Luke 23:29-43

23:29 For this is certain: ¹  The days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore children, and the breasts that never nursed!’ ²  23:30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ³  ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ ⁴  23:31 For if such things are done ⁵  when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” ⁶ 

23:32 Two other criminals ⁷  were also led away to be executed with him. 23:33 So ⁸  when they came to the place that is called “The Skull,” ⁹  they crucified ¹⁰  him there, along with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 23:34 [But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”] ¹¹  Then ¹²  they threw dice ¹³  to divide his clothes. ¹⁴  23:35 The people also stood there watching, but the rulers ridiculed ¹⁵  him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save ¹⁶  himself if ¹⁷  he is the Christ ¹⁸  of God, his chosen one!” 23:36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, ¹⁹  23:37 and saying, “If ²⁰  you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” 23:38 There was also an inscription ²¹  over him, “This is the king of the Jews.”

23:39 One of the criminals who was hanging there railed at him, saying, “Aren’t ²²  you the Christ? ²³  Save yourself and us!” 23:40 But the other rebuked him, saying, ²⁴  “Don’t ²⁵  you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ²⁶  23:41 And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing ²⁷  wrong.” 23:42 Then ²⁸  he said, “Jesus, remember me ²⁹  when you come in ³⁰  your kingdom.” 23:43 And Jesus ³¹  said to him, “I tell you the truth, ³²  today ³³  you will be with me in paradise.” ³⁴ 

[23:29]  ¹ tn Grk “For behold.”

[23:29]  ² tn Grk “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts that have not nursed!”

[23:30]  ³ sn The figure of crying out to the mountains ‘Fall on us!’ (appealing to creation itself to hide them from God’s wrath), means that a time will come when people will feel they are better off dead (Hos 10:8).

[23:30]  ⁴ sn An allusion to Hos 10:8 (cf. Rev 6:16).

[23:31]  ⁵ tn Grk “if they do such things.” The plural subject here is indefinite, so the active voice has been translated as a passive (see ExSyn 402).

[23:31]  ⁶ sn The figure of the green wood and the dry has been variously understood. Most likely the picture compares the judgment on Jesus as the green (living) wood to the worse judgment that will surely come for the dry (dead) wood of the nation.

[23:32]  ⁷ tc The text reads either “two other criminals” or “others, two criminals.” The first reading (found in Ì⁷⁵ א B) could be read as describing Jesus as a criminal, while the second (found in A C D L W Θ Ψ 070 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï) looks like an attempt to prevent this identification. The first reading, more difficult to explain from the other, is likely original.

[23:33]  ⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the preceding material.

[23:33]  ¹⁰ sn The place that is called ‘The Skull’ (known as Golgotha in Aramaic, cf. John 19:17) is north and just outside of Jerusalem. The hill on which it is located protruded much like a skull, giving the place its name. The Latin word for Greek κρανίον (kranion) is calvaria, from which the English word “Calvary” derives (cf. Luke 23:33 in the KJV).

[23:33]  ¹¹ sn See the note on crucify in 23:21.

[23:34]  ¹¹ tc Many important mss (Ì⁷⁵ א¹ B D* W Θ 070 579 1241 pc sy^s sa) lack v. 34a. It is included in א*^,2 (A) C D² L Ψ 0250 Ë^1,(13) 33 Ï lat sy^c,p,h. It also fits a major Lukan theme of forgiving the enemies (6:27-36), and it has a parallel in Stephen’s response in Acts 7:60. The lack of parallels in the other Gospels argues also for inclusion here. On the other hand, the fact of the parallel in Acts 7:60 may well have prompted early scribes to insert the saying in Luke’s Gospel alone. Further, there is the great difficulty of explaining why early and diverse witnesses lack the saying. A decision is difficult, but even those who regard the verse as inauthentic literarily often consider it to be authentic historically. For this reason it has been placed in single brackets in the translation.

[23:34]  ¹² tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:34]  ¹³ tn Grk “cast lots” (probably by using marked pebbles or broken pieces of pottery). A modern equivalent “threw dice” was chosen here because of its association with gambling.

[23:34]  ¹⁴ sn An allusion to Ps 22:18, which identifies Jesus as the suffering innocent one.

[23:35]  ¹³ tn A figurative extension of the literal meaning “to turn one’s nose up at someone”; here “ridicule, sneer at, show contempt for” (L&N 33.409).

[23:35]  ¹⁴ sn The irony in the statement Let him save himself is that salvation did come, but later, not while on the cross.

[23:35]  ¹⁵ tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text.

[23:35]  ¹⁶ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[23:36]  ¹⁵ sn Sour wine was cheap wine, called in Latin posca, and referred to a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion, who had some on hand, now used it to taunt Jesus further.

[23:37]  ¹⁷ tn This is also a first class condition in the Greek text.

[23:38]  ¹⁹ sn Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners’ point of view.

[23:39]  ²¹ tc Most mss (A C³ W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat) read εἰ σὺ εἶ (ei su ei, “If you are”) here, while οὐχὶ σὺ εἶ (ouci su ei, “Are you not”) is found in overall better and earlier witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ א B C* L 070 1241 pc it). The “if” clause reading creates a parallel with the earlier taunts (vv. 35, 37), and thus is most likely a motivated reading.

[23:39]  ²² tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[23:40]  ²³ tn Grk “But answering, the other rebuking him, said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[23:40]  ²⁴ tn The particle used here (οὐδέ, oude), which expects a positive reply, makes this a rebuke – “You should fear God and not speak!”

[23:40]  ²⁵ tn The words “of condemnation” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[23:41]  ²⁵ sn This man has done nothing wrong is yet another declaration that Jesus was innocent of any crime.

[23:42]  ²⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:42]  ²⁸ sn Jesus, remember me is a statement of faith from the cross, as Jesus saves another even while he himself is dying. This man’s faith had shown itself when he rebuked the other thief. He hoped to be with Jesus sometime in the future in the kingdom.

[23:42]  ²⁹ tc ‡ The alternate readings of some mss make the reference to Jesus’ coming clearer. “Into your kingdom” – with εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν (ei" thn basileian), read by Ì⁷⁵ B L – is a reference to his entering into God’s presence at the right hand. “In your kingdom” – with ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ (en th basileia), read by א A C*^,2 W Θ Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat sy – looks at his return. It could be argued that the reading with εἰς is more in keeping with Luke’s theology elsewhere, but the contrast with Jesus’ reply, “Today,” slightly favors the reading “in your kingdom.” Codex Bezae (D), in place of this short interchange between the criminal and Jesus, reads “Then he turned to the Lord and said to him, ‘Remember me in the day of your coming.’ Then the Lord said in reply to [him], ‘Take courage; today you will be with me in paradise.’” This reading emphasizes the future aspect of the coming of Christ; it has virtually no support in any other mss.

[23:43]  ²⁹ tn Grk “he.”

[23:43]  ³⁰ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[23:43]  ³¹ sn Jesus gives more than the criminal asked for, because the blessing will come today, not in the future. He will be among the righteous. See the note on today in 2:11.

[23:43]  ³² sn In the NT, paradise is mentioned three times. Here it refers to the abode of the righteous dead. In Rev 2:7 it refers to the restoration of Edenic paradise predicted in Isa 51:3 and Ezek 36:35. In 2 Cor 12:4 it probably refers to the “third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2) as the place where God dwells.