and in Luke. Better, malefactor. The meaning is technical. Comp. Luke 23:32, Luke 23:33, Luke 23:39. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 23:39 mean?

One now of the having been hanged criminals was railing at Him saying Not you are if the Christ Save Yourself and us
Εἷς δὲ τῶν κρεμασθέντων κακούργων ἐβλασφήμει αὐτόν ‹λέγων› Οὐχὶ σὺ εἶ Χριστός σῶσον σεαυτὸν καὶ ἡμᾶς

Εἷς  One 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
κρεμασθέντων  having  been  hanged 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: κρεμάννυμι  
Sense: to hang up, suspend.
κακούργων  criminals 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: κακοῦργος  
Sense: a malefactor.
ἐβλασφήμει  was  railing  at 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: βλασφημέω 
Sense: to speak reproachfully, rail at, revile, calumniate, blaspheme.
‹λέγων›  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
σὺ  you  are 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
Χριστός  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.
σῶσον  Save 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἐκσῴζω 
Sense: to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction.
σεαυτὸν  Yourself 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative Masculine 2nd Person Singular
Root: σεαυτοῦ  
Sense: thyself, thee.
ἡμᾶς  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.

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