---
title: Luke 23:34
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/luke-23-34/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/luke-23-34.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: Luke 23:34
testament: NT
section: Gospels
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Luke 23:34

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "But Jesus was saying: 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' Furthermore, they cast lots to distribute his garments."

## JW Usage

The Watchtower preserves the saying in the NWT 2013 (the 1984 edition used double brackets for textually disputed material; the 2013 retains the prayer in the running text). Where the verse is engaged, JW commentary reads Jesus's prayer as a model of forgiveness directed to the Father — Jesus speaks to Jehovah, asking for forgiveness on behalf of his killers. The prayer is not treated as an instance of Jesus exercising divine forgiveness in his own name.

## Protestant Usage

Pair Luke 23:34 with Acts 7:59-60. Stephen, dying as the first Christian martyr, deliberately echoes Jesus's last words — but redirected to Jesus. Jesus says "Father, forgive them"; Stephen says "Lord Jesus… do not hold this sin against them." Stephen treats Jesus the way Jesus treats the Father — addressing him in prayer, asking him to forgive sinners, entrusting his spirit to him (compare Luke 23:46 with Acts 7:59). If Jesus is merely a created being, Stephen committed idolatry with his dying words and Luke recorded it approvingly. The parallel is the strongest Lukan testimony to the apostolic church's worship of Jesus as divine. Pair also with Psalm 31:5, the Old Testament prayer to Jehovah ("into your hand I commit my spirit") that both Jesus and Stephen quote — Jesus to the Father, Stephen to the Son.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [Call Upon the Name of the Lord Jesus](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/call-upon-name.md) — The OT worship phrase applied to Jesus [Deity of Christ]