Matthew 27:42
New International Version
“He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.

New Living Translation
“He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!

English Standard Version
“He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.

Berean Standard Bible
“He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.

Berean Literal Bible
"He saved others. He is not able to save Himself. He is King of Israel! Let Him descend now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
“He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.

New American Standard Bible
“He saved others; He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.

NASB 1995
“He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.

NASB 1977
“He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we shall believe in Him.

Legacy Standard Bible
“He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.

Amplified Bible
“He saved others [from death]; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him and acknowledge Him.

Christian Standard Bible
“He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
"He saved others, but he can't save himself. If he is the king of Israel, he should come down from the cross! Then we will believe him.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"He saved others, but he can't save himself. So he's Israel's king! Let him come down from the cross now, and we'll believe him.

Good News Translation
"He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Isn't he the king of Israel? If he will come down off the cross now, we will believe in him!

International Standard Version
"He saved others but can't save himself! He is the king of Israel. Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.

Majority Standard Bible
“He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. If He is the King of Israel, let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.

NET Bible
"He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the king of Israel! If he comes down now from the cross, we will believe in him!

New Heart English Bible
"He saved others, but he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.

Webster's Bible Translation
He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he is King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

Weymouth New Testament
"He saved others," they said, "himself he cannot save! He is the King of Israel! Let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in him.

World English Bible
“He saved others, but he can’t save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“He saved others; He is not able to save Himself! If He is King of Israel, let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe Him;

Berean Literal Bible
"He saved others. He is not able to save Himself. He is King of Israel! Let Him descend now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.

Young's Literal Translation
'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;

Smith's Literal Translation
Others he saved; himself he cannot save. If he is King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
“He saved others; he cannot save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him descend now from the cross, and we will believe in him.

New American Bible
“He saved others; he cannot save himself. So he is the king of Israel! Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.

New Revised Standard Version
“He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they were saying, He saved others, but he cannot save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe in him.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they were saying, “He saved others, he cannot save himself; if he is The King of Israel, let him descend now from the cross and we will trust in him.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
He saved others; himself he can not save. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe on him.

Godbey New Testament
He saved others; He is not able to save Himself: if He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe on Him.

Haweis New Testament
say, He saved others, himself he is unable to save. If he be the King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him.

Mace New Testament
he saved others, said they, but cannot save himself: if he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

Weymouth New Testament
"He saved others," they said, "himself he cannot save! He is the King of Israel! Let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in him.

Worrell New Testament
"Others He saved, Himself He cannot save! King of Israel is He! let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe on Him!

Worsley New Testament
said, He saved others, himself He cannot save: if He be the king of Israel, let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe Him:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Crucifixion
41In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying, 42“He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”…

Cross References
Psalm 22:7-8
All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads: / “He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him.”

Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

Mark 15:31-32
In the same way, the chief priests and scribes mocked Him among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! / Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him.

Luke 23:35
The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”

John 12:37-38
Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him. / This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

John 19:15
At this, they shouted, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” “Shall I crucify your King?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” replied the chief priests.

Psalm 69:20-21
Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one. / They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.

Isaiah 53:4-5
Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. / But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

John 1:11
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

1 Peter 2:22-24
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.” / When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. / He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”

Psalm 2:1-4
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? / The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One: / “Let us break Their chains and cast away Their cords.” ...

Acts 4:25-28
You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? / The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.’ / In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. ...

Romans 15:3
For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.”

Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Psalm 118:22
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

saved.

John 9:24
Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.

John 12:47
And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

Acts 4:14
And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

the King.

Matthew 27:37
And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Matthew 2:2
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Luke 19:38
Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

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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.














He saved others
This phrase acknowledges the miraculous works of Jesus throughout His ministry. The Greek word for "saved" here is "ἐσώσεν" (esōsen), which implies deliverance or rescue. Historically, Jesus performed numerous miracles, healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons, which were acts of salvation in a physical sense. This acknowledgment by the chief priests and scribes, though spoken in mockery, inadvertently testifies to the undeniable impact of Jesus' ministry and His divine power to save.

but He cannot save Himself
The irony in this statement is profound. The Greek word for "cannot" is "οὐ δύναται" (ou dynatai), suggesting an inability or lack of power. However, from a theological perspective, Jesus' choice not to save Himself was not due to a lack of power but a demonstration of His obedience to the Father's will and His sacrificial love for humanity. Historically, this reflects the misunderstanding of the Messiah's role, as many expected a political savior rather than a suffering servant.

He is the King of Israel
This title, "King of Israel," is rooted in the Messianic expectations of the Jewish people. The Greek word for "king" is "βασιλεύς" (basileus), denoting a ruler or sovereign. In the historical context, the Jews anticipated a Messiah who would restore the kingdom of Israel and liberate them from Roman oppression. The mockery here is that Jesus, though truly the King, did not fit their expectations of a political leader. Scripturally, this title affirms Jesus' fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies regarding the Davidic line.

Let Him come down now from the cross
The demand for Jesus to come down from the cross is a challenge to His divine authority and power. The Greek word "καταβάτω" (katabatō) means to descend or come down. This reflects a misunderstanding of Jesus' mission, which was not to avoid suffering but to embrace it for the redemption of mankind. Historically, crucifixion was a humiliating and excruciating form of execution, and the call for Jesus to descend was a taunt questioning His identity and mission.

and we will believe in Him
This phrase reveals the conditional faith of the onlookers. The Greek word for "believe" is "πιστεύσομεν" (pisteusomen), which means to have faith or trust. The historical context shows a people who demanded signs and wonders as proof of divine authority. However, true faith, as taught by Jesus, is not based on witnessing miracles but on understanding and accepting His teachings and sacrifice. This statement highlights the spiritual blindness of those who witnessed Jesus' ministry yet failed to recognize His true nature and purpose.

(42) He saved others.--The mockers, as before (comp. John 11:50-51), bear unconscious witness to the truth. They referred, it may be, to the works of healing and the raising of the dead which had been wrought in Galilee and Jerusalem, but their words were true in a yet higher sense. He had come into the world to save others, regardless of Himself.

Verse 42. - He saved others. They knew something of his many miracles of healing; many among them had witnessed the cure of the man blind from his birth (John 9.); most must have heard of the raising of Lazarus; - they made these very works of mercy a reproach against him. He had proved himself a beneficent Saviour; he had shown superhuman power, and yet they say, Himself he cannot save. There was indeed a sense, not their sense, in which this was true. Christ willed to die; it was his purpose thus to redeem mankind; in adhering to this steadfast determination he could not deliver himself from suffering and death. Some read the clause interrogatively, "Cannot he save himself?" It is then parallel to the expression used at the grave of Lazarus (John 11:37). If he be the King of Israel. "If" (εἰ) is omitted by א, B, D, L, etc., and many modern editors. Its omission is more concinnons to the other taunts, e.g. "He saved others;" "He trusted in God." His claim to be Messiah would involve the Kingship of Israel (Matthew 2:6), which the title over his head asserted. We will believe him (pisteu/somen au)tw = ""). We will believe (not subj., "let us believe") what he says. The Sinaitic, Vatican, and other good manuscripts read ἐπ αὐτόν, "on him." So Westcott and Hort, Tischendorf, etc. This form of expression would imply that they would put their trust in him, become his followers. A confident boast! for they were so fully persuaded of the final triumph of thcir malice, that they decreed they might safely make such a promise. And yet Christ did a greater thing than come down alive from the cross; he rose from the dead; but they believed not in him. And if the sign which they asked had been vouchsafed, they would have explained it away, or evaded its meaning, and nave been no nearer to salvation than now.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“He saved
ἔσωσεν (esōsen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4982: To save, heal, preserve, rescue. From a primary sos; to save, i.e. Deliver or protect.

others,
Ἄλλους (Allous)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 243: Other, another (of more than two), different. A primary word; 'else, ' i.e. Different.

[but] He cannot
δύναται (dynatai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1410: (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can. Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible.

save
σῶσαι (sōsai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 4982: To save, heal, preserve, rescue. From a primary sos; to save, i.e. Deliver or protect.

Himself.
ἑαυτὸν (heauton)
Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.

He is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

[the] King
Βασιλεὺς (Basileus)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 935: A king, ruler, but in some passages clearly to be translated: emperor. Probably from basis; a sovereign.

of Israel!
Ἰσραήλ (Israēl)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2474: Of Hebrew origin; Israel, the adopted name of Jacob, including his descendants.

Let Him come down
καταβάτω (katabatō)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2597: To go down, come down, either from the sky or from higher land, descend. From kata and the base of basis; to descend.

now
νῦν (nyn)
Adverb
Strong's 3568: A primary particle of present time; 'now'; also as noun or adjective present or immediate.

from
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

cross,
σταυροῦ (staurou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 4716: A cross.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

we will believe
πιστεύσομεν (pisteusomen)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 4100: From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.

in
ἐπ’ (ep’)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

Him.
αὐτόν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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