“He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!
Parallel translations
- WEB “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.
- KJV He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
- BSB “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.
- NKJV “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.
- NASB “He saved others; He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.
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
They jeer that He saved others but cannot save Himself, demanding He descend to win their faith. Their challenge unknowingly states a saving truth.
Overview
The leaders taunt that the one who healed others is powerless to rescue Himself and promise belief if He comes down. Their words ironically affirm that He saved others, and the reason He does not save Himself is to save them. True faith rests not on a self-rescuing king but on a crucified Savior who stays to bear sin.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- John 1:49Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!”
- Matt 27:37They set up over his head the accusation against him written, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
- Luke 19:38saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!”
- Acts 4:14Seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
- John 12:47If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
- John 12:13they took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”
- John 9:24So they called the man who was blind a second time, and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.”
- Matt 2:2“Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.”
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 27:42 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.