Luke 23:41-50

23:41 And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing ¹  wrong.” 23:42 Then ²  he said, “Jesus, remember me ³  when you come in ⁴  your kingdom.” 23:43 And Jesus ⁵  said to him, “I tell you the truth, ⁶  today ⁷  you will be with me in paradise.” ⁸ 

23:44 It was now ⁹  about noon, ¹⁰  and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, ¹¹  23:45 because the sun’s light failed. ¹²  The temple curtain ¹³  was torn in two. 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” ¹⁴  And after he said this he breathed his last.

23:47 Now when the centurion ¹⁵  saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!” ¹⁶  23:48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. ¹⁷  23:49 And all those who knew Jesus ¹⁸  stood at a distance, and the women who had followed him from Galilee saw ¹⁹  these things.

Jesus’ Burial

23:50 Now ²⁰  there was a man named Joseph who was a member of the council, ²¹  a good and righteous man.

[23:41]  ¹ sn This man has done nothing wrong is yet another declaration that Jesus was innocent of any crime.

[23:42]  ² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:42]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Grk “he.”

[23:43]  ⁶ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[23:43]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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.

[23:44]  ⁹ tn Grk “And it was.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[23:44]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “the sixth hour.”

[23:44]  ¹¹ tn Grk “until the ninth hour.”

[23:45]  ¹² tc The wording “the sun’s light failed” is a translation of τοῦ ἡλίου ἐκλιπόντος/ ἐκλείποντος (tou Jhliou eklipontos/ ekleipontos), a reading found in the earliest and best witnesses (among them Ì⁷⁵ א B C*^vid L 070 579 2542 pc) as well as several ancient versions. The majority of mss (A C³ [D] W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï lat sy) have the flatter, less dramatic term, “the sun was darkened” (ἐσκοτίσθη, eskotisqe), a reading that avoids the problem of implying an eclipse (see sn below). This alternative thus looks secondary because it is a more common word and less likely to be misunderstood as referring to a solar eclipse. That it appears in later witnesses rather than the earliest ones adds confirmatory testimony to its inauthentic character.

[23:45]  ¹³ tn The referent of this term, καταπέτασμα (katapetasma), is not entirely clear. It could refer to the curtain separating the holy of holies from the holy place (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.5 [5.219]), or it could refer to one at the entrance of the temple court (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.4 [5.212]). Many argue that the inner curtain is meant because another term, κάλυμμα (kalumma), is also used for the outer curtain. Others see a reference to the outer curtain as more likely because of the public nature of this sign. Either way, the symbolism means that access to God has been opened up. It also pictures a judgment that includes the sacrifices.

[23:46]  ¹⁴ sn A quotation from Ps 31:5. It is a psalm of trust. The righteous, innocent sufferer trusts in God. Luke does not have the cry of pain from Ps 22:1 (cf. Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34), but notes Jesus’ trust instead.

[23:47]  ¹⁵ sn See the note on the word centurion in 7:2.

[23:47]  ¹⁶ tn Or “righteous.” It is hard to know whether “innocent” or “righteous” is intended, as the Greek term used can mean either, and both make good sense in this context. Luke has been emphasizing Jesus as innocent, so that is slightly more likely here. Of course, one idea entails the other.

[23:48]  ¹⁷ sn Some apparently regretted what had taken place. Beating their breasts was a sign of lamentation.

[23:49]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:49]  ¹⁹ tn Technically the participle ὁρῶσαι (Jorwsai) modifies only γυναῖκες (gunaike") since both are feminine plural nominative, although many modern translations refer this as well to the group of those who knew Jesus mentioned in the first part of the verse. These events had a wide array of witnesses.

[23:50]  ²⁰ tn Grk “And behold.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[23:50]  ²¹ tn Grk “a councillor” (as a member of the Sanhedrin, see L&N 11.85). This indicates that some individuals among the leaders did respond to Jesus.