And when all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts.
Parallel translations
- WEB All the multitudes that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their breasts.
- KJV And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.
- NKJV And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned.
- NASB And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, after watching what had happened, began to return home, beating their chests.
- NLT And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.
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
The crowds returned home beating their breasts in grief. The manner of Jesus' death stirred deep remorse among the onlookers.
Overview
The multitudes who had come to watch depart in mourning, striking their breasts in a sign of sorrow and conviction. Their reaction suggests dawning recognition that something tragic and weighty had occurred. Luke hints that the seeds of repentance were sown at the cross, soon to bear fruit at Pentecost.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Luke 18:13But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’
- Jer 31:19After I returned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
- Acts 2:37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
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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 23:48 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.