The Meaning of Luke 23:41 Explained

Luke 23:41

KJV: And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

YLT: and we indeed righteously, for things worthy of what we did we receive back, but this one did nothing out of place;'

Darby: and we indeed justly, for we receive the just recompense of what we have done; but this man has done nothing amiss.

ASV: And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  we  indeed  justly;  for  we receive  the due reward  of our  deeds:  but  this man  hath done  nothing  amiss. 

What does Luke 23:41 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 23:35-46 - Saving Others By Not Saving Himself
Rulers, soldiers, and malefactors all heaped their insults on the dying Lord, little realizing that they were all included in the great love which was pouring itself out as the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. It may be that we shall have to share the same opprobrium, if we drink of His cup and are baptized with His baptism. But God will do for us as He did for Jesus; He will not leave our soul in the grave nor suffer His own to see corruption, Psalms 16:10.
The signs of renewal, wrought in the heart of the penitent thief, showed the sure work of the Holy Spirit. These were the fear of God, the sense of justice in His suffering, the confession of evil deeds, the recognition of our Lord's sinlessness and dignity, and the anticipation of His coming Kingdom. We may begin a day under the dull skies of earth and close it where there is no need of sun or moon. See Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:6. For the rent veil, see Hebrews 10:20. Dying saints have often passed home with our Lord's last words on their lips, Psalms 31:5; Acts 7:59. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 23

1  Jesus is accused before Pilate, and sent to Herod
8  Herod mocks him
12  Herod and Pilate become friends
13  Barabbas is desired of the people,
24  and is released by Pilate, and Jesus is given to be crucified
26  He tells the women, that lament him, the destruction of Jerusalem;
34  prays for his enemies
39  Two criminals are crucified with him
46  His death
50  His burial

Greek Commentary for Luke 23:41

Nothing amiss [ουδεν ατοπον]
Nothing out of place Old word, three times in the N.T. (Luke 23:44; Acts 28:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:2). This can only mean that this robber accepts the claims of Jesus to be true. He is dying for claiming to be Messiah, as he is. [source]
Receive []
Are receding would be better. [source]
Amiss [ἄτοπον]
Lit., out of place, and so strange, eccentric, perverse; as in 2 Thessalonians 3:2, where it is rendered unreasonable. The expression here answers nearly to our familiar phrase, “has done nothing out of the way. ” Compare Acts 28:6; no harm. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 23:41

Luke 16:25 Receivedst [ἀπέλαβες]
Received back ( ἀπό ) as a reward or quittance. Compare Luke 6:34; Luke 18:30; Luke 23:41. [source]
Luke 16:25 Receivedst [απελαβες]
Second aorist indicative of απολαμβανω — apolambanō old verb to get back what is promised and in full. See also Luke 6:34; Luke 18:30; Luke 23:41. [source]
Acts 28:6 No harm [μηδὲν ἄτοπον]
Lit., nothing out of place. The word ἄτοπος occurs three times in Luke, and only once elsewhere in the New Testament (2 Thessalonians 3:2). Used by physicians to denote something unusual in the symptoms of disease, and also somethingfatal or deadly as here. Rev., nothing amiss. Compare Luke 23:41; and Acts 25:5, where the best texts insert the word. [source]
Acts 25:5 Go down with me [συνκαταβαντες]
Double compound Condition of the first class, assuming that there is (to be courteous to them), but not committing himself on the merits of the case. κατηγορειτωσαν — Atopon is an old word, specially common in Plato, meaning “out of place.” In N.T. only here and Luke 23:41 which see; Acts 28:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:2. Note present tense active voice of κατηγορεω — katēgoreitōsan (imperative) of katēgoreō repeat their accusations. [source]
Acts 25:5 If there is anything amiss in the man [Ατοπον]
Condition of the first class, assuming that there is (to be courteous to them), but not committing himself on the merits of the case. κατηγορειτωσαν — Atopon is an old word, specially common in Plato, meaning “out of place.” In N.T. only here and Luke 23:41 which see; Acts 28:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:2. Note present tense active voice of κατηγορεω — katēgoreitōsan (imperative) of katēgoreō repeat their accusations. [source]
Romans 1:27 Lust [ορεχει]
Only here in N.T. Unseemliness (ασχημοσυνην — aschēmosunēn). Old word from ασχημον — aschēmon (deformed). In N.T. only here and Revelation 16:15. Recompense See note on 2 Corinthians 6:13 for only other N.T. instance of this late Pauline word, there in good sense, here in bad. Which was due (hēn edei). Imperfect active for obligation still on them coming down from the past. This debt will be paid in full (apolambanontes pay back as in Luke 6:34, and due as in Luke 23:41). Nature will attend to that in their own bodies and souls. [source]
Romans 1:27 Recompense [αντιμιστιαν]
See note on 2 Corinthians 6:13 for only other N.T. instance of this late Pauline word, there in good sense, here in bad. Which was due (hēn edei). Imperfect active for obligation still on them coming down from the past. This debt will be paid in full (apolambanontes pay back as in Luke 6:34, and due as in Luke 23:41). Nature will attend to that in their own bodies and souls. [source]
2 Thessalonians 3:2 Unreasonable [ἀτόπων]
See on Luke 23:41, and comp. Acts 25:5; Acts 28:6. In lxx in a moral sense, iniquitous, Job 4:8; Job 11:11; Job 34:12. The word originally means out of place. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 23:41 mean?

and we indeed justly Worthy for of what we did we are receiving [this] man however nothing wrong did
καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν δικαίως ἄξια γὰρ ὧν ἐπράξαμεν ἀπολαμβάνομεν οὗτος δὲ οὐδὲν ἄτοπον ἔπραξεν

μὲν  indeed 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: μέν  
Sense: truly, certainly, surely, indeed.
δικαίως  justly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: δικαίως  
Sense: just, agreeably to right.
ἄξια  Worthy 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ἄξιος  
Sense: weighing, having weight, having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much.
ὧν  of  what 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
ἐπράξαμεν  we  did 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: ἀναπράσσω 
Sense: to exercise, practise, to be busy with, carry on.
ἀπολαμβάνομεν  we  are  receiving 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: ἀπολαμβάνω  
Sense: to receive.
οὗτος  [this]  man 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
οὐδὲν  nothing 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: οὐδείς 
Sense: no one, nothing.
ἄτοπον  wrong 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ἄτοπος  
Sense: out of place, not befitting, unbecoming.