Luke 23 · Verse 39

Luke 23:39

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
Luke 23:39, King James Version

Luke 23:39 in other translations

BSBOne of the criminals who hung there heaped abuse on Him. “Are You not the Christ?” he said. “Save Yourself and us!”
WEBOne of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!”
ASVAnd one of the malefactors that were hanged railed on him, saying, Art not thou the Christ? save thyself and us.
YLTAnd one of the evil-doers who were hanged, was speaking evil of him, saying, ‘If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us.'
DARBYNow one of the malefactors who had been hanged spoke insultingly to him, saying, Art not thou the Christ? save thyself and us.
BBEAnd one of the evil-doers on the cross, with bitter feeling, said to him, Are you not the Christ? Get yourself and us out of this.
WebsterAnd one of the malefactors, who were hanged, railed on him, saying, If thou art Christ, save thyself and us.

What does Luke 23:39 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Lu 23:39-43. The Two Thieves.

39. railed on him--catching up the universal derision, but with a turn of his own. Jesus, "reviled, reviles not again"; but another voice from the cross shall nobly wipe out this dishonor and turn it to the unspeakable glory of the dying Redeemer.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 39. One of the malefactors. Mt 27:44 says "the thieves-- cast the same in his teeth." See the apparent contradiction in these statements reconciled in the Notes on that place.

If thou be Christ. If thou art the Messiah; if thou art what thou dost pretend to be. This is a taunt or reproach of the same kind as that of the priests in Lk 23:35.

Save thyself and us. Save our lives. Deliver us from the cross. This man did not seek for salvation truly; he asked not to be delivered from his sins; if he had, Jesus would also have heard him. Men often, in sickness and affliction, call upon God. They are earnest in prayer. They ask of God to save them, but it is only to save them from temporal death. It is not to be saved from their sins, and the consequence is, that when God does raise them up, they forget their promises, and live as they did before, as this robber would have done if Jesus had heard his prayer and delivered him from the cross.

(e) "one of the malefactors" Lk 17:34-36

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 39 One of the malefactors which were hanged - It is likely that the two robbers were not nailed to their crosses, but only tied to them by cords, and thus they are represented in ancient paintings. If not nailed, they could not have suffered much, and therefore they were found still alive when the soldiers came to give the coup de grace, which put a speedy end to their lives. Joh 19:31-33.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 23:32-43

As soon as Christ was fastened to the cross, he prayed for those who crucified him. The great thing he died to purchase and procure for us, is the forgiveness of sin. This he prays for. Jesus was crucified between two thieves; in them were shown the different effects the cross of Christ would have upon the children of men in the preaching the gospel. One malefactor was hardened to the last. No troubles of themselves…

Read the full comment on Luke 23:32-43 →

Luke 23:39 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΕἷςHeisOneG1520
δὲdenowG1161
τῶνtōnof thoseG3588
κρεμασθέντωνkremasthentōnhaving been hangedG2910
κακούργωνkakourgōncriminalsG2557
ἐβλασφήμειeblasphēmeihe was denigratingG987
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
λέγων·legōnsaying:G3004
οὐχὶouchiSurelyG3780
σὺsuyou yourselfG4771
εἶeiareG1510
ὁhotheG3588
χριστός;christosChrist?G5547
σῶσονsōsondo saveG4982
σεαυτὸνseautonYourselfG4771
καὶkaiandG2532
ἡμᾶς.¶hēmasus!G3165

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 23:39

  • Matthew 27:44

    The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

  • Mark 15:32

    Let 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 23:35

    And 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 23:37

    And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

  • Luke 17:34-35

    I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
17:34-36; Mt 27:44; Mr 15:32

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 23:38

    And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

  • Luke 23:39

    And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

  • Luke 23:40

    But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

Read all of Luke 23

Luke 23:39 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y uno de los malhechores que estaban colgados, le injuriaba, diciendo: Si tú eres el Cristo, sálvate á ti mismo y á nosotros.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’un des malfaiteurs qui étaient pendus l’injuriait, disant: N’es-tu pas le Christ, toi? Sauve-toi toi-même, et nous aussi.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Einer aber der gehenkten Übeltäter lästerte ihn und sagte: Bist du nicht der Christus? Rette dich selbst und uns!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Unus autem de his, qui pendebant, latronibus, blasphemabat eum, dicens: Si tu es Christus, salvum fac temetipsum et nos.