Devine Scripture

Luke 23:48

What does Luke 23:48 mean?

A plain-English look at Luke 23:48 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Luke 23:48 means

The gathered multitudes, having witnessed these events, return home beating their breasts. Their gesture signals grief, alarm, and perhaps a dawning sense of guilt. The spectacle they came to see has become a sobering revelation. The darkness, the torn veil, and Jesus’ composed death have exposed a terrible wrong. Many leave struck to the heart, yet without resolution—waiting, as it were, for what God will do next. Their mourning does not yet blossom into faith, but it opens a door to repentance. Calvary confronts the conscience and calls the soul to consider the cost of rejecting God’s Righteous One.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And all the multitudes that came together to this sight, when they beheld the things that were done, returned smiting their breasts.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And all the multitudes that came together to this sight, when they beheld the things that were done, returned smiting their breasts.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And all the people who had come together to see it, when they saw the things which were done, went back again making signs of grief.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and all the multitudes who were come together to this sight, beholding the things that came to pass, smiting their breasts did turn back;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And all the multitude of them that were come together to that sight and saw the things that were done returned, striking their breasts.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And all the crowds who had come together to that sight, having seen the things that took place, returned, beating [their] breasts.

Context

Following the centurion’s declaration, the reaction of the broader crowd is recorded. The people disperse in grief and disturbance. This sets a somber atmosphere into which the faithful witnesses are introduced in the next verse—Jesus’ acquaintances and the women from Galilee, who keep their distance but do not abandon their watch. From there, the narrative moves to the burial, where Joseph of Arimathæa courageously requests Jesus’ body and lays it in a new tomb.

v.47And when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.

v.48This passage

v.49And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed with him from Galilee, stood afar off, seeing these things.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Luke 18:13

    But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner.

  • Jeremiah 31:19

    Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

  • Acts 2:37

    Now when they heardthis, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do?

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