Luke 23:34

Luke 23:34. And Jesus said. During the act of crucifixion, as it would appear from the language which follows. This first of the seven words on the cross, preserved by Luke alone, is perhaps the one best adapted to ‘draw all men' unto Him ‘when lifted up.'

Father, forgive them. Even in the act of crucifixion He speaks as ‘Son of God!' And thus offering Himself, He also intercedes, performing His twofold priestly work. Comp. Isaiah 53:12: ‘He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.' ‘Them' refers, first of all, to the four soldiers who actually crucified Him, since they are spoken of in all the other clauses. It is true they only obeyed orders; but Luke 23:36-37 show that they had a certain pleasure in their cruel duty. They acted as the agents, directly, of the Jewish rulers, in a wider sense, of the Jewish nation, and most widely and truly of mankind. All sinners conspired to nail Him there.

For they know not what they do. Comp. Acts 3:17. This is the motive, not the ground, for forgiveness. Ignorance may diminish guilt, but does not remove it, else no prayer for forgiveness would be needed. It is one design of this record, showing us the forgiving love of our Lord as He died for the sins of men, to awaken in men, through the application of it by the Holy Spirit, a knowledge of what they do as sinners in nailing Him to the cross, that they may repent and be forgiven for His sake. The prayer is only for those who in some way help in the great crime. Those who deny that they are sinners deny that it is for them. The whole prayer is omitted in a few manuscripts, but it is regarded as genuine by all modem critics.