Luke 23:46 Meaning and Explanation
“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Crying with a loud voice, Jesus prays, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit — and with those words he dies.
What Does Luke 23:46 Mean?
His last word is a psalm: “Into thine hand I commit my spirit” (Psalm 31:5), prayed to the Father who has been his refuge all along. The loud voice tells us his life is not merely ebbing away; he yields it deliberately, entrusting his spirit to hands he knows.
Jesus dies as he lived — in unbroken trust toward his Father. He had said that no man takes his life from him; he lays it down himself (John 10:18). Because he turned dying into an act of committal, his people may die the same way: not into the void, but into the Father's hands. Stephen would soon pray this very prayer back to Jesus (Acts 7:59).
Luke 23:46 in the Original Language
paratithemi (παρατίθημι), 'commend' -- to entrust or deposit something precious into another's keeping.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 23:46
What does Luke 23:46 mean?
Crying with a loud voice, Jesus prays, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit — and with those words he dies.