Luke 23:34
Bible Verses. Also called Luke 23:34, Father, forgive them, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do, For they know not what they do, First Word from the Cross, First of the Seven Last Words.
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
Scripture quotation from the King James Version (KJV). Read this chapter
Luke 23:34 records the prayer Jesus offered on the cross for those who were crucifying him: "Father, forgive them." It is traditionally counted as the first of the Seven Last Words from the Cross. The verse also raises a textual question, because the prayer is absent from some early manuscripts.
About this articleAI draft from a Korean source. Notes on Korean Protestant practice. No sources listed. Not yet reviewed by a person.
- Origin
Drafted by AI from the Korean church.wiki article, then translated and adapted for English readers on 5 November 2026.
- Perspective
Includes notes on Korean Protestant practice; other traditions are noted where they differ.
- Sources
None listed yet. The article draws on the biblical text and general reference works. Add a source
- Review
Not yet reviewed by a person. Last edited by a person: never. Translation updated 5 November 2026. Edit history
Context
The Gospel of Luke places this prayer immediately after the account of Jesus being crucified with two malefactors at the place called Calvary, that is, the Skull. The prayer is followed by the scene in which the soldiers cast lots to divide his garments (Psalm 22:18). In the Seven Last Words, the traditional collection of the sayings from the cross drawn from the four Gospels, it is usually counted as the first.
Interpretation
- Those to be forgiven: Interpreters differ over whom "them" in the prayer refers to. One view identifies them as the Roman soldiers who actually nailed Jesus to the cross; another holds that the prayer also includes the Jewish leaders and the crowd who handed him over; still another extends it to all humanity as responsible for his death.
- "They know not": The phrase is understood to mean that ignorance does not erase sin, but that such ignorance leaves room to ask for forgiveness. It is also read alongside Peter's words to the people of Jerusalem, "I wot that through ignorance ye did it" (Acts 3:17).
- Love of enemies in practice: The scene is seen as Jesus himself practicing what he taught in the Sermon on the Plain: "pray for them which despitefully use you" (Luke 6:28). Stephen's offering of the same prayer at his martyrdom (Acts 7:60) is likewise read as following this example.
Controversies and Issues
The prayer is absent from some important early manuscripts, including papyrus evidence and Codex Vaticanus, and in Codex Sinaiticus it is reported to have been present originally and later erased. For this reason, some modern translations mark it with brackets or a marginal note. Nevertheless, many scholars support its authenticity on the grounds that it appears in many manuscripts, that it was known to the early Church Fathers, and that its theme of forgiveness fits well with the overall movement of Luke and Acts. Some also suggest that a later scribe, uncomfortable with forgiveness extended to the Jews, may have deleted it. In either case, there is broad agreement that the prayer belongs to the Lukan tradition.
Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this idea is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.
In Korean churches, the verse is used in Holy Week services, especially as the first text in Good Friday meditations on the Seven Last Words. In Korean church history, the story of Pastor Son Yang-won, who adopted as his son the man who had killed his sons, is frequently preached alongside this verse.
Related Passages
See also 6
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