The Meaning of Matthew 27:39 Explained

Matthew 27:39

KJV: And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

YLT: and those passing by were speaking evil of him, wagging their heads,

Darby: But the passers-by reviled him, shaking their heads

ASV: And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  they that passed by  reviled  him,  wagging  their  heads, 

What does Matthew 27:39 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 27:32-44 - "where They Crucified Him"
He will not drink what would dull His keen sense of the momentous issues of the Cross. Those taunts were true. None who save themselves can save others. The cry of forsakenness, the midday midnight, the yielded spirit, the rent veil, the opened tombs, the sympathy of nature-all these proved that this was no common death, and were in keeping with everything that Scripture had foretold, 1 Peter 1:11.
Our Lord was wrapped in midnight, that He might be our "bright and morning star." He became obedient to death, that He might give eternal life. His heel was sorely wounded, that He might break the head of him that had the power of death, and might wear forever at His girdle the keys of death and Hades. Make His soul an offering for thy sin. Hide in the cleft which the soldier's spear opened in His side. He has made peace by the blood of His Cross; we have but to accept and be at rest. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 27

1  Jesus is delivered bound to Pilate
3  Judas hangs himself
19  Pilate, admonished of his wife,
20  and being urged by the multitude, washes his hands, and releases Barabbas
27  Jesus is mocked and crowned with thorns;
33  crucified;
39  reviled;
50  dies, and is buried;
62  his tomb is sealed and watched

Greek Commentary for Matthew 27:39

Wagging their heads [κινουντες τας κεπαλας αυτων]
Probably in mock commiseration. “Jews again appear on the scene, with a malice like that shewn in the trial before the Sanhedrin” (McNeile). “To us it may seem incredible that even his worst enemies could be guilty of anything so brutal as to hurl taunts at one suffering the agonies of crucifixion” (Bruce). These passers-by (παρατηρουμενοι — paratēroumenoi) look on Jesus as one now down and out. They jeer at the fallen foe. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 27:39

Mark 7:22 Blasphemy [βλασφημία]
The word does not necessarily imply blasphemy against God. It is used of reviling, calumny, evil-speaking in general. See Matthew 27:39; Romans 3:8; Romans 14:16; 1 Peter 4:4, etc. Hence Rev. renders railing. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 27:39 mean?

Those now passing by kept railing at Him wagging the heads of them
Οἱ δὲ παραπορευόμενοι ἐβλασφήμουν αὐτὸν κινοῦντες τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν

Οἱ  Those 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
παραπορευόμενοι  passing  by 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: παραπορεύομαι  
Sense: to proceed at the side, go past, pass by.
ἐβλασφήμουν  kept  railing  at 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: βλασφημέω 
Sense: to speak reproachfully, rail at, revile, calumniate, blaspheme.
κινοῦντες  wagging 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: κινέω  
Sense: to cause to go, i.e. to move, set in motion.
κεφαλὰς  heads 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: κεφαλή  
Sense: the head, both of men and often of animals.
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.