Luke 23:35

35 And ¹the people stood by, watching, ²but ³the rulers ⁴scoffed at him, saying, ⁵"He saved others; ⁶let him save himself, ⁷if he is ⁸the Christ of God, ⁹his Chosen One!"

Luke 23:35 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 23:35

And the people stood beholding
This dismal and affecting sight; insulting and reviling him, and wagging their heads at him, as did also those that passed by: and the rulers also with them derided him; the chief priests, Scribes, and elders, the members of the sanhedrim, whose characters should have restrained them from such an inhuman conduct. The phrase, "with them", is wanting in the Oriental versions, and in one of Beza's copies: saying,

he saved others;
by healing their diseases, or raising them from the dead:

let him save himself;
from death, by unnailing himself, and coming down from the cross; (See Gill on Matthew 27:42)

if he be Christ;
the Messiah, he and his followers give out he is; even the chosen of God, referring to ( Isaiah 42:1 ) . The Arabic version reads, "the chosen Son of God", very wrongly; for Christ was not chosen to be the Son of God; he was so by nature; but he was chosen to be a servant, as the text cited shows, to be a Mediator between God and man, and the Saviour of his people.

Luke 23:35 In-Context

33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

34 And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments.

35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!"

36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine

37 and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 22:7, 17
• 2. Matthew 27:41, 42; Mark 15:31, 32
• 3. See Luke 24:20
• 4. Luke 16:14
• 5. [Luke 4:23]
• 6. [Matthew 26:53, 54; John 10:18]
• 7. [Luke 4:3, 9]
• 8. See Luke 9:20; Matthew 1:17
• 9. Luke 9:35; Isaiah 42:1; [Matthew 12:18; 1 Peter 2:4]