A Comma Here, A Comma There
And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43 J. Green translation
Today – When do we get to heaven? While the question certainly isn’t on the top shelf from a biblical point of view, evangelical Christianity seems to suggest that the answer to this question is of great importance. The long-held tradition that we arrive at the pearly gates the very instant our physical bodies cease functioning in this world is a sacred cow for most believers. Therefore, when we notice that first century Jewish thinking considers death as a long sleep before Judgment Day, we point to a verse like this one and claim that our loved ones aren’t sleeping in the grave. They are already with the Lord awaiting our arrival or His return.
But what happens if we move the comma?
Neither Greek nor Hebrew have punctuation. Added commas help English readers, but where to put the comma is the decision of the translator, not a reflection of the text. What happens to our sacred cow belief if the comma is moved like this: “Truly I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.” Ah, yes, things change, don’t they?
What justification do we have for suggesting that the comma might be in the wrong place? After all, when Yeshua speaks an opening line like “Truly I say to you,” the comma usually follows immediately. To justify moving it we need to look at both the Greek text and the likely Hebrew equivalent.
In the Greek text, the literal translation reads, “Amen I say to you today with me you will be in Paradise.” In Greek the non-existent comma could be added in either position. The statement to the crucified man makes just as much contextual sense either way. In Hebrew, things are slightly different. In the Hebrew Delitzsch Gospels, the text reads “and speaking Yeshua to him Amen say I to you the day will be with me in Gan-Eden.” You’ll notice that the word for today includes the definite article (ha-yom), rendered “this day.” The amen is the signal that something very significant follows. But there is still no compelling reason to conclude that Yeshua didn’t say, “I say to you this day,” rather than “I say to you, this day.” In other words, the only reason to add the comma between “you” and “this day” is a prior theological belief that Paradise is the immediate consequence of death. But that prior theological belief isn’t in the text and it doesn’t seem to be a part of the first century Jewish understanding of heaven. If we read the verse in its first century Jewish context, we can rightly conclude that Yeshua would have intended that the man would sleep until the day of Judgment, just like all other men.
There is just one more thing. The Hebrew ha-yom could also be rendered “that day.” If this is the correct translation, then Yeshua assures him that on that day, he will enter Gan-Eden. He will not be cut off. And this, of course, fits the Jewish context.
What can we conclude? It’s simple. Commas do not make doctrines. We must be far more careful to read the text in its own context rather than adding ours. Does this make you wonder how many of your theological beliefs depend on punctuation?
Topical Index: comma, punctuation, today, ha-yom, heaven, Luke 23:43
Yes! Here’s a slightly more humorous example of how punctuation makes all the difference. A high-school English teacher wrote the following on the blackboard and asked his students to punctuate it:
A woman without her man is nothing
Most of the boys punctuate it thus:
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
However, without exception, the girls punctuated it slightly differently:
A woman; without her, man is nothing.
🙂
Like you said, Skip, a comma here and there makes all the difference. I’m sure we could think of other verses that have similar problems (or am I pre-empting future Today’s Words?)…
Ah, the sin of syntax. Proper punctuation please! Those jots and tittles can get us into trouble, quick! Yes, Doris, “little things mean a lot!” Verily, verily.
I would encourage each of our readers to visit biblos.com and look up Luke 23.43 to view what Christ says to this last minute believer, this death-bed convert, the one whom Yeshua assured- sir, you are going to be with Me in Paradise.
First of all, let us (na) consider, (notice the comma!)- Who was it who said to this common criminal, “today-you will be with Me in Paradise.” It was the Eternal Word, the bleeding, battered, refused and rejected, racked with untold pain and suffering, the son of Man and Son of G-d, our Master and Messiah, the Savior of the world speaking. ~ For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost ~ even while in the slow and painful process of dying upon the tslav. Absolutely amazing.
In the Hebrew language- what is a “day?” Is it a twenty-four hour day as we know it? Or is it some ethereal, unknown- spiritualized period of an unknown time? Go back to the dirt, people! Simplify, please! Grass is grass and grapes are grapes and dirt is dirt and a day is a day. – Go outside and scoop up some dirt in your (now) dirty hands and ask yourselves- “is this dirt-dirt?” (I so enjoyed saying this!)
Reminds me of my childhood toy- (the dir-dir). It was cheap fun. I haven’t done it in awhile, but I’m tempted to do so to relive some of my fond memories of my youth. Made from the core of the tissue roll, hold it to your lips and run around the house saying “dir-dir” to the best of your abilities. And there you have the “dir-dir,” -sir.
Yes, a day is a day and Yes, -what a difference a (single) day makes! Did G-d create this world in seven days? (actually six- since He took a day off to rest!). Yes, six absolutely “ordinary?” earth days. When G-d formed man from the dust of the earth- was this a special “dust?” or was it “dusty dust?” lol! Now where’s my dir-dir?
~Today, if you will hear His voice..~ Is today -today? then I’ll say.. Amen! ~ For “this” is the day which the LORD has made,- I will rejoice and be glad in it…~ Why? Because, my friends, – this is the day which our Sovereign-sustaining-succouring-saving Shepherd has made!
Before I go in search of my dir-dir, I would leave these questions: Is “eternal life” a quantity or a quality? And when, dear friends and family, does “eternal life”- begin? And if we “each” are eternal souls, (are we?) then what (according to the scriptures) will our future be?
In light of your comments today, I would love to hear what you have to say about Hebrews 12:1? I know there are a few different interpretations about that great cloud of witnesses, but I would appreciate any insight you could give on this verse.
In John 20:17, after the resurrection Jesus says that he has NOT yet ascended to the Father. This is an added reason for putting the comma after ‘today’.
Hayom interpreted “that day” makes sense to me, considering the context of the conversation. For, if only in a temporal reference the clause to which Yeshua is speaking is “when you come into your kingdom”, then by saying “that day” Yeshua would be addressing the issue of “when”. “that day” would be the non-specific but appointed time when He would come into His kingdom.
Moreover, because Jonah is a forerunner of Yeshua in that he spent three days in the belly of the fish as Yeshua spent three days in the bowels of the earth prior to ascending, it is reasonable to expect that the thief would spend some time waiting to find himself in Gan-Eden with Yeshua, since Yeshua, Himself, would be elsewhere not just the day He was being crucified, but three days – – days as Jews of that time and Jews of long before understood, being advised by God how He reckons physical days and times, especially appointed times, which reckoning is not as modern day western date-makers and time-keepers do… but that is another issue – – .
One last thought: regardless of where or how or how long the thief would be spending time in any one place following his physical death, the fact remains that he was to be more than simply remembered by Yeshua; he was to be with Him in His kingdom. Had the details of all that been deemed worthy of note by the Spirit who spoke the gospel to the author(s), I suspect He would have had such detail written down for our edification. But, He didn’t, thus we see once more the call to trust Him for He loves us far more than our limited minds can conceive, and to be consoled knowing His grace will surpass all our expectations. If, indeed, we love Him, any wait is not so concerning as knowing that we will be with Him. I think that was His point.
A comma, not a coma!! Before I start, come from Love and be your best!! It all starts there!! The Father is quite clear. “Paradise” cannot be Heaven, as the Son did not go into Heaven upon His death. Most humans desire a post mortem life, i.e., life after death. All of antiquity longed for the after life, life immortal or some future existence. For the last 2000 years Christians have debated this issue. Is life after death (if it exist) a post mortem material body or some spiritual existence? Do you go immediately to “Heaven” after you material body dies? Paul addressed the early Christ-Followers questions, as he alluded to those who are at “sleep”, a Jewish way of addressing this quite “gray” area. NT Wright locks on to the essence and maybe the “truth”. Wright refers to a “life after life after death.” From the converstion on the cross, it is obvious the Paradise cannot be Heaven, as the Lord did not pass into that Heavenly dimension until much later. Let’s continue the conversation!! Come for Love and be your best!!!!
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which He went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to Him. 1 Peter 3:18-22 (ESV)
I read this item this morning early and am just getting back to it late this afternoon. How the comments have multiplied. Punctuation is important, even in the writing of English. A language with no punctuation leaves room for us English speaking, Greek thinking people to imput meanings that fits our theology. I have just about decided that Theology is risky business and I am wondering how to avoid it altogether. Not sure I can but might be worth the endeavor.
Skip, I hope you will be posting more teachings like this, as I’m sure there are many more where punctiation influences the interpretation…!
1For we have da’as that if the beit mishkaneinu [IYOV 4:19; 2C 4:7] is made churban, we have a bais from Hashem, a Bais not made with hands, in Shomayim L’olamim. [YESHAYAH 38:12] 2For indeed in this mishkaneinu we groan, longing for the train of our robe to be our sukkah from Shomayim. [Ro 8:23] 3If indeed thus clothed we will not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this mishkan, we groan under our burden, in as much as we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, that the mortal may be swallowed up by Chayyim.[1C 15:53-54] 5Now the One having prepared us for this very thing is Hashem, the One having given us the eravon (pledge) of the Ruach Hakodesh. [Ro 8:16,23; 2C 1:22; Ep 1:13]
6Therefore we always have bitachon, (confidence) since we have da’as that being at home in the basar, we are away from home in Adoneinu. [MJ 11:13-16] 7For we walk by emunah (faith), not by sight; [1C 13:12] 8Therefore we have bitachon and are pleased rather to leave home from the basar and to be at home with Adoneinu.***** Just another perspective to ponder.
Thanks Al. But I had to laugh. Most of my readers will have headaches trying to decipher the Hebrew from the English. Of course, writing like this helps us avoid translation reductions, but it depends on being able to understand the Hebrew meanings. I enjoyed it.
Mark pointed out several typos in the text. I have corrected them for all of you who keep these things. Please reprint this TW.