KJV: He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
YLT: 'Others he saved; himself he is not able to save! If he be King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him;
Darby: He saved others, himself he cannot save. He is King of Israel: let him descend now from the cross, and we will believe on him.
ASV: He saved others; himself he cannot save. He is the King of Israel; let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe on him.
Ἄλλους | Others |
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural Root: ἄλλος Sense: another, other. |
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ἔσωσεν | He saved |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: ἐκσῴζω Sense: to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction. |
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ἑαυτὸν | Himself |
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Root: ἑαυτοῦ Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves. |
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δύναται | is He able |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular Root: δύναμαι Sense: to be able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom. |
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σῶσαι | to save |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active Root: ἐκσῴζω Sense: to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction. |
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Βασιλεὺς | King |
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: βασιλεύς Sense: leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king. |
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Ἰσραήλ | of Israel |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: Ἰσραήλ Sense: the name given to the patriarch Jacob (and borne by him in addition to his former name). |
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ἐστιν | He is |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: εἰμί Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present. |
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καταβάτω | Let Him descend |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: καταβαίνω Sense: to go down, come down, descend. |
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νῦν | now |
Parse: Adverb Root: νῦν Sense: at this time, the present, now. |
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σταυροῦ | cross |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: σταυρός Sense: an upright stake, esp. |
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πιστεύσομεν | we will believe |
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural Root: πιστεύω Sense: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in. |
Greek Commentary for Matthew 27:42
The sarcasm is true, though they do not know its full significance. If he had saved himself now, he could not have saved any one. The paradox is precisely the philosophy of life proclaimed by Jesus himself (Matthew 10:39). [source]
Now that he is a condemned criminal nailed to the Cross with the claim of being “the King of Israel” (the Jews) over his head. Their spiteful assertion that they would then believe upon Jesus (επ αυτον ep' auton) is plainly untrue. They would have shifted their ground and invented some other excuse. When Jesus wrought his greatest miracles, they wanted “a sign from heaven.” These “pious scoffers” (Bruce) are like many today who make factitious and arbitrary demands of Christ whose character and power and deity are plain to all whose eyes are not blinded by the god of this world. Christ will not give new proofs to the blind in heart. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 27:42
A saying which Luke alone recordsand which would forcibly appeal to him as a physician. Galen speaks of a physician who should have cured himself before he attempted to attend patients. The same appeal was addressed to Christ on the cross (Matthew 27:40, Matthew 27:42). [source]
Imperfect active, perhaps inchoative, began to turn up (out, εχ ex) at the dying Christ. The language comes from Psalm 22:7.The Christ of God (ο Χριστος του τεου ho Christos tou theou). He had claimed to be just this (Luke 22:67, Luke 22:70). The sarcastic sneer (he saved others; let him save others, for himself he cannot save) is in Mark 15:31; Matthew 27:42. Luke alone gives the contemptuous use of ουτος houtos (this fellow) and the fling in “the elect” (ο εκλεκτος ho eklektos). These rulers were having their day at last. [source]
He had claimed to be just this (Luke 22:67, Luke 22:70). The sarcastic sneer (he saved others; let him save others, for himself he cannot save) is in Mark 15:31; Matthew 27:42. Luke alone gives the contemptuous use of ουτος houtos (this fellow) and the fling in “the elect” These rulers were having their day at last. [source]
See discussion on Matthew 13. Here the word has a special application to a crisp proverb which involves a comparison. The word physician is the point of comparison. Luke the physician alone gives this saying of Jesus. The proverb means that the physician was expected to take his own medicine and to heal himself. The word παραβολη parabolē in the N.T. is confined to the Synoptic Gospels except Hebrews 9:9; Hebrews 11:19. This use for a proverb occurs also in Luke 5:36; Luke 6:39. This proverb in various forms appears not only among the Jews, but in Euripides and Aeschylus among the Greeks, and in Cicero‘s Letters. Hobart quotes the same idea from Galen, and the Chinese used to demand it of their physicians. The point of the parable seems to be that the people were expecting him to make good his claim to the Messiahship by doing here in Nazareth what they had heard of his doing in Capernaum and elsewhere. “Establish your claims by direct evidence” (Easton). This same appeal (Vincent) was addressed to Christ on the Cross (Matthew 27:40, Matthew 27:42). There is a tone of sarcasm towards Jesus in both cases.Heard done (ηκουσαμεν γενομενα ēkousamen genomena). The use of this second aorist middle participle γενομενα genomena after ηκουσαμεν ēkousamen is a neat Greek idiom. It is punctiliar action in indirect discourse after this verb of sensation or emotion (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 1040-42, 1122-24).Do also here Ingressive aorist active imperative. Do it here in thy own country and town and do it now. Jesus applies the proverb to himself as an interpretation of their real attitude towards himself. [source]
The civil title. The theocratic title, king of Israel (John 1:49; John 12:13) is addressed to Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:42; Mark 15:32) in mockery. [source]
Papyri examples mean trap or snare which here tripped the Jews who wanted a conquering Messiah with a world empire, not a condemned and crucified one (Matthew 27:42; Luke 24:21). Foolishness (μωριαν mōrian). Folly as shown by their conduct in Athens (Acts 17:32). [source]