The Meaning of Matthew 27:38 Explained

Matthew 27:38

KJV: Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

YLT: Then crucified with him are two robbers, one on the right hand, and one on the left,

Darby: Then are crucified with him two robbers, one on the right hand and one on the left.

ASV: Then are there crucified with him two robbers, one on the right hand and one on the left.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  were there two  thieves  crucified  with  him,  one  on  the right hand,  and  another  on  the left. 

What does Matthew 27:38 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The two men crucified with Jesus were guerrilla freedom fighters, not simply robbers (Gr. lestai, cf. Matthew 27:16). Jesus, the true Messiah, hung between two men who wanted to bring in Israel"s kingdom through violent action against Israel"s enemies contrary to God"s will. Matthew may have had Isaiah 53:12 in mind when he wrote this verse.

Context Summary

Matthew 27:32-44 - "where They Crucified Him"
He will not drink what would dull His keen sense of the momentous issues of the Cross. Those taunts were true. None who save themselves can save others. The cry of forsakenness, the midday midnight, the yielded spirit, the rent veil, the opened tombs, the sympathy of nature-all these proved that this was no common death, and were in keeping with everything that Scripture had foretold, 1 Peter 1:11.
Our Lord was wrapped in midnight, that He might be our "bright and morning star." He became obedient to death, that He might give eternal life. His heel was sorely wounded, that He might break the head of him that had the power of death, and might wear forever at His girdle the keys of death and Hades. Make His soul an offering for thy sin. Hide in the cleft which the soldier's spear opened in His side. He has made peace by the blood of His Cross; we have but to accept and be at rest. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 27

1  Jesus is delivered bound to Pilate
3  Judas hangs himself
19  Pilate, admonished of his wife,
20  and being urged by the multitude, washes his hands, and releases Barabbas
27  Jesus is mocked and crowned with thorns;
33  crucified;
39  reviled;
50  dies, and is buried;
62  his tomb is sealed and watched

Greek Commentary for Matthew 27:38

Robbers [ληισται]
Not thieves (κλεπται — kleptai) as in Authorized Version. See note on Matthew 26:55. These two robbers were probably members of the band of Barabbas on whose cross Jesus now hung. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 27:38

Matthew 27:32 His cross [τον σταυρον αυτου]
Jesus had used the term cross about himself (Matthew 16:24). It was a familiar enough picture under Roman rule. Jesus had long foreseen and foretold this horrible form of death for himself (Matthew 20:19; Matthew 23:24; Matthew 26:2). He had heard the cry of the mob to Pilate that he be crucified (Matthew 27:22) and Pilate‘s surrender (Matthew 27:26) and he was on the way to the Cross (Matthew 27:31). There were various kinds of crosses and we do not know precisely the shape of the Cross on which Jesus was crucified, though probably the one usually presented is correct. Usually the victim was nailed (hands and feet) to the cross before it was raised and it was not very high. The crucifixion was done by the soldiers (Matthew 27:35) in charge and two robbers were crucified on each side of Jesus, three crosses standing in a row (Matthew 27:38). [source]
Mark 15:27 Thieves []
Rev., robbers. See on Matthew 27:38. [source]
Luke 23:32 Were led [αγω]
(αγω — e4gonto). Imperfect passive of κακουργοι — agō were being led.Malefactors (κακον — kakourgoi). Evil (εργον — kakon), doers (work, αναιρετηναι — ergon). Old word, but in the N.T. only in this passage (Luke 23:32, Luke 23:33, Luke 23:39) and 2 Timothy 2:9. Luke does not call them “robbers” like Mark 15:27; Matthew 27:38, Matthew 27:44. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
To be put to death (αναιρεω — anairethēnai). First aorist passive infinitive of anaireō old verb, to take up, to take away, to kill. [source]

John 10:1 Verily, Verily [Αμην αμην]
Solemn prelude by repetition as in John 1:51. The words do not ever introduce a fresh topic (cf. John 8:34, John 8:51, John 8:58). So in John 10:7. The Pharisees had previously assumed (Vincent) they alone were the authoritative guides of the people (John 9:24, John 9:29). So Jesus has a direct word for them. So Jesus begins this allegory in a characteristic way. John does not use the word παροιμια — parabolē but εις την αυλην των προβατων — paroimia (John 10:6), and it really is an allegory of the Good Shepherd and self-explanatory like that of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. He first tells it in John 10:1-5 and then explains and expands it in John 10:7-18. Into the fold of the sheep (αυλη — eis tēn aulēn tōn probatōn). Originally αω — aulē (from αναβαινων — aō to blow) in Homer‘s time was just an uncovered space around the house enclosed by a wall, then a roofless enclosure in the country where flocks were herded as here and John 10:16. It later came to mean the house itself or palace (Matthew 26:3, Matthew 26:58, etc.). In the papyri it means the court attached to the house. Climbeth up (αναβαινω — anabainōn). Present active participle of αλλαχοτεν — anabainō to go up. One who goes up, not by the door, has to climb up over the wall. Some other way (αλλοτεν — allachothen). Rare word for old εκεινος — allothen but in 4Macc 1:7 and in a papyrus. Only here in N.T. The same (κλεπτης εστιν και ληιστης — ekeinos). “That one” just described. Is a thief and a robber (κλεπτω — kleptēs estin kai lēistēs). Both old and common words (from ληιζομαι — kleptō to steal, κλεπτης — lēizomai to plunder). The distinction is preserved in the N.T. as here. Judas was a kleptēs (John 12:6), Barabbas a robber (John 18:40) like the two robbers (Matthew 27:38, Matthew 27:44) crucified with Jesus erroneously termed thieves like “the thief on the cross” by most people. See Mark 11:17. Here the man jumping over the wall comes to steal and to do it by violence like a bandit. He is both thief and robber. [source]
John 19:18 They crucified [εσταυρωσαν]
The soldiers just as in Acts 22:24.; the scourging of Paul was to be done by the soldiers. And Jesus in the midst Predicate adjective μεσον — meson A robber (ληιστης — lēistēs not a thief, κλεπτης — kleptēs) was on each side of Jesus (Mark 15:27; Matthew 27:38) like Barabbas (John 18:40) and probably members of his band, malefactors (κακουργοι — kakourgoi) Luke terms them (Luke 23:32). [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 27:38 mean?

At the same time are crucified with Him two robbers one at [the] right hand and at [the] left
Τότε σταυροῦνται σὺν αὐτῷ δύο λῃσταί εἷς ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων

Τότε  At  the  same  time 
Parse: Adverb
Root: τότε  
Sense: then.
σταυροῦνται  are  crucified 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: σταυρόω  
Sense: to stake, drive down stakes.
δύο  two 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: δύο 
Sense: the two, the twain.
λῃσταί  robbers 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀρχιλῃστής 
Sense: a robber, plunderer, freebooter, brigand.
εἷς  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
ἐκ  at  [the] 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
δεξιῶν  right  hand 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: δεξιός  
Sense: the right, the right hand.
ἐξ  at  [the] 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
εὐωνύμων  left 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: εὐώνυμος  
Sense: of good name and of good omen.