| Luke 23 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Greek text of Luke 23:47–24:1 onCodex Bezae (Cambridge University Library MS. Nn.2.41), written about AD 400 | |
| Book | Gospel of Luke |
| Category | Gospel |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 3 |
Luke 23 is the twenty-third chapter of theGospel of Luke in theNew Testament of theChristianBible. The book containing this chapter isanonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed thatLuke the Evangelist composed thisGospel as well as theActs of the Apostles.[1] This chapter records thetrial of Jesus Christ beforePontius Pilate, Jesus' meeting withHerod Antipas, and hiscrucifixion, death andburial.[2]
The original text was written inKoine Greek. Some earlymanuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
This chapter is divided into 56 verses.
"The whole multitude of them" (Greek:ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος,hapan to plēthos) may also be translated as "the whole assembly",[6] or "the whole Council".[7] Luke uses τὸ πλῆθος (rather than το ὄχλος,to ochlos) to signify a multitude in number.[8] They led Jesus toPontius Pilate, theprovincial governor (prefect) ofJudaea.
Irish archbishopJohn McEvilly notes that Luke provides more specific details of thecharges against Jesus than eitherMatthew orMark, who refer to "many charges" brought against him.[9] There are three specific charges:
McEvilly refers to a fourth charge mentioned in Pilate's letter toTiberius, "that He practised magic, in virtue of which, He performed some miraculous wonders".[9] ForF. W. Farrar, the first charge, translated in theKing James Version asperverting the nation,[11] "had the advantage of being perfectly vague".[8]
Cross reference:Matthew 27:11;Mark 15:2;John 18:37
Textus Receptus/Majority Text:
Transliteration:
The style of response is the same as inLuke 22:70,[citation needed] where Jesus answers theSanhedrin's question, "Are you the Son of God?"
Traditionally, "throughout allJudea" has been rendered as "throughout all Jewry".[14] Farrar suggests that these words imply a "Judeanministry" which the synoptic gospels do not narrate,[8] as the only journey of Jesus in Judea which is recorded is that fromJericho to Jerusalem, andWilliam Robertson Nicoll also suggests that there might have been "more work done by Jesus in the south than is recorded in the Synoptists", although he counsels against basing any picture of Jesus' ministry on the inadequate testimony of his accusers.[15] On the other hand, Judea has "sometimes been the name of the whole land, including apparently parts beyond theJordan", seeJosephus,Antiquities of the Jews, XII, 4.11,[16] which term would therefore include the area ofPerea east of the Jordan River. Matthew, Mark and John all refer to Jesus' stay in Perea, and Lucan scholars generally assume that the route Jesus followed fromGalilee to Jerusalem passed through this region.[17] The reference to Jesus' ministry "beginning from Galilee" relates back toLuke 4:14, where Jesus begins to teach in thesynagogues there.
According to a passage which is unique to Luke's Gospel,[15] responsibility for the interrogation of Jesus is transferred from Pilate toHerod Antipas. The editors of theJerusalem Bible suggest that Luke may have obtained this information fromManaen, who according toActs 13:1, "had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch".[18]
Herod finds no fault with Jesus (verse 15) and returns him to Pilate's jurisdiction.
Luke's version of the trial scene "emphasizes Pilate's reluctance to act against Jesus".[20]
This "third time" of declaring Jesus' innocence follows the previous declarations in verses 4 and 14–15.[20]
This verse reads ο δε πιλατος επεκρινεν γενεσθαι το αιτημα αυτων in theTextus Receptus, matching the opening words ofMark 15:15, ο δε πιλατος ("so Pilate ..."), but the sentence begins καὶ Πιλᾶτος ... ("and Pilate ...") in critical texts such asWestcott-Hort.[23] Pilate's "official decision"[24] was to comply with the request of the crowd. The word ἐπέκρινεν (epekrinen, "pronounced sentence") is specific to Luke,[25] although it also appears in theapocryphal2 Maccabees 4:47, where innocent men are condemned to death.[26][8]
Matthew's parallel passage,Matthew 27:34, notes that on his arrival at the place of his crucifixion, Jesus was offered wine mixed with gall to drink.[28] Luke does not include this, a reference toProverbs 31:6–7,Give strong drink to him that is perishing ..., but his reference to women in attendanceen route may include their role in fulfilling this observance.[8]Lutheran writerJohann Bengel suggests that the "bewailing" denotes their gestures and the "lamenting" reflects their vocal tones.[29]
The prophetHosea spoke in similar language, when recognising that the disobedience of theIsraelites required God's punishment, but calling for some mitigation:
The green wood represents those who are innocent (referring to Jesus' condemnation to death), while the dry wood represents "the truly guilty".[33]
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One ofthe two thieves who die with Jesus reviles him, the other contemplates thejustice of his owndeath sentence and appeals to Jesus to be "remembered" in the kingdom.[34] The authors of theGeneva Bible (1599) note that the latter is "saved by faith".[35]
LikeMark 15:33–34, Luke records three hours of darkness, which signify "the awesomeness of what is taking place".[20]
Jesus' crying "with a loud voice" is not, as inMark 15:34, one of desolation (why have you forsaken me?), but of "secure confidence". Jesus quotesPsalm 31:5, rather thanPsalm 22:1 which appears in Mark's gospel.[20]
Nicoll understands the phrase "the things that had happened" (Greek:τὰ γενόμενα,tà genómena) "comprehensively, including the crucifixion and all its accompaniments".[15]Albert Barnes refers to "the earthquake, the darkness, and the sufferings of Jesus" as the "things which were done".[39] The earthquake is only recorded in Matthew's Gospel, but thethird century historianSextus Julius Africanus also refers to an earthquake on or around the day of the crucifixion.[40]
"The women" that followedJesus from Galilee (also inLuke 23:55) were "Mary Magdalene,Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them" according toLuke 24:10.[42]Matthew 27:55 lists "Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons ofZebedee", whereasMark 15:40 names "Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother ofJames the little andJoses, andSalome".[43]
According toLuke 24:10, "the women" (also inLuke 23:49) were "Mary Magdalene,Joanna, Mary the mother ofJames, and the other women with them".[42]Matthew 27:61 lists "Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary", whereasMark 15:47 names "Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother ofJoses".[43]
| Preceded by Luke 22 | Chapters of the Bible Gospel of Luke | Succeeded by Luke 24 |