Matthew 27:44

27:44 The ¹  robbers who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him. ² 

Isaiah 53:12

53:12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, ³ 

he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, ⁴ 

because he willingly submitted ⁵  to death

and was numbered with the rebels,

when he lifted up the sin of many

and intervened ⁶  on behalf of the rebels.”

Mark 15:27-28

15:27 And they crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left. 15:28 [[EMPTY]] ⁷ 

Luke 22:37

22:37 For I tell you that this scripture must be ⁸  fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted with the transgressors.’ ⁹  For what is written about me is being fulfilled.” ¹⁰ 

Luke 23:32-33

23:32 Two other criminals ¹¹  were also led away to be executed with him. 23:33 So ¹²  when they came to the place that is called “The Skull,” ¹³  they crucified ¹⁴  him there, along with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

Luke 23:39-43

23:39 One of the criminals who was hanging there railed at him, saying, “Aren’t ¹⁵  you the Christ? ¹⁶  Save yourself and us!” 23:40 But the other rebuked him, saying, ¹⁷  “Don’t ¹⁸  you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ¹⁹  23:41 And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing ²⁰  wrong.” 23:42 Then ²¹  he said, “Jesus, remember me ²²  when you come in ²³  your kingdom.” 23:43 And Jesus ²⁴  said to him, “I tell you the truth, ²⁵  today ²⁶  you will be with me in paradise.” ²⁷ 

John 19:18

19:18 There they ²⁸  crucified ²⁹  him along with two others, ³⁰  one on each side, with Jesus in the middle.

John 19:31-35

19:31 Then, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not stay on the crosses on the Sabbath ³¹  (for that Sabbath was an especially important one), ³²  the Jewish leaders ³³  asked Pilate to have the victims’ legs ³⁴  broken ³⁵  and the bodies taken down. ³⁶  19:32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men who had been crucified ³⁷  with Jesus, ³⁸  first the one and then the other. ³⁹  19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced ⁴⁰  his side with a spear, and blood and water ⁴¹  flowed out immediately. 19:35 And the person who saw it ⁴²  has testified (and his testimony is true, and he ⁴³  knows that he is telling the truth), ⁴⁴  so that you also may believe.

[27:44]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[27:44]  ² sn Matthew’s wording suggests that both of the criminals spoke abusively to him. If so, one of them quickly changed his attitude toward Jesus (see Luke 23:40-43).

[53:12]  ³ tn Scholars have debated the precise meaning of the term רַבִּים (rabbim) that occurs five times in this passage (Isa 52:14, 15; 53:11, 12 [2x]). Its two broad categories of translation are “much”/“many” and “great” (HALOT 1171-72 s.v. I רַב). Unlike other Hebrew terms for might or strength, this term is linked with numbers or abundance. In all sixteen uses outside of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (articular and plural) it signifies an inclusive meaning: “the majority” or “the multitude” (J. Jeremias, TDNT 6:536-37). This term occurs in parallelism with עֲצוּמִים (’atsumim), which normally signifies “numerous” or “large” or “powerful” (through large numbers). Like רַבִּים (rabbim), it refers to greatness in numbers (cf. Deut 4:38; 7:1; 9:1; 11:34). It emphasizes the multitudes with whom the Servant will share the spoil of his victory. As J. Olley wrote: “Yahweh has won the victory and vindicates his Servant, giving to him many subservient people, together with their spoils. These numerous peoples in turn receive blessing, sharing in the “peace” resulting from Yahweh’s victory and the Servant’s suffering” (John W. Olley, “‘The Many’: How Is Isa 53,12a to Be Understood,” Bib 68 [1987]: 330-56).

[53:12]  ⁴ sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.

[53:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”

[53:12]  ⁶ tn The Hiphil of פָּגַע (paga’) can mean “cause to attack” (v. 6), “urge, plead verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25), or “intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16). Perhaps the third nuance fits best here, for military imagery is employed in the first two lines of the verse.

[15:28]  ⁷ tc Most later mss add 15:28 “And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘He was counted with the lawless ones.’” Verse 28 is included in L Θ 083 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat, but is lacking in important Alexandrian and Western mss and some others (א A B C D Ψ pc). The addition of the verse with its quotation from Isa 53:12 probably represents a scribal assimilation from Luke 22:37. It was almost certainly not an original part of Mark’s Gospel. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[22:37]  ⁸ sn This scripture must be fulfilled in me. The statement again reflects the divine necessity of God’s plan. See 4:43-44.

[22:37]  ⁹ tn Or “with the lawless.”

[22:37]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “is having its fulfillment.”

[23:32]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the preceding material.

[23:33]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ sn See the note on crucify in 23:21.

[23:39]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[23:40]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “But answering, the other rebuking him, said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[23:40]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ tn The words “of condemnation” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[23:41]  ²⁰ sn This man has done nothing wrong is yet another declaration that Jesus was innocent of any crime.

[23:42]  ²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:42]  ²² 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]  ²³ 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]  ²⁴ tn Grk “he.”

[23:43]  ²⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[23:43]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ 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.

[19:18]  ²⁸ tn Grk “where they.” This is a continuation of the previous verse in Greek, but contemporary English style tends toward shorter sentences. A literal translation would result in a lengthy and awkward English sentence.

[19:18]  ²⁹ sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[19:18]  ³⁰ tn Grk “and with him two others.”

[19:31]  ³¹ sn The Jewish authorities, because this was the day of preparation for the Sabbath and the Passover (cf. 19:14), requested Pilate to order the legs of the three who had been crucified to be broken. This would hasten their deaths, so that the bodies could be removed before the beginning of the Sabbath at 6 p.m. This was based on the law of Deut 21:22-23 and Josh 8:29 that specified the bodies of executed criminals who had been hanged on a tree should not remain there overnight. According to Josephus this law was interpreted in the 1st century to cover the bodies of those who had been crucified (J. W. 4.5.2 [4.317]). Philo of Alexandria also mentions that on occasion, especially at festivals, the bodies were taken down and given to relatives to bury (Flaccus 10 [83]). The normal Roman practice would have been to leave the bodies on the crosses, to serve as a warning to other would-be offenders.

[19:31]  ³² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:31]  ³³ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.

[19:31]  ³⁴ tn Grk “asked Pilate that the legs of them might be broken.” The referent of “them” (the three individuals who were crucified, collectively referred to as “the victims”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[19:31]  ³⁵ sn To have the legs…broken. Breaking the legs of a crucified person was a way of speeding up his death, since the victim could no longer use his legs to push upward in order to be able to draw a breath. This breaking of the legs was called in Latin crurifragium, and was done with a heavy mallet.

[19:31]  ³⁶ tn Grk “asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and they might be taken down.” Here because of the numerous ambiguous third person references it is necessary to clarify that it was the crucified men whose legs were to be broken and whose corpses were to be removed from the crosses.

[19:32]  ³⁷ sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[19:32]  ³⁸ tn Grk “with him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:32]  ³⁹ tn Grk “broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him.”

[19:34]  ⁴⁰ sn If it was obvious to the soldiers that the victim was already dead it is difficult to see why one of them would try to inflict a wound. The Greek verb pierced (νύσσω, nussw) can indicate anything from a slight prod to a mortal wound. Probably one of the soldiers gave an exploratory stab to see if the body would jerk. If not, he was really dead. This thrust was hard enough to penetrate the side, since the author states that blood and water flowed out immediately.

[19:34]  ⁴¹ sn How is the reference to the blood and water that flowed out from Jesus’ side to be understood? This is probably to be connected with the statements in 1 John 5:6-8. In both passages water, blood, and testimony are mentioned. The Spirit is also mentioned in 1 John 5:7 as the source of the testimony, while here the testimony comes from one of the disciples (19:35). The connection between the Spirit and the living water with Jesus’ statement of thirst just before he died in the preceding context has already been noted (see 19:28). For the author, the water which flowed out of Jesus’ side was a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit who could now be given because Jesus was now glorified (cf. 7:39); Jesus had now departed and returned to that glory which he had with the Father before the creation of the world (cf. 17:5). The mention of blood recalls the motif of the Passover lamb as a sacrificial victim. Later references to sacrificial procedures in the Mishnah appear to support this: m. Pesahim 5:3 and 5:5 state that the blood of the sacrificial animal should not be allowed to congeal but should flow forth freely at the instant of death so that it could be used for sprinkling; m. Tamid 4:2 actually specifies that the priest is to pierce the heart of the sacrificial victim and cause the blood to come forth.

[19:35]  ⁴² tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[19:35]  ⁴³ tn Grk “and that one.”

[19:35]  ⁴⁴ sn A parenthetical note by the author.