Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Luke 23:38 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 38. 38And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Luke 23:38 makes the Roman charge and mock title 'King of the Jews' visible over the crucified body.
Between two criminals, mockery meets a promise of paradise
This verse is one part of that explanation in Luke 23:32–23:43. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Luke 23:32–23:43
Read Luke 23:38 with 23:32–23:43. In isolation, this contribution—makes the Roman charge and mock title 'King of the Jews' visible over the crucified body—can be detached from its speaker, audience, scene or teaching sequence, and outcome. The complete unit establishes: Jesus is crucified with two criminals; rulers and soldiers mock his saving identity, an inscription names him king, one criminal joins contempt, the other acknowledges guilt and Jesus' innocence, and receives a promise of paradise.
Follow the Context
- Identify the actors, setting, and initiating speech or action in Luke 23:32–23:43.
- Jesus is crucified with two criminals; rulers and soldiers mock his saving identity, an inscription names him king, one criminal joins contempt, the other acknowledges guilt and Jesus' innocence, and receives a promise of paradise.
- Hold this material interpretive limit in view: The KJV prayer for forgiveness in verse 34 has significant manuscript support and uncertainty; the punctuation of 'today' in verse 43 is not present in ancient manuscripts. Roman soldiers perform crucifixion even as Luke distributes speech among groups.
What This Verse Is Not Saying
This verse does not detach its specific contribution—makes the Roman charge and mock title 'King of the Jews' visible over the crucified body—from the complete unit or override the unit's explicit boundary: The scene does not authorize antisemitism, romanticize execution, guarantee last-minute manipulation, use criminals as stereotypes, or conceal textual uncertainty.
What Remains True
Luke 23:38 makes the Roman charge and mock title 'King of the Jews' visible over the crucified body. Read inside Luke 23:32–23:43, this contribution supports the unit's proportionate truth: Jesus is crucified with two criminals; rulers and soldiers mock his saving identity, an inscription names him king, one criminal joins contempt, the other acknowledges guilt and Jesus' innocence, and receives a promise of paradise. Its use remains accountable to affected people and the unit's explicit boundary.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Luke 23:32–23:43 — The Crucified Jesus Faces Mockery and Promises ParadiseSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
The KJV prayer for forgiveness in verse 34 has significant manuscript support and uncertainty; the punctuation of 'today' in verse 43 is not present in ancient manuscripts. Roman soldiers perform crucifixion even as Luke distributes speech among groups.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and coverage.
Exact location: Luke 23:32–23:43, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording and sentence relations; the edition is not treated as a complete apparatus.
Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT official repository, data/sblgnt/text/Luke.txt, 23:32–23:43
Open the Luke Greek text file ↗open translation and translator notes
NET Bible First Edition Notes: Luke
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, KJV-language clarification, historical notes, Synoptic parallels, and textual alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible First Edition Luke PDF, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to Luke 23:32–23:43
Open source ↗