And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
Parallel translations
- WEB One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!”
- BSB One of the criminals who hung there heaped abuse on Him. “Are You not the Christ?” he said. “Save Yourself and us!”
- NKJV Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
- NASB One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”
- NLT One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
One crucified criminal hurled insults, demanding that Jesus save Himself and them. His scorn reflects the hardness of unbelief even at death's door.
Overview
Even in his own agony, one of the criminals mocks Jesus with a demand for rescue. His words echo the rulers' taunts and reveal a heart unmoved by impending death. He stands as a sobering example of those who, faced with the Savior, choose mockery over repentance and so perish in their sin.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Matt 27:44The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
- Mark 15:32Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
- Luke 23:35And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
- Luke 23:37And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
- Luke 17:34–35I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 23:39 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.