Translation commentary on Luke 23:33

Exegesis:

hote ēlthon epi ton topon ton kaloumenon Kranion ‘when they came to the place called Skull.’ The subject of ēlthon is the same as that of estaurōsan.

kranion ‘skull,’ here the name of a hill after its shape, Greek rendering of Aramaic Golgotha.

estaurōsan auton kai tous kakourgos ‘they crucified him and the criminals.’ Subject of estaurōsan is the Roman soldiers charged with the execution (cf. on v. 26).

hon men ek dexiōn hon de ex aristerōn ‘one on the right and one on the left,’ with merē ‘side’ understood with dexiōn and aristerōn; aristeros. The relative pronoun functions here as a demonstrative. men and de have a distributive function.

Translation:

The Skull. The designation used in some languages is basically descriptive, e.g. ‘coconutshell, or, gourd, of the head’ (Balinese, South and Tae’), ‘head-bone’ (Sranan Tongo).

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 23:33

23:33a

When they came: The phrase When they came refers to arriving at the place of crucifixion. The word they may refer to the soldiers or it may refer to the whole group, including the soldiers, Jesus, the two criminals, and people who came to watch. Another way to begin 23:33 is:

After they arrived

Begin 23:33 in a way that is natural in your language.

to the place called The Skull: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as called The Skull is literally “called Skull.” This was the place where the Romans crucified criminals. It is not certain why this place was called Skull. It may have been a hill (or near a hill) that looked like a skull, or people may have called it Skull because the Romans had executed so many people there. The name does not imply that there were skulls on the ground at that place.

In some languages it may be helpful to include a footnote. For example:

It is not certain why this place was called “Skull.” Perhaps it was a hill (or near a hill) that looked like a skull, or possibly it was called that because the Romans had executed so many people there.

called The Skull: In some languages it may be necessary to say who called this place Skull. For example:

the place ⌊that people⌋ called “Skull”
-or-
the place ⌊that people⌋ had named “Skull ⌊place⌋”

Skull: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Skull refers to the large bone of a person’s head. Use an appropriate word or phrase to refer to this large bone.

23:33b–c

they crucified Him: This clause indicates that the soldiers attached Jesus to the cross. There were different ways to do that. Probably the soldiers laid the cross on the ground, laid Jesus on it, and nailed him to it. For more information, see the note on “Crucify him” at 23:21b. You should translate the term “crucify” in a similar way in both verses.

Some other ways to translate the clause they crucified Him are:

they nailed/put him on a cross to die
-or-
they nailed Jesus onto the post ⌊and set it upright in the ground⌋
-or-
they nailed him to the cross (New Living Translation (2004))

there: The word there refers back to the “place called The Skull” in the preceding clause.

along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as along with the criminals is more literally “and the evildoers.” It indicates that the two criminals were also nailed to crosses. One criminal was on a cross at Jesus’ right, and the other criminal was on a cross at Jesus’ left.

In some languages it may be helpful to translate this part of the verse as a separate sentence. Make it clear that the three men, Jesus and the two criminals, were on three separate crosses. Jesus was in the middle. For example:

They nailed one of the criminals to a cross on Jesus’ right, and the other to a cross on his left.

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