Matthew 27:39 records passersby mocking Jesus as he hung on the cross, shaking their heads and insulting him. The verse shows how people who walked past the crucifixion treated a dying man with contempt, and it sets up the wider scene of ridicule that follows. Those who speak are ordinary onlookers on the road outside Jerusalem, people who had no idea they were watching the central event of God’s rescue of the world.
Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads…
Matthew 27:39 (WEB)
What Matthew 27:39 Means
The phrase “those who passed by” points to the crowd on the road near Golgotha, travelers who had come near the execution site. Matthew calls their speech “blasphemed,” which means they spoke against Jesus with scorn, treating his claims as worthless. The detail of “wagging their heads” describes a gesture of mockery, a shaking of the head that signaled derision toward someone thought to be defeated.
The verse describes what people did, and it does not promise anything about how God will respond to them. It shows human cruelty in plain view and leaves the reader to notice how far the crowd is from the truth they are mocking. It does not explain why Jesus suffered here, though the surrounding chapters make that purpose clear.
The Context of Matthew 27:39
Matthew wrote this Gospel for a community that knew Jewish scripture well and needed to see how Jesus fulfilled it. Traditionally the author is identified as Matthew, the former tax collector among the twelve disciples. In the verses just before, Pilate’s soldiers have placed a sign above Jesus reading “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews,” and two robbers are crucified beside him. The mockery in verse 39 is part of a sequence where every group, from passersby to priests, dismisses the idea that this crucified man could be a king or the Son of God.
The verses that follow continue the taunting from the chief priests and religious leaders, who say he saved others but cannot save himself. Read in that setting, verse 39 is not an isolated insult. It is the first wave of a chorus that Matthew presents to show that the ones who mock Jesus are speaking words that carry more truth than they realize.
Key Phrases in Matthew 27:39
Isaiah 53:3
He was despised, and rejected by men; a man of suffering, and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him.
(WEB)
This verse from Isaiah describes the servant of the Lord as despised and rejected by men, which anticipates the contempt Jesus faces at the cross. Reading it alongside Matthew 27:39 shows that the mockery was foreseen and that rejection was part of God’s plan.
Luke 23:34
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.
(WEB)
In this verse Jesus prays for the people who crucify him, asking the Father to forgive them. Set beside the mocking of Matthew 27:39, it shows the response of the Lord to the same crowd that scorned him, revealing a love that answers insult with intercession.
A Short Prayer From Matthew 27:39
Lord, when I read about the people who mocked you as you hung on the cross, I see my own tendency to look down on those who suffer. Forgive me for the times I have judged quickly, dismissed others, or stayed silent when someone was being belittled. Thank you that you did not turn away from the crowd’s scorn but endured it for our sake. Help me to see the people around me with your eyes, and give me courage to speak up for those who are being mocked. Amen.
