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Translation
Berean Standard Bible
In the same way, even the robbers who were crucified with Him berated Him.
American Standard Version
And the robbers also that were crucified with him cast upon him the same reproach.
World English Bible Messianic
The robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him the same reproach.
Geneva Bible (1599)
The selfe same thing also ye theeues which were crucified with him, cast in his teeth.
Young's Literal Translation
with the same also the robbers, who were crucified with him, were reproaching him.
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In the KJVVerse 24,174 of 31,102
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Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers . Public domain.
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Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 133
It is appropriate that both thieves be understood to have blasphemed the Lord at first. Afterwards, however, one of them converted and believed because of the wonders he heard performed by the Lord and also, perhaps, because he saw miraculous changes in the heavens and the falling of an untimely darkness.
Origen of Alexandria (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 253
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
The thief who was saved may be a sign of those who after many sins have believed on Christ.
Hilary of Poitiers (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 367
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
What forgiveness then for them, when by the resurrection of His body they shall see the temple of God rebuilt within three days?
That both the thieves cast in His teeth the manner of His Passion, shows that the cross should be an offence to all mankind, even to the faithful.
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 87
But nevertheless not even here doth their contumely stop, but after having stripped and crucified Him, and offered Him vinegar, they proceeded still further, and beholding Him impaled upon the cross, they revile Him, both they themselves and the passers by; and this was more grievous than all, that on the charge of being an impostor and deceiver He suffered these things, and as a boaster, and vainly pretending what He said. Therefore they both crucified Him publicly, that they might make a show of it in the sight of all; and therefore also they did it by the hands of the soldiers, that these things being perpetrated even by a public tribunal, the insult might be the greater.
And yet who would not have been moved by the multitude that was following Him, and lamenting Him? Nay, not these wild beasts. Wherefore also He to the multitude vouchsafes an answer, but to these men not so. For after having done what they would, they endeavor also to injure His honor, fearing His resurrection. Therefore they say these things publicly, and crucified thieves with Him, and wishing to prove Him a deceiver, they say, "Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days come down from the cross." For since on telling Pilate to remove the accusation (this was the writing, "The king of the Jews"), they prevailed not, but he persevered in saying, "What I have written, I have written," they then endeavor by their derision of Him to show that He is not a king.
Wherefore they said those things, and also these. If "He is the king of Israel, let Him come down now from the cross. He saved others, Himself He cannot save," aiming hereby to bring discredit even on His former miracles. And again, "If He be Son of God, and He will have Him, let Him save Him."
O execrable; most execrable! What, were not the prophets prophets, nor the righteous men righteous, because God rescued them not out of their dangers. Nay surely they were, though suffering these things. What then could be equal to your folly? For if the coming of the dangers upon them did not injure their honor with you, how much more in the case of this man, was it wrong for you to be offended, when both by what He did, by what He said, He was ever correcting beforehand this suspicion of yours.
Yet nevertheless, even when these things were said and done, they prevailed nothing, not even at the very time. At any rate, he, who was depraved in such great wickedness, and who had spent his whole life in murders and house-breakings, when these things were being said, then confessed Him, and made mention of a kingdom, and the people bewailed Him. And yet the things that were done seemed to testify the contrary in the eyes of those who knew not the mysterious dispensations, that He was weak and of no power, nevertheless truth prevailed even by the contrary things.
John Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 407
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Having stripped and crucified Christ, they go yet further, and seeing Him on the cross revile Him.
And as beginning to extenuate His former miracles, they add, Save thyself; if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
(Hom. de Cruc. et Latr. ii.) But He, on the contrary, does not come down from the cross, because He is the Son of God; for He therefore came that He might be crucified for us.
He trusted in God, let him now deliver him, if he will. O most foul! Were they therefore not Prophets or righteous men, because God did not deliver them out of their perils? But if He would not oppose their glory, which accrued to them out of the perils which you brought upon them, much more in this man ought you not to be offended because of what He suffers; what He has ever said ought to remove any such suspicion. When they add, Because he said, I am the Son of God, they desire to intimate that He suffered as an impostor and seducer, and as making high and false pretences. And not only the Jews and the soldiers from below, but from above likewise. The thieves, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
At first both reviled Him, but afterwards not so. For that you should not suppose that the thing was arranged by any collusion, and that the thief was not a thief, he shows you by his wanton reproaches, that even after he was crucified he was a thief and a foe, but was afterwards totally changed.
Jerome (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 420
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
They revile him because they passed by that way, and would not walk in the true way of the Scriptures. They wagged their heads, because they had just before shifted their feet, and stood not upon a rock. The foolish rabble cast the same taunt against Him that the false witnesses had invented, Aha! thou that destroyest the temple of God and rebuildest it in three days.
Even the Scribes and Pharisees reluctantly confess that He saved others. Your own judgment then condemns you, for in that He saved others, He could if He would have saved Himself.
But unworthy of credit is that promise, And we will believe him. For which is greater, to come down while yet alive from the cross, or to rise from the tomb when dead? Yet this He did, and ye believed not; therefore neither would ye have believed if He had come down from the cross. It seems to me that this was a suggestion of the dæmons. For immediately when the Lord was crucified they felt the power of the cross, and perceived that their strength was broken, and therefore contrive this to move Him to come down from the cross. But the Lord, aware of the designs of His foes, remains on the cross that He may destroy the Devil.
Or it may be said that at first both reviled Him; but when the sun had withdrawn, the earth was shaken, the rocks were rent, and the darkness increased, one believed on Jesus, and repaired his former denial by a subsequent confession.
Or, in the two thieves both nations, Jews and Gentiles, at first blasphemed the Lord; afterwards the latter terrified by the multitude of signs did penitence, and thus rebukes the Jews, who blaspheme to this day.
JeromeAD 420
COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 4.27.44
Here, through a figure of speech called syllepsis, instead of only one thief, both are described as having mocked Jesus. According to Luke, however, after one thief blasphemed, the other thief confessed his faith and rebuked the first. The Gospels do not disagree with each other. At first each thief blasphemed. But after the sun had fled, the earth shook, rocks split apart and darkness fell, one of the thieves believed in Jesus and recanted his initial denial by a subsequent confession. Along with the two thieves each crowd of both the Gentiles and the Jews at first mocked the Lord.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Matthew
(Verse 44) Now even the robbers who were crucified with him were reviling him. Here, in a figurative sense known as σύλληψις, both robbers are depicted as blaspheming him. However, Luke asserts that while one blasphemed, the other confessed, and contrary to expectations, rebuked the blasphemer (Luke 23). It is not that the Gospels are inconsistent; rather, both robbers initially blasphemed, but then, as the sun set and the earth shook, and with rocks splitting and darkness descending, one believed in Jesus and rectified his previous denial with a subsequent confession. Among the two thieves, both the Gentiles and the Jews initially blasphemed the Lord. Later, one of them, struck by the magnitude of the signs, repented and to this day scolds the Jews for blaspheming.
Augustine of Hippo (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 430
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(de Cons. Ev. iii. 16.) It may seem that Luke contradicts this, when he describes one of the robbers as reviling Him, and as therefore rebuked by the other. But we may suppose that Matthew, shortly alluding to the circumstance, has used the plural for the singular, as in the Epistle to the Hebrews we have, Hare stopped the months of lions, (Heb. 11:33.) when Daniel only is spoken of. And what more common way of speaking than for one to say, See the country people insult me, when it is one only who has done so. If indeed Matthew had said that both the thieves had reviled the Lord, there would be some discrepancy; but when he says merely, The thieves, without adding 'both,' we must consider it as that common form of speech in which the singular is signified by the plural.
Leo the Great (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 461
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(Serm. 55. 2.) From what source of error, O Jews, have ye sucked in the poison of such blasphemies? What teacher delivered it to you? What learning moved you to think that the true King of Israel, that the veritable Son of God, would be He who would not suffer Himself to be crucified, and would set free His body from the fastenings of the nails? Not the hidden meaning of the Law, not the mouths of the Prophets. Had ye indeed ever read, I hid not my face from the shame of spitting; (Is. 50:6.) or that again, They pierced my hands and my feet, they told all my bones. (Ps. 22:16.) Where have ye ever read that the Lord came down from the cross? But ye have read, The Lord hath reigned from the tree.e
Pseudo-Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 500
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM.d But attend to this speech of these children of the Devil, how they imitate their father's speech. The Devil said, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down; (Matt. 4:6.) and they say now, If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Remigius of Rheims (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 533
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(ap. Gloss. ord.) Or, by the two thieves are denoted all those who strive after the continence of a strict life. They who do this with a single intention of pleasing God, are denoted by him who was crucified on the right hand; they who do it out of desire of human praise or any less worthy motive, are signified by him who was crucified on the left.
Aha! is an interjection of taunt and mockery.
Rabanus Maurus (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 856
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Had He then been prevailed on by their taunts to leave the cross, He would not have proved to us the power of endurance; but He waited enduring their mockery; and He who would not come down from the cross, rose again from the tomb.
Theophylact of OhridAD 1107
. As a slander against Christ the two thieves were crucified with Him, so that people would think that He, too, was such a transgressor of the law as they were. The two thieves were symbolic of the two races, the Jewish and the Gentile, for both races had transgressed the law and reviled Christ, just as both these thieves at first reviled Him. But later the one thief understood Who He was and confessed Him as King; whereupon he also said, "Remember me, Lord, in Thy kingdom" (Lk. 23:42). So, too, did the Gentile race confess Christ, while the other thief, the Jewish race, blasphemed. The devil prompted them to say, "If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross," in order to provoke Him to come down and thus overturn the salvation of all being accomplished on the cross. But Christ, Who is indeed the Son of God, was not persuaded by the enemy, so that you, O reader, might learn that we ought not to be persuaded by the ploys of the devil, but do what is good even if men think ill of us.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Matthew 27:44 captures a poignant moment during Jesus' crucifixion, revealing the profound depth of His humiliation as even the two criminals crucified alongside Him joined in the widespread mockery and reviling. This verse underscores the pervasive rejection Jesus faced from all segments of society, from the religious elite to the common populace and even fellow sufferers, highlighting the isolation and scorn He endured as He bore the sins of humanity.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is situated within the climactic narrative of Jesus' crucifixion on Golgotha, a scene meticulously detailed by Matthew. Immediately prior, Jesus has been subjected to relentless scorn: first by the Roman soldiers who mockingly dressed Him as a king and saluted Him (Matthew 27:27-31), then by the passersby who wagged their heads and challenged Him to save Himself (Matthew 27:39-40), and most significantly, by the chief priests, scribes, and elders who derided Him with theological challenges, daring Him to come down from the cross if He was truly the Son of God or the King of Israel (Matthew 27:41-43). Matthew 27:44 extends this chorus of contempt to the two criminals, emphasizing the near-universal nature of the rejection Jesus experienced in His final hours.
Historical & Cultural Context: Roman crucifixion was not merely a method of execution but a public spectacle designed to inflict maximum pain, humiliation, and deterrence. It was reserved for the lowest classes, slaves, and rebels, making Jesus' crucifixion alongside thieves a deliberate act of degradation, associating Him with the worst elements of society. The act of "casting in one's teeth" was a common idiom for severe reproach, public shaming, and verbal abuse, often involving bringing up perceived faults or failures. For the criminals, their mockery might have stemmed from their own despair, bitterness, or a desire to align with the crowd's sentiment, perhaps hoping to deflect attention from their own guilt or to express their frustration at Jesus' perceived inability to save Himself or them. The scene is set on Golgotha, a place of public execution outside Jerusalem, ensuring wide visibility for this profound act of shame.
Key Themes: Matthew 27:44 powerfully contributes to several key themes within the crucifixion narrative and the broader Gospel. Firstly, it underscores the Profound Humiliation of Jesus, demonstrating that His suffering was not merely physical but also deeply emotional and psychological, as He faced total rejection even from those sharing His condemned state. This universal scorn fulfills the prophetic words about the Messiah being despised and rejected of men. Secondly, it highlights the theme of Universal Rejection, emphasizing that the animosity towards Jesus transcended social strata, coming from Roman authorities, Jewish religious leaders, the common people, and even fellow criminals. This pervasive rejection sets the stage for the magnitude of His atoning sacrifice. Lastly, the verse subtly introduces the theme of Contrasting Responses to Christ, even if Matthew's account here initially portrays both criminals as mocking. This initial portrayal sets up a powerful contrast with the later account in Luke 23:39-43, where one of the thieves ultimately repents, illustrating the differing human responses to Jesus even in His darkest hour.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Matthew employs several literary devices to heighten the impact of this scene. The most prominent is Irony, as those who share Jesus' condemned state, facing the same agonizing death, join in His mockery. This creates a profound sense of isolation for Jesus, highlighting the depth of His suffering. The phrase "cast the same in his teeth" is a powerful Idiom, conveying the harsh, direct, and contemptuous nature of the insults, emphasizing the verbal assault Jesus endured. There is also an element of Foreshadowing in this universal rejection, pointing to the ultimate human depravity that necessitates Christ's sacrifice, and the widespread unbelief that would persist even after His resurrection. The scene also functions as Symbolism, with the cross becoming not only an instrument of execution but a stark symbol of utter human rejection and the depths of sin.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 27:44 profoundly illustrates the theological concept of Jesus' vicarious suffering, not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually. His endurance of universal scorn, even from fellow condemned men, underscores the depths to which He descended in His identification with humanity's sin and shame. This comprehensive rejection highlights the magnitude of the sin He bore and the completeness of His sacrifice. It reveals the extent of human depravity and the hardened heart of humanity, which could mock its very Savior in His most vulnerable moment. Yet, in this ultimate humiliation, Jesus' unwavering obedience to the Father's will shines through, demonstrating His perfect love and resolve to accomplish redemption.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 27:44 serves as a stark mirror, reflecting the human capacity for cruelty and rejection, even towards the innocent and suffering. It challenges us to examine our own hearts: do we, like the unrepentant thieves, join the chorus of the world in mocking, dismissing, or rejecting Christ, especially when His teachings challenge our comfort or when His followers face scorn? Or do we, like the repentant thief in Luke's account, recognize His sovereignty even in His apparent weakness and turn to Him in faith? This verse also calls us to cultivate empathy and compassion, particularly towards those who are suffering and vulnerable. If even those sharing immense pain could revile Jesus, how much more must we guard against judging, mocking, or abandoning others in their distress. Ultimately, it reminds us of the immense cost of our salvation and Jesus' perfect endurance, inspiring us to live lives of gratitude and faithful obedience, even when faced with opposition or misunderstanding.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Matthew's account of both thieves mocking Jesus contradict Luke's account where only one thief repents?
Answer: No, Matthew's account in Matthew 27:44 does not necessarily contradict Luke's account in Luke 23:39-43. Matthew's use of the plural "the thieves also... cast the same in his teeth" likely describes the initial attitude of both criminals. It's common in biblical narratives for an initial, generalized statement to be followed by a more specific, nuanced detail. It is highly plausible that both thieves initially joined in the mockery, perhaps out of bitterness, despair, or to align with the crowd. However, as the crucifixion progressed and Jesus' demeanor, words, and the unfolding events (like the darkness and the tearing of the temple veil) became more evident, one of the thieves experienced a profound change of heart and repented. Luke's Gospel, written with a particular emphasis on Jesus' compassion and the grace offered to outcasts, highlights this moment of repentance, which would have occurred after the initial period of mockery described by Matthew. The Gospels often provide complementary perspectives rather than contradictory ones, each focusing on different aspects or chronological points of the same event.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 27:44, depicting the ultimate human rejection of Jesus, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the very purpose of His crucifixion. Jesus' willingness to endure such comprehensive scorn, even from the condemned, perfectly aligns with the prophetic portrait of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53:3, who was "despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain." His silence and endurance in the face of such reviling fulfill the prophecy that "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7). This act of being crucified "with" criminals, and enduring their taunts, underscores His identification with sinful humanity, bearing our shame and reproach as the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). His suffering, therefore, was not merely physical but a complete absorption of humanity's sin, shame, and rejection, culminating in His perfect obedience unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). In enduring the ultimate reproach, Jesus became the ultimate example for believers, who are called to follow in His steps, knowing that He "when he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly" (1 Peter 2:23). Thus, the mockery of the thieves, far from diminishing Jesus' glory, magnifies the depth of His atoning love and the completeness of His redemptive work on the cross.