The Meaning of Luke 23:40 Explained

Luke 23:40

KJV: But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

YLT: And the other answering, was rebuking him, saying, 'Dost thou not even fear God, that thou art in the same judgment?

Darby: But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost thou too not fear God, thou that art under the same judgment?

ASV: But the other answered, and rebuking him said, Dost thou not even fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  the other  answering  rebuked  him,  saying,  Dost  not  thou  fear  God,  seeing  thou art  in  the same  condemnation? 

What does Luke 23:40 Mean?

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 23:40

Rebuking [επιτιμων]
From what Mark and Matthew say both robbers sneered at Jesus at first, but this one came to himself and turned on his fellow robber in a rage. [source]
Dost thou not even fear God? [Ουδε ποβηι τον τεον]
Ουδε — Oude here goes with the verb. Ποβηι — Phobēi (second person singular present indicative middle of ποβεομαι — phobeomai Both of you will soon appear before God. Jesus has nothing to answer for and you have added this to your other sins. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 23:40

1 Timothy 5:12 Having damnation [ἔχουσαι κρίμα]
The phrase only here. See on 1 Timothy 3:6. Damnation is an unfortunate rendering in the light of the present common understanding of the word, as it is also in 1 Corinthians 11:29. Better, judgment or condemnation, as Romans 3:8; Romans 13:2. The meaning is that they carry about with them in their new, married life a condemnation, a continuous reproach. Comp. 1 Timothy 4:2; Galatians 5:10. It should be said for the translators of 1611 that they used damnation in this sense of, judgment or condemnation, as is shown by the present participle having. In its earlier usage the word implied no allusion to a future punishment. Thus Chaucer“For wel thou woost (knowest) thyselven verrailyThat thou and I be dampned to prisoun.”Knight's T. 1175.Wiclif: “Nethir thou dredist God, that thou art in the same dampnacioun?” Luke 23:40. Laud.: “Pope Alexander III. condemned Peter Lombard of heresy, and he lay under that damnation for thirty and six years.” “A legacy by damnation” was one in which the testator imposed on his heir an obligation to give the legatee the thing bequeathed, and which afforded the legatee a personal claim against the heir. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 23:40 mean?

Answering now the other was rebuking him saying Not even do fear you - God that under the same judgment you are
Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ἕτερος ἐπιτιμῶν αὐτῷ ἔφη Οὐδὲ φοβῇ σὺ τὸν Θεόν ὅτι ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ κρίματι εἶ

Ἀποκριθεὶς  Answering 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἕτερος  other 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀλλοιόω 
Sense: the other, another, other.
ἐπιτιμῶν  was  rebuking 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐπιτιμάω  
Sense: to show honour to, to honour.
ἔφη  saying 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: φημί  
Sense: to make known one’s thoughts, to declare.
Οὐδὲ  Not  even 
Parse: Adverb
Root: οὐδέ  
Sense: but not, neither, nor, not even.
φοβῇ  do  fear 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 2nd Person Singular
Root: φοβέομαι 
Sense: to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away).
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεόν  God 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
ἐν  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐν 
Sense: in, by, with etc.
αὐτῷ  same 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Neuter 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
κρίματι  judgment 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: κρίμα  
Sense: a decree, judgments.
εἶ  you  are 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.