Forgive them

• Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

If "not" modifies know then "they know not" if it modifies forgive then Jesus is asking God to forgive not.

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3588	1161	2424	3004	3962	863	846	3756	1063	1492	5101	4160.
ὁ	δὲ	Ἰησοῦς	ἔλεγεν	Πάτερ,	ἄφες	αὐτοῖς·	οὐ	γὰρ	οἴδασιν	τί	ποιοῦσιν.
~	and	Jesus	said	Father	forgive	them	they not	for	know	what	they do

There is a lot of circular logic saying things that are relatively controversial suggesting that Luke 23:34 should be translated "father forgive them not for they know what they do" rather than "forgive them for they know not what they do".

Sometimes people can get lost in the linguistics but in this case trying to understand the syntax and the words that are used is fairly cut and dry.

According to William Hersey Davis' Beginner's Grammar of the Greek New Testament the Greek word gar (γὰρ) which we see as for is a conjunction or 'cause' word which always considered to be 'postpositive'. Because it is postpositive it can never come first in the clause it begins therefore the Greek word "not" would precedes the word "for".

There is really very little if any debate among Greek scholars concerning the translation of Luke 23:34.

Yet some continue to try to explain that Christ Himself taught, and as the Old Testament testifies, forgiveness is based upon repentance and then ask did these Jews ever repent of their sin?

Then they proclaim that they never did which often leads to an excuse for anti-Semitism. The truth is while there may be collective sin each person's sin must be judged individually. So the idea that we can blame the modern Jew for the crucifixion is absurd.

Besides there is evidence that Caiaphas may have repented and little or no evidence that other Jews did not repent. After all there were only a few hundred Jews actually involved in the crucifixion and many of them only played a small part.

Considering the fact that John the Baptist was not even sure that Jesus was the Messiah and most of the Apostles did not know it would seem reasonable that the Pharisees actually did not know what they were doing.

Even Peter when addressing those who caused the death of Christ brings up the idea that they did not know what they were doing.

• Acts 3:17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did [it], as [did] also your rulers. 18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

And then continues to call them to repentance telling them that Jesus was here to fulfill a mission that would include blessing them as well with His death.

• Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:... 25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Even Paul proclaims they did not know what they were doing in 1 Corinthians 2:8.

• 1 Corinthians 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Certainly all the Jews were not to blame and many of them began to follow Jesus and became the Ministers of His Church like Joses who became Barnabas and many others.

• Acts 6:7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Way back in Isaiah 53:12 it was prophesied that the Messiah would make a prayer for the forgiveness of those who would be his transgressors even unto death.

• Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

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