44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, [23:45] the sun having failed. The curtain of the temple was torn in two. [23:46] Calling out with a loud voice, Jesus said: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." And having said this, he breathed his last. [23:47] When the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying: "Certainly this man was righteous." [23:48] And all the crowds who had gathered for this spectacle, having observed what happened, returned home beating their breasts. [23:49] All his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance, watching these things.
LUK 23:44-49
The Death of Jesus
In the world it was spoken into
In the first-century Jewish and Roman context, the events surrounding Jesus’s death would have carried profound symbolic and cosmic significance. The darkness from the sixth to the ninth hour (noon to 3 PM) would have been interpreted as a divine portent, echoing Old Testament imagery of God’s judgment (e.g., Amos 8:9). The tearing of the temple veil , which separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple, signaled a dramatic shift in access to God’s presence, challenging the temple’s role as the exclusive mediator of divine encounter. Jesus’s final words, committing his (breath/spirit) to the Father, echoed Psalm 31:5, framing his death as an act of trust and surrender. The centurion’s declaration of Jesus’s righteousness reflects Roman military values of discipline and honor, while the crowds beating their breasts suggests a communal recognition of tragedy or guilt. The (spectacle) of crucifixion, a public Roman execution, underscores the intersection of divine and imperial power in this moment.
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How other translations render this
LUK 23:44
- KJV
- And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
- BSB
- It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour.
- Koinōnos
- It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,
LUK 23:45
- KJV
- And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
- BSB
- The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
- Koinōnos
- the sun having failed. The curtain of the temple was torn in two.
LUK 23:46
- KJV
- And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
- BSB
- Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” And when He had said this, He breathed His last.
- Koinōnos
- Calling out with a loud voice, Jesus said: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." And having said this, he breathed his last.
LUK 23:47
- KJV
- Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
- BSB
- When the centurion saw what had happened, he gave glory to God, saying, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
- Koinōnos
- When the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying: "Certainly this man was righteous.
LUK 23:48
- KJV
- And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.
- BSB
- And when all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts.
- Koinōnos
- And all the crowds who had gathered for this spectacle, having observed what happened, returned home beating their breasts.
LUK 23:49
- KJV
- And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
- BSB
- But all those who knew Jesus, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.
- Koinōnos
- All his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance, watching these things.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Where the historical framing draws from
- Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.3.3
›Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.3.3
“And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross”
Cited to ground: Pilate ... had condemned him to the cross
Translator's notes
LUK 23:45
- sun:The word translated 'sun' here carries the sense of the sun failing or ceasing to shine, rather than simply being obscured. It implies a more dramatic and complete cessation of light.
- then:The term used here for 'curtain' specifically refers to the inner veil of the Temple, which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, not just any curtain.
LUK 23:46
- Spirit:The word translated 'Spirit' can also mean 'breath' or 'wind,' and in this context, it evokes the idea of Jesus's final exhalation, giving up his life force.
LUK 23:48
- spectacle:The word translated 'spectacle' refers to a public viewing or a theatrical performance, suggesting that the crucifixion was viewed by many as a public event or even a show.