At Luke 23:43 the New World Translation punctuates “Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise”, attaching “today” to the act of speaking. The major English versions place the comma before “today”, attaching it to the promise.
Claim ID claim-bible-luke-23-43-commaConcerns 2013Explicit statement
The organisation’s position or later explanation: The organisation notes that the earliest Greek manuscripts have no punctuation and that “the grammar of the Greek text allows for placing a comma (or a colon) either before or after the word ‘today.’” It acknowledges that Westcott and Hort, Nestle–Aland and the United Bible Societies all place the comma before “today”, and says the other placement “harmonizes with earlier statements that Jesus made and with teachings found elsewhere in the Scriptures”.
Provenance and verification note for New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), Luke 23:43
Confidence note. Chapter page opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026 by the independent auditor and the running Bible text of verse 43 read in full; wording confirmed character for character.
Provenance and verification note for New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References, Luke 23:43
Confidence note. 1984 Reference Bible chapter page opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026 and the verse read in full. Independent audit, 19 September 2026: this record was previously filed under the id ‘src-nwtv-nwt2013-luke-23-43’, although its publication, date and URL are all the 1984 Reference Bible. Renamed, and a separate record added for the 2013 wording.
19 September 2026 · Bible Hub (reproducing the named copyright translations)
“New International Version “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” English Standard Version “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” King James Bible “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Lamsa Bible “Truly I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise.””
Of the major English versions on the page, none punctuates the verse as the New World Translation does. One version on the same page does: George Lamsa's translation from the Syriac Peshitta places the comma after ‘today’, as the New World Translation does.
Provenance and verification note for Bible Hub parallel translations, Luke 23:43 in the parallel English versions
Confidence note. Page opened on 19 September 2026 and all 42 renderings on it read, on Bible Hub's reproduction rather than in the printed editions. Independent audit, 19 September 2026: the earlier wording of this record claimed that ‘all seventeen versions on the page’ place the comma before ‘today’. The page carries 42 versions, and the Lamsa Bible places it after ‘today’. Corrected.
Notes. This quote field compiles renderings quoted separately from one Bible Hub parallel page; it is not a continuous passage. Each rendering was checked word for word against the page.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID.src-nwtv-bh-luke-23-43
1985 · Luke 23:43 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“43 καὶ And εἶπεν he said αὐτῷ to him Ἀμήν Amen σοι to you λέγω, I am saying σήμερον today μετ’ with ἐμοῦ me ἔσῃ you will be ἐν in τῷ the παραδείσῳ. Paradise.”
The printed Greek text carries a comma after λέγω and before σήμερον — that is, the punctuation of the Westcott and Hort text the Society reproduces places 'today' with the promise, not with the speaking.
Provenance and verification note for The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, Luke 23:43 (word-for-word English under the Greek)
Confidence note. Interlinear text for Luke 23 opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026 and the Greek line, including its punctuation, read directly from the page.
2013 · study note, Luke 23:43 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“In this verse, the grammar of the Greek text allows for placing a comma (or a colon) either before or after the word “today.” … Scholarly editions of the Greek text like the ones prepared by Westcott and Hort, Nestle and Aland, and the United Bible Societies put a comma before the Greek word rendered “today.” However, placing the comma after “today” harmonizes with earlier statements that Jesus made and with teachings found elsewhere in the Scriptures.”
A candid statement of the organisation's method at this verse: the grammar permits either, the standard critical editions choose one, and the organisation chooses the other because of what it holds the Bible to teach elsewhere. The note also cites the fifth-century Curetonian Syriac and Hesychius of Jerusalem as early witnesses to the alternative punctuation.
Provenance and verification note for New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), Study note on Luke 23:43, 'Truly I tell you today,'
Confidence note. Study note read in full on the nwtsty Luke chapter 23 page on wol.jw.org, 19 September 2026. I have not opened Burkitt's edition of the Curetonian Syriac or the text of Hesychius to check those secondary citations.
A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/evidence/claim-bible-luke-23-43-comma/. Every source above opens the original document or the best available copy. If you believe the wording, date or context is wrong, report an error.