Luke 23:43
"To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise''
This can mean only, "Verily I say unto thee this day, thou shalt be with me in Paradise."
In the first place, we must remember that the punctuation used in biblical texts is NOT inspired. It is only of human authority. There is none whatever in the Greek manuscripts. The Greek manuscripts had no punctuation of any kind till the ninth century, and then it is only a dot (in the middle of the line) separating each word. We have; therefore, perfect liberty to criticize and alter man's use of it and to substitute our own.
The verb "say," when used with "today," is sometimes separated from it by the word (Gr. hoti) = "that"; and sometimes it is joined with it by the absence of hoti. The Holy Spirit uses these words with perfect exactness, and it behooves us to learn what He would thus teach us.
When He puts the word hoti (that) between "say" and "today," it throws "today" into what is said and cuts it off from the verb "say," e.g., Luke 19:9, "Jesus said.., that (Gr. hoti) this day is salvation come to this house". Here "today" is joined with the verb "come" and separated from the verb, "I say." So also in Luke 4: 21: "And he began to say unto them that (hoti) this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." Here again, the presence of (hoti) cuts off "to-day" from "say" and joins it with "fulfilled."
But this is not the case in Luke 23:43. Here, The Holy Spirit has carefully excluded the word (that). How then dare anyone to read the verse as though He had not excluded it, and read it as though it said "I say unto thee, that this day," etc. It is surely adding to The Word of God to insert, or imply the insertion of, the word "that" when the Holy Spirit has not used it, as He has in two other places in this same Gospel (Luke 4:21 and Luke 19:9).
This usage of "I say unto thee this day" places very solemn emphasis, as is observable in other passages where the verb is connected with the Gr. semeron = "to-day."
Further, we must note that the formula "I say unto thee this day" was a well-known and often used Hebrew idiom with emphasis on the solemnity of the occasion and the importance of the words. See Deut. 4:26, Deut. 4:29, Deut. 4:40; Deut. 5:6; Deut. 6:6; Deut. 7:11; Deut. 8:1, Deut. 8:11, Deut. 8:19; Deut. 9:3; Deut. 10:13; Deut. 11: 2, Deut. 11:8, Deut. 11:13, Deut. 11:18, Deut. 11:27-28, Deut. 11:32; Deut. 13:18; Deut. 15:5; Deut. 19:9; Deut. 26:3, Deut. 17-18; Deut. 27:1, Deut. 27:4, Deut. 27:10; Deut. 28:1, Deut. 28:13-15; Deut. 24:12; Deut. 30:2, Deut. 30:8, Deut. 30:11, Deut. 30:15-16, Deut. 30:18-19; Deut. 32:46.
The expression, therefore, "I say unto thee this day," marks the wonderful character of the man's faith, which, under such circumstances, could still believe in and look forward to the coming kingdom; and acknowledge that Christ was The King, though, on that very day, He was hanging on the Cross.
1. With hoti: --
Mark 14:30: "Verily I say unto thee, that (hoti) 'this day ... thou shalt deny me thrice.' "
Luke 4:21: "And He began to say unto them, that (hoti) 'This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.' "
Luke 5:26: "Saying ( hoti =that), 'We have seen strange things to-day.' "
Luke 19:9: "Jesus said unto him that (hoti), this day is salvation come into this house.' "
For other examples of the verb "to say," followed by hoti, but not connected with semeron (to-day), see Matt. 14:26; Matt. 16:18; Matt. 21:3; Matt. 26:34; Matt. 27:47; Mark 1:40; Mark 6:14; Mark 6:15; Mark 6:18; Mark 6:35; Mark 9:26; Mark 14:25. Luke 4:24; Luke 4:41; Luke 15:27; Luke 17:10; Luke 19:7.
Semeron (to-day) is rendered "to-day" eighteen times in the Gospels, Hebrews, and James, but "this day" twenty-three times (five times in Matthew; once in Mark; four times in Luke; nine times in Acts; once in Romans; twice in 2 Corinthians; and once in Hebrews).
2. Without hoti: --
On the other hand, in the absence of hoti (that), the relation of the word "to-day" must be determined by the context.
Luke 22:34: "And He said, 'I tell thee, Peter, in no wise shall a cock crow to-day before thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest Me.' " Here, the word "today" is connected with the verb "crow" because the context requires it. Compare Heb. 4:7.
It is the same in Luke 23:43: "And Jesus said to him, 'Verily I say unto thee to-day (or this day), when, though they were about to die, this man had expressed so great faith in Messiah's coming Kingdom, and therefore in the Lord's Resurrection to be its King -- now, under such solemn circumstances] thou shalt be, with Me, in Paradise.' ".
We must notice also the Article before "Paradise". It is "THE Paradise," viz., The Paradise of which the prophets tell in such glowing language. See Psa. 67:4; Psa. 67:6; Psa. 72:6-7; Psa. 72:16-17; Isa. 4:2; Isa. 30:23-24; Isa. 35:1-2; Isa. 35:5-6; Isa. 41:18; Isa. 41:20; Jer. 31:5; Jer. 31:12; Ezek. 34:25-27; Ezek. 36:29-30; Ezek. 47:8-9; Ezek. 47:12; Hos. 2:18; Hos. 2:21-22; Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13-15; Zech. 8:12.
It has no connexion with Babylonian, Jewish, and Romish traditions, but is a direct answer to the malefactor's prayer. His prayer referred to the Lord's Coming and His Kingdom, and if the Lord's answer was direct, the promise must have referred to that coming and to that Kingdom and not to anything that was to happen on that day on which the words were being spoken.
It is alleged that the Lord's promise was a reply to the man's thought, but this is an assumption for which no justification can be found. Moreover, how can we know what his thought was, except by the words he uttered?
The Lewis Codex of the Syrian N.T. reads in Luke 23:39; "save Thyself and us to-day." So the Lord's word "to-day" may have reference to the revilings of the one, as well as to the request of the other.
We are now prepared to see that we must translate Luke 23:43 in this manner, "Verily I say to thee this day, thou shalt be with me in Paradise." The prayer was answered. It referred to the future, and so did the promise; for when the Lord shall have come in His Kingdom, the only Paradise the Scripture knows of will be restored.
As a matter of fact, the Greek word Paradise occurs in the Septuagint twenty-eight times. Nine times it represents the Hebrew word "Eden," and nineteen times the Hebrew word (GAN) "Garden." In English, it is rendered "Eden," "Garden," "Forest," and "Orchard." The Hebrew word for "Eden" occurs sixteen times. The Hebrew word for "Garden" is used of Eden thirteen times in Genesis alone; and six times in other passages, of "the garden of God," etc. See Gen. 2:8; Neh. 2:8; Ecc. 2:5; Song. 4:13.
From these facts, we learn and notice others:
(1) We see that the three words, Paradise, Eden, and Garden are used interchangeably, and always, either of the Eden of Gen. 2. or of some glorious park-like beauty which may be compared with it.
(2) It is never used in any other sense than that of an earthly place of beauty and delight.
(3) The "tree of life" and the river of "the water of life" are its great conspicuous characteristics.
(4) We see it, Described in Gen. 2., Lost in Gen. 3., Restoration promised in Rev. 2:7., Regained in Rev. 22:1-5, Rev. 22:14, Rev. 22: 17.
