Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Matthew 27:39 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 39. 39And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Reports passersby insulting Jesus while shaking heads.
Read It With
- Matthew 27:32–27:44
Matthew 27:39 reports passersby insulting Jesus while shaking heads; within Matthew 27:32–27:44, it contributes to this controlling movement: Soldiers compel Simon of Cyrene, crucify Jesus at Golgotha, divide garments, post the royal charge, crucify two others, and join passersby and leaders in mockery as darkness approaches.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Reports passersby insulting Jesus while shaking heads. This precise contribution belongs inside “Jesus is crucified and mocked at Golgotha” because Soldiers compel Simon of Cyrene, crucify Jesus at Golgotha, divide garments, post the royal charge, crucify two others, and join passersby and leaders in mockery as darkness approaches.
What Remains True
Because Matthew 27:39 reports passersby insulting Jesus while shaking heads, faithful readers should preserve this verse's exact role, first setting, affected people, and the complete movement of Matthew 27:32–27:44 before naming an enduring conclusion.
How It Can Shape Life
- For Matthew 27:39, first state this verse-specific contribution—reports passersby insulting Jesus while shaking heads; then explain it inside Matthew 27:32–27:44; preserve the source-controlled uncertainty—Crucifixion is Roman state torture; Matthew draws Psalms and Wisdom-like taunts into the narration, while the two crucified people and Simon remain persons rather than scenery.; and refuse this misuse: This unit does not glorify torture, blame Jewish people, erase Roman responsibility, demean the other condemned men, or turn suffering into spectacle.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Matthew 27:32–27:44 — Jesus is crucified and mocked at GolgothaSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
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, order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Matthew 27:32–27:44, 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 punctuation control without treating one edition as a complete apparatus.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text file data/sblgnt/text/Matt.txt, Matthew 27:32–27:44
Open the Matthew Greek text file ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Morphology and lexical cross-check for the expressions actually discussed in this thought unit.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data TAGNT rows for Matthew 27:32–27:44
Open source ↗open translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Matthew with Translators' and Textual Notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-attached textual, translation, language, historical, Jewish-background, and Synoptic notes for this unit.
Exact location: NET Bible Matthew PDF, printed pp. 1808-1867, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to 27:32–27:44
Open source ↗