Dost not thou fear God … – You are condemned to die as well as he. It is improper for you to rail on him as the rulers and Romans do. God is just, and you are hastening to his bar, and you should, therefore, fear him, and fear that he will punish you for railing on this innocent man.

Same condemnation – Condemnation to death; not death for the same thing, but the same kind of death.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 40. Dost not thou fear God] The sufferings of this person had been sanctified to him, so that his heart was open to receive help from the hand of the Lord: he is a genuine penitent, and gives the fullest proof he can give of it, viz. the acknowledgment of the justice of his sentence. He had sinned, and he acknowledges his sin; his heart believes unto righteousness, and with his tongue he makes confession unto salvation. While he condemns himself he bears testimony that Jesus was innocent. Bishop PEARCE supposes that these were not robbers in the common sense of the word, but Jews who took up arms on the principle that the Romans were not to be submitted to, and that their levies of tribute money were oppressive; and therefore they made no scruple to rob all the Romans they met with. These Jews Josephus calls , robbers, the same term used by the evangelists. This opinion gains some strength from the penitent thief’s confession: We receive the reward of our deeds – we rose up against the government, and committed depredations in the country; but this man hath done nothing amiss – , out of place, disorderly, – nothing calculated to raise sedition or insurrection; nor inconsistent with his declarations of peace and good will towards all men, nor with the nature of that spiritual kingdom which he came to establish among men; though he is now crucified under the pretence of disaffection to the Roman government.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

40. Dost not thou“thou”is emphatic: “Let others jeer, but dost thou?”

fear GodHast thou nofear of meeting Him so soon as thy righteous Judge? Thou art withinan hour or two of eternity, and dost thou spend it in recklessdisregard of coming judgment?

in the same condemnationHehas been condemned to die, but is it better with thee? Doth even acommon lot kindle no sympathy in thy breast?

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

But the other answering, rebuked him,…. That is, the other malefactor made answer to him, and reproved him for his baseness and wickedness:

saying, dost not thou fear God; or “neither dost thou fear God”, any more than these priests, people, and soldiers, that are acting such a barbarous and inhuman part to a man in misery: and wilt thou do the same, and show that thou art an impious wretch, now thou art just going out of the world, and neither fears God, nor regards man, and art without compassion to a fellow sufferer, adding sin to sin,

seeing thou art in the same condemnation? undergoing the same sort of punishment, though not on the same account, which might be the reason why they suffered on the same day: for the Jews say a, they never judge (or condemn) two in one day, but one today, and the other tomorrow; but if they are in one transgression,

“txa htymw, “and one death”, as an adulterer with an adulteress, they condemn them both in one day; but if the adulterer lies with a priest’s daughter, seeing he is to be strangled, and she to be burnt, they do not execute them both in one day.”

a Maimon. Hilch. Sanhedrin, c. 14. sect. 10.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Rebuking (). From what Mark and Matthew say both robbers sneered at Jesus at first, but this one came to himself and turned on his fellow robber in a rage.

Dost thou not even fear God? ( ;). here goes with the verb. (second person singular present indicative middle of . Both of you will soon appear before God. Jesus has nothing to answer for and you have added this to your other sins.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

1) “But the other answering rebuked him, saying,” (apokeitheis de ho heteros epitimon auto ephe) “But the other criminal (of a different attitude) answered, rebuking him,” scolding him, as follows: The other one who repented was a Gentile who spoke of His Kingdom, Luk 23:42.

2) “Dost not thou fear God,” (oude phobe si ton theon) “Do you not at all fear the true God,” have respect for God, before God, using such language, as you soon go to meet Him, Ecc 12:13-14; Mat 12:36-37.

3) “Seeing thou art in the same condemnation?” (hoti en to auto keimati ei) “Because you are in the same judgment.” Jer 5:3, of death, are condemned to death for criminal deeds that you know you have done? Mat 27:38; Rom 3:23; Mar 15:27; Mar 15:32.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

40. And the other answering. In this wicked man a striking mirror of the unexpected and incredible grace of God is held out to us, not only in his being suddenly changed into a new man, when he was near death, and drawn from hell itself to heaven, but likewise in having obtained in a moment the forgiveness of all the sins in which he had been plunged through his whole life, and in having been thus admitted to heaven before the apostles and first-fruits of the new Church. First, then, a remarkable instance of the grace of God shines in the conversion of that man. For it was not by the natural movement of the flesh that he laid aside his fierce cruelty and proud contempt of God, so as to repent immediately, but he was subdued by the hand of God; as the whole of Scripture shows that repentance is His work. And so much the more excellent is this grace, that it came beyond the expectation of all. For who would ever have thought that a robber, in the very article of death, would become not only a devout worshiper of God, but a distinguished teacher of faith and piety to the whole world, so that we too must receive from his mouth the rule of a true and proper confession? Now the first proof which he gave of his repentance was, that he severely reproved and restrained the wicked forwardness of his companion. He then added a second, by humbling himself in open acknowledgment of his crimes, and ascribing to Christ the praise due to his righteousness. Thirdly, he displayed astonishing faith by committing himself and his salvation to the protection of Christ, while he saw him hanging on the cross and near death.

Dost not thou fear God? Though these words are tortured in various ways by commentators, yet the natural meaning of them appears to me to be, What is the meaning of this, that even this condemnation does not compel thee to fear God? For the robber represents it as an additional proof of the hard-heartedness of his companion, that when reduced to the lowest straits, he does not even now begin to fear God. But to remove all ambiguity, it is proper to inform the reader that an impudent and detestable blasphemer, who thought that he might safely indulge in ridicule, is summoned to the judgment-seat of God; for though he had remained all his life unmoved, he ought to have trembled when he saw that the hand of God was armed against him, and that he must soon render an account of all his crimes; It was, therefore, a proof of desperate and diabolical obstinacy, that while God held him bound by the final judgment, he did not even then return to a sound mind; for if there had been the smallest particle of godliness in the heart of that man, he would at least have been constrained to yield to the fear of God. We now perceive the general meaning of his words, that those men, in whom even punishments do not produce amendment, are desperate, and totally destitute of the fear of God.

I interpret the words ἐν τῶ αὐτῷ κρίματι to mean not in the same condemnation, but during the condemnation itself; (275) as if the robber had said, Since thou art even now in the jaws of death, thou oughtest to be aroused to acknowledge God as thy Judge. Hence, too, we draw a useful doctrine, that those whom punishments do not train to humility do altogether resist God; for they who possess any fear of God must necessarily be overwhelmed with shame, and struck silent.

(275) “ Je les pren paur la condamnation presente, et laquelle ne menace point de loin, mais tient desja la personne, et se fait sentir.” — “I take them for the condemnation which is present, and which does not threaten at a distance, but already holds the person, and makes itself be felt.”

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(40) But the other answering rebuked him.On the legends connected with the penitent thief, see Notes on Mat. 27:44. Dysmas, or Titus, as they name him, had once before looked on the face of the Christ. He had been one of a band of robbers that attacked the holy travellers in their flight from Bethlehem, and had then pleaded for their lives. The Virgin Mother had blessed him. The child Christ had foretold his suffering and his repentance. Now, as he gazed on the face of the divine Sufferer, he recognised the features of the infant Jesus (Gosp. of Infancy, viii. 1-8; Gosp. of Nicodemus, i. 10). Confining ourselves to what St. Luke records, we may think of him as impressed by the holiness and patience of Him he looked on. What such a One claimed to be, that He must have a right to claim, and so the very words uttered in mockery, Christ, the King of Israel, became an element in his conversion. This, of course, implies that he cherished Messianic hopes of some kind, if only of the vague nature then common among his people. Yet deeper in the ground-work of his character there must have been the fear of God, the reverence and awe rising out of a sense of sin, the absence of which he noted in his companion. He accepted his punishment as just, and in so doing made it reformatory and not simply penal.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

40. The other rebuked He may have been for the time being borne on by the general contagion of hostility to Jesus. His fellow-malefactor leads the way, obsequiously joining the crowd to show how he too, though a malefactor, can rail at the central object of the common contempt. But this other has different views and feelings. Is there anything improbable in the supposition, that during the wide range of our Lord’s ministry through Galilee, Paerea, and Judea, this malefactor may have heard his preaching and been impressed with his divine character and doctrines? Very probably he was an insurgent against the Roman government, rather than a robber, and was expecting the speedy establishment of Messiah’s reign. And, when he beheld the calm majesty of Jesus in suffering, heard the railings at his claims of Messiahship, read the inscription proclaiming him a king of the Jews, and finally felt the shades of miraculous darkness gathering over the scene of violence, he recognized Jesus as true Saviour, Messiah, king, and Lord. In this awe, conviction, and confession, he was more or less soon followed by most of the attendants at the crucifixion.

Not thou fear God Whose frown is visible in the supernatural darkness gathering round us

Seeing The phrase as thou oughtest should precede this word, to make the sense complete.

Same condemnation Under a like sentence, on a like cross, and, therefore, unentitled to emulate these blaspheming railers against him.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” ’

Meanwhile something had been happening in the heart of the other evildoer. He too had railed at Jesus to begin with (Mat 27:44). But then something about Jesus had come home to him (as to a certain extent it had to Pilate). We cannot fully know what it was. What does speak to a man at a time like this? But we can surmise, for we know that Jesus was like no other. Humanly speaking it was probably because there was something about this unusual man who prayed for His enemies , and who bore His death so calmly, that struck a chord in his heart, so that he could not bear to hear Him run down. Probably he had recognised that He was the prophet Who had stirred the people, and he may even have heard Him preach. And he knew an innocent man when he saw one, and yet One who bore His fate without recrimination. So turning to the other evildoer, whom he no doubt knew from better days of being a comrade in insurrection, he rebuked him and suggested that this was no time for mockery when soon they would meet the Judge of all men.

Did he really want to meet his Maker with bitter words on his lips about this man who was clearly so superior to them both? For here was a man who, if anyone was, was clearly innocent. It shone from His face and His eyes. It was clear from the accusations being yelled out by those arrogant Sadducees. It was apparent from His responses. They really had nothing against Him at all. And it is almost certain that this evildoer had recognised Jesus as the prophet Who had gathered such crowds, and Who had done such good, from the words that he later addressed to Him. And he realised that He at least was only here for being too good for those hypocritical religious Jewish leaders to stomach.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Luk 23:40. Dost not thou fear God? Have you too no fear of God; that is to say, no more than those others who were insulting Jesus? Heylin.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

Ver. 40. But the other answering ] Silent he was for a while, and therefore seemed to consent; till hearing Christ’s prayers and the enemies’ outrages, he brake out into this brave confession, worthy to be written in letters of gold.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

40. ] Bengel supports the notion that this penitent thief was a Gentile . But surely this is an unwarranted assumption. What should a Gentile know of Paradise, or of the kingdom of the Messiah as about to come? The silence of the penitent is broken by the of the other compromising him in the scoff.

alludes to the multitude Dost thou too not fear God? (as thou oughtest to do), seeing that.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament