Question:
Is there any reason to believe that Luke 23:43 has been mistranslated or altered by a copyist of Luke’s Gospel? What is the meaning of the original text? Does it align with the Authorized Version, or should the comma be placed after “today”?
Answer:
The literal word-for-word rendering of Hinds and Noble’s Interlinear Greek-English Testament is as follows: “And Jesus said to him, ‘Verily, I say to thee today, with Me thou shalt be in Paradise,'” more literally, “the Paradise.” Punctuation is the work of humans, and human judgment is fallible. The earliest Greek manuscripts contain neither punctuation nor divisions of words. Those who punctuated the Bible about three centuries ago did so according to their beliefs.
In Rotherham’s very literal emphasized New Testament a rendering reads: “And He said unto him – Verily, I say unto thee this day: With Me shalt thou be in Paradise.” In his twelfth edition from 1896, he includes this note: “It is left for the reader to determine whether the words ‘this day’ should be joined (A) with the former part of the sentence or (B) with the latter.
Arguments in favor of (A) include:
- The fact that ‘semeron’ (this day) does not always stand first in the clause to which it belongs (see Luke 2:11; 5:26; 22:34; Acts 20:26; 22:3; 24:21; 26:29).
- Being essentially a demonstrative word, it readily allows for reasonable emphasis, whether placed before or after the words it qualifies.
- It remains meaningful if regarded as belonging to the opening words of affirmation (‘Thou dost ask Me to be remembered: verily, thou art assured now. As on this day of My weakness and shame, thou hast faith to ask; I, this day, have the authority to answer’).
- This construction allows the latter part of the verse to refer directly to the supplicant’s request (‘Thou dost ask to be remembered when I come in My kingdom: thou shalt be remembered then, and with distinguished favor; thou shalt be in My kingdom, with Me in the very Paradise of My kingdom, in the garden of the Lord – Isaiah 51:3 [Sept. paradeisos]; Ezekiel 36:35; compare Genesis 2:8 [Sept. paradeisos]; 3:2 [Sept. paradeisos]; Revelation 2:7 – in that most central and blessed part of the coming kingdom, of which thou dost believe Me to be the destined king’).
This analysis clarifies that, regarding the original text, the comma may be appropriately placed after ‘today,’ thereby limiting the verb ‘say’ – ‘I say to thee today.’ Further evidence is found in the fact that three days after this, Jesus said to Mary, ‘Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father,’ who dwells in Paradise, where the river and tree of life are located (see Revelation 2:7 and 22:1-2). Additionally, children of faith enter their reward not at death but at Christ’s coming (Matthew 16:27; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 22:12). The teachings of Christ support placing the comma after ‘today,’ and both Greek grammar and usage affirm what truth requires.
