SEV Biblia, Chapter 23:43
Entonces Jess le dijo: De cierto te digo, que hoy estars conmigo en el paraíso.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 23:43
Verse 43. To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.] Marcion and the Manichees are reported to have left this verse out of their copies of this evangelist. This saying of our Lord is justly considered as a strong proof of the immateriality of the soul; and it is no wonder that those who have embraced the contrary opinion should endeavour to explain away this meaning. In order to do this, a comma is placed after shmeron, to-day, and then our Lord is supposed to have meant, "Thou shalt be with me after the resurrection I tell thee this, TO-DAY." I am sorry to find men-of great learning and abilities attempting to support this most feeble and worthless criticism. Such support a good cause cannot need; and, in my opinion, even a bad cause must be discredited by it. In paradise. The garden of Eden, mentioned Gen. ii. 8, is also called, from the Septuagint, the garden of Paradise. The word d[ Eden, signifies pleasure and delight. Several places were thus called; see Gen. iv. 16; 2 Kings xix. 12; Isa. xxxvii. 12; Ezekiel xxvii. 23; and Amos i. 5; and such places probably had this name from their fertility, pleasant situation, &c., &c. In this light the Septuagint have viewed Gen. ii. 8. as they render the passage thus: efuteusen o qeov paradeison en edem, God planted a paradise in Eden. Hence the word has been transplanted into the New Testament; and is used to signify a place of exquisite pleasure and delight.
From this the ancient heathens borrowed their ideas of the gardens of the Hesperides, where the trees bore golden fruit; and the gardens of Adonis, a word which is evidently derived from the Hebrew d[ Eden: and hence the origin of sacred groves, gardens, and other enclosures dedicated to purposes of devotion, some comparatively innocent, others impure. The word paradise is not Greek, but is of Asiatic origin. In Arabic and Persian it signifies a garden, a vineyard, and also the place of the blessed. In the Kushuf ul Loghat, a very celebrated Persian dictionary, the Jenet al Ferdoos, Garden of Paradise, is said to have been "created by God out of light, and that the prophets and wise men ascend thither." Paradise was, in the beginning, the habitation of man in his state of innocence, in which he enjoyed that presence of his Maker which constituted his supreme happiness. Our Lord's words intimate that this penitent should be immediately taken to the abode of the spirits of the just, where he should enjoy the presence and approbation of the Most High. In the Institutes of Menu, chap. OEconomics, Inst. 243, are the following words: "A man habitually pious, whose offenses have been expiated, is instantly conveyed, after death, to the higher world, with a radiant form, and a body of ethereal substance." The state of the blessed is certainly what our Lord here means: in what the locality of that state consists we know not. The Jews share a multitude of fables on the subject.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 43. And Jesus said unto him , etc.] Jesus immediately answered him, though he said not one word to the other that railed at him, or to the multitude that abused him; and promised him more than he asked for, and sooner than he expected. Verily I say unto thee, today thou shall be with me in paradise ; d[ gb , in the garden of Eden; not the earthly paradise, nor the church militant, but the future place, and state of the happiness of the saints, even heaven, and eternal glory, which the Jews frequently call by this name; (see Gill on 2 Corinthians 12:4) and is so called, because, as the earthly paradise, or Eden's garden, was of God's planting, so is the heavenly glory of his providing and preparing: as that was a place of delight and pleasure, so here are pleasures for evermore; as there was a river in it, which added to the delightfulness and advantage of it, so here runs the river of God's love, the streams whereof make glad the saints now, and will be a broad river to swim in to all eternity: as there were the tree of life, with a variety of other trees, both for delight and profit, so here, besides Christ, the tree of life, which stands in the midst of it, are an innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect: and as the inhabitants of that garden were pure and innocent creatures, so into this paradise shall nothing enter but what is righteous, pure, and holy: and whereas the principal enjoyment of man in Eden was conversation with God, and communion with him, the glory of the heavenly paradise will lie in fellowship with God, Father, Son, and Spirit, in beholding the face of God, and seeing him as he is: and this is the happiness promised by Christ to the penitent and believing thief, that he should be here; and not only so, but with him here, which is far better than being in this world, and than which nothing can be more desirable: and which, when enjoyed, will be for ever: and this he was to enter upon that very day; which shows, that Christ's soul did not descend into hell, locally and literally considered, or into the Limbus Patrum, the Papists talk of, to fetch the souls of the patriarchs thence, but as soon as it was separated from the body was taken up into heaven; and also, that the souls of departed saints are immediately, upon their separation from the body, there; which was the case of this wonderful instance of the grace of God; and shows the swiftness of the soul, or the velocity of angels in conveying it thither immediately: and this agrees with the sense of the Jews, who say f692 , that the souls of the fathers, or patriarchs have rest, and in a moment, immediately enter into their separate places, or apartments, and not as the rest of the souls; of whom it is said, all the twelve months the soul ascends and descends, (goes to and fro,) but the souls of the fathers, drphb dym , immediately, upon their separation, return to God that gave them.
Some would remove the stop, and place it after today, and read the words thus, I say unto thee today; as if Christ only signified the time when he said this, and not when the thief should be with him in paradise; which, besides it being senseless, and impertinent, and only contrived to serve an hypothesis, is not agreeably to Christ's usual way of speaking, and contrary to all copies and versions. Moreover, in one of Beza's exemplars it is read, I say unto thee, oti shmeron that today thou shalt be with me, etc. and so the Persic and Ethiopic versions seem to read, which destroys this silly criticism. And because this was a matter of great importance, and an instance of amazing grace, that so vile a sinner, one of the chief of sinners, should immediately enter into the kingdom of God, and enjoy uninterrupted, and everlasting communion with him and that it might not be a matter of doubt with him, or others, Christ, who is the Amen, the faithful witness, and truth itself, prefaces it after this manner: verily I say unto thee; it is truth, it may be depended on. This instance of grace stands on record, not to cherish sloth, indolence, security and presumption, but to encourage faith and hope in sensible sinners, in their last moments, and prevent despair. The Papists pretend to know this man's name; they say his name was Disma; and reckon him as a martyr, and have put him in the catalogue of saints, and fixed him on the twenty fifth of March.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 32-43 - As soon as Christ was fastened to the cross, he prayed for those wh crucified him. The great thing he died to purchase and procure for us is the forgiveness of sin. This he prays for. Jesus was crucifie between two thieves; in them were shown the different effects the cros of Christ would have upon the children of men in the preaching the gospel. One malefactor was hardened to the last. No troubles of themselves will change a wicked heart. The other was softened at the last: he was snatched as a brand out of the burning, and made monument of Divine mercy. This gives no encouragement to any to put of repentance to their death-beds, or to hope that they shall then fin mercy. It is certain that true repentance is never too late; but it is as certain that late repentance is seldom true. None can be sure the shall have time to repent at death, but every man may be sure he cannot have the advantages this penitent thief had. We shall see the case to be singular, if we observe the uncommon effects of God's grace upo this man. He reproved the other for railing on Christ. He owned that he deserved what was done to him. He believed Jesus to have suffere wrongfully. Observe his faith in this prayer. Christ was in the dept of disgrace, suffering as a deceiver, and not delivered by his Father He made this profession before the wonders were displayed which pu honour on Christ's sufferings, and startled the centurion. He believe in a life to come, and desired to be happy in that life; not like the other thief, to be only saved from the cross. Observe his humility in this prayer. All his request is, Lord, remember me; quite referring it to Jesus in what way to remember him. Thus he was humbled in tru repentance, and he brought forth all the fruits for repentance his circumstances would admit. Christ upon the cross, is gracious lik Christ upon the throne. Though he was in the greatest struggle an agony, yet he had pity for a poor penitent. By this act of grace we ar to understand that Jesus Christ died to open the kingdom of heaven to all penitent, obedient believers. It is a single instance in Scripture it should teach us to despair of none, and that none should despair of themselves; but lest it should be abused, it is contrasted with the awful state of the other thief, who died hardened in unbelief, though crucified Saviour was so near him. Be sure that in general men die a they live.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S αυτω 846 P-DSM ο 3588 T-NSM ιησους 2424 N-NSM αμην 281 HEB λεγω 3004 5719 V-PAI-1S σοι 4671 P-2DS σημερον 4594 ADV μετ 3326 PREP εμου 1700 P-1GS εση 2071 5704 V-FXI-2S εν 1722 PREP τω 3588 T-DSM παραδεισω 3857 N-DSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
43. In Paradise (paradeisw). Originally an enclosed park, or pleasure-ground. Xenophon uses it of the parks of the Persian kings and nobles. "There (at Celaenae) Cyrus had a palace and a great park (paradeisov), full of wild animals, which he hunted on horseback.... Through the midst of the park flows the river Maeander ("Anabasis," i., 2, 7). And again: "The Greeks encamped near a great and beautiful park, thickly grown with all kinds of trees" (ii. 4, 14.) In the Septuagint, Genesis ii. 8, of the garden of Eden. In the Jewish theology, the department of Hades where the blessed souls await the resurrection; and therefore equivalent to Abraham's bosom (ch. xvi. 22, 23). It occurs three times in the New Testament: here; 2 Cor. xii. 4; Apoc. ii. 7; and always of the abode of the blessed."Where'er thou roam'st, one happy soul, we know, See at thy side in woe, Waits on thy triumph - even as all the blest With him and Thee shall rest.
Each on his cross, by Thee we hang awhile, Watching thy patient smile, Till we have learn'd to say, "Tis justly done, Only in glory, Lord, thy sinful servant own.'" KEBLE, Christian Year.
44-46. Compare Matt. xxvii. 45-50; Mark xv. 33-37.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
23:43 {Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise} (semeron met' emou esei en twi paradeiswi). However crude may have been the robber's Messianic ideas Jesus clears the path for him. He promises him immediate and conscious fellowship after death with Christ in Paradise which is a Persian word and is used here not for any supposed intermediate state; but the very bliss of heaven itself. this Persian word was used for an enclosed park or pleasure ground (so Xenophon). The word occurs in two other passages in the N.T. (#2Co 12:4; Re 2:7), in both of which the reference is plainly to heaven. Some Jews did use the word for the abode of the pious dead till the resurrection, interpreting "Abraham's bosom" (#Lu 16:22f.) in this sense also. But the evidence for such an intermediate state is too weak to warrant belief in it.
