Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
Parallel translations
- WEB One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!”
- KJV And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself 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!”
- 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 robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him the same reproach.
- Mark 15:32Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe him.” Those who were crucified with him also insulted him.
- Luke 23:35The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”
- Luke 23:37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
- Luke 17:34–35I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. The one will be taken, and the other will be left.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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
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