ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἔλεγε· Πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς· οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσι. διαμεριζόμενοι δὲ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἔβαλον κλῆρον.
Imperfective Prayer of the Crucified: ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἔλεγε
– ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς: Nominative with article—”but Jesus.”
– δὲ: Coordinating conjunction, continuing narrative with mild contrast.
– ἔλεγε: Imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular of λέγω, “he was saying.”
– The imperfect tense here suggests ongoing or repeated action—Jesus may have uttered this more than once.
– This phrase introduces a statement of immense theological and emotional weight.
Cruciform Intercession: Πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς
– Πάτερ: Vocative singular—”Father.”
– Intimate address to God, echoing Jesus’ consistent filial relationship.
– ἄφες: Aorist active imperative, 2nd person singular of ἀφίημι, “forgive.”
– Command directed to God: a plea, not a declaration.
– αὐτοῖς: Dative plural of αὐτός—”them.”
– Indirect object of the verb: those who crucified him.
– Translation: “Father, forgive them.”
– Theologically astonishing: forgiveness is extended as they are committing the act.
Causal Clause of Ignorance: οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσι
– οὐ: Negation particle—”not.”
– γὰρ: Causal conjunction—”for.”
– Introduces the reason for Jesus’ intercession.
– οἴδασι: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person plural of οἶδα, “they know.”
– The perfect tense with present force emphasizes settled ignorance.
– τί: Interrogative pronoun—”what.”
– ποιοῦσι: Present active indicative, 3rd person plural of ποιέω, “they are doing.”
– Together: “for they do not know what they are doing.”
– This expresses mitigated culpability—not innocence, but blindness.
– This is a direct fulfillment of the suffering servant motif (Isaiah 53:12).
Narrative Contrast: διαμεριζόμενοι δὲ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἔβαλον κλῆρον
– διαμεριζόμενοι: Present middle/passive participle, nominative masculine plural of διαμερίζω, “dividing among themselves.”
– Describes concurrent action by the soldiers.
– δὲ: Coordinating conjunction—”but” or “and.”
– τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ: Accusative plural—”his garments.”
– Object of the participle: they were dividing his clothes.
– ἔβαλον: Aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural of βάλλω, “they cast.”
– κλῆρον: Accusative singular masculine of κλῆρος, “lot.”
– Idiomatic expression: “they cast lots.”
– Translation: “And as they divided his garments, they cast lots.”
The Irony of Ignorance and the Theology of Forgiveness
The grammar of this verse juxtaposes two profound realities. First, Jesus is actively interceding for those crucifying him, indicated by the imperfect ἔλεγε and the imperative ἄφες. His prayer is based on the declaration οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσι: they are perpetrating evil in ignorance, not recognizing the identity of their victim.
The second half of the verse (διαμεριζόμενοι… ἔβαλον κλῆρον) describes the callous indifference of the soldiers. The participle διαμεριζόμενοι implies they were already dividing Jesus’ garments while he prayed for their forgiveness. The aorist ἔβαλον captures their cold execution of customary practice—casting lots over the spoils of crucifixion.
Luke masterfully uses Greek tense and syntax to highlight divine mercy in the face of human cruelty. The verse encapsulates the core of Christian soteriology: Christ offers forgiveness not after repentance, but in the midst of sin, motivated by perfect love and divine insight into human frailty.
