Matthew 27:44 describes the two men crucified beside Jesus joining in the public insults hurled at him as he hung on the cross. Their reproach shows how completely Jesus was rejected, even by those suffering the same punishment. The verse is narrated by Matthew, who records that the robbers crucified alongside Jesus added their own taunts to the crowd’s.
The robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him the same reproach.
Matthew 27:44 (WEB)
What Matthew 27:44 Means
The phrase “the robbers also who were crucified with him” tells you that the men on either side of Jesus were condemned criminals, not bystanders. Crucifixion was reserved for the worst offenders, so these two were already facing a slow, humiliating death. Matthew’s point is that even they joined in mocking him, which underlines how alone Jesus was in that moment.
The word “reproach” means scorn or verbal abuse aimed at shaming someone. The verse does not describe a single cruel remark but a shared attitude of contempt directed at him. It does not tell you what happened to the robbers afterward, and it does not promise that anyone who mocks Jesus will be spared. Its purpose is to show the depth of rejection Jesus endured, not to explain the later repentance recorded in Luke’s account of one of the criminals.
The Context of Matthew 27:44
Matthew’s Gospel was written for a community of Jewish and Gentile Christians, most likely in the latter part of the first century, and it presents Jesus as the promised King and Messiah. The surrounding verses show the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocking him, saying that he saved others but cannot save himself. The robbers’ reproach comes directly after this, so the verse is part of a sustained picture of religious leaders and common criminals alike rejecting the one who claimed to be God’s Son.
Read in that setting, the verse is less about the robbers as individuals and more about the scene of total abandonment that builds toward the cry of dereliction in verse 46. Darkness falls at verse 45, and Jesus speaks of being forsaken. Seeing the mockery in verse 44 as the backdrop helps you understand why that cry carries such weight.
Key Phrases in Matthew 27:44
Luke 23:39-43
39 One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Don’t you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” 43 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
(WEB)
Luke records that one of the criminals rebuked the other and asked Jesus to remember him. Reading it beside Matthew 27:44 shows that the same scene held both mockery and a surprising plea for mercy. It reminds you that a hardened heart at one moment can soften before the end.
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)
Isaiah prophesied that the coming servant would be despised and rejected by others. Connecting it with Matthew 27:44 helps you see that the reproach at the cross fulfilled a long-standing expectation of suffering. It shows that Jesus’ rejection was part of God’s plan rather than an accident.
A Short Prayer From Matthew 27:44
Lord Jesus, you were mocked and scorned even by those who shared your suffering, and you did not turn away from them. When I am tempted to join in criticism, or when I feel the sting of others’ contempt, remind me that you have borne that same reproach. Help me to speak with kindness, to refuse cruelty, and to trust you when people turn against me. Thank you for facing the cross alone so that I would never be truly abandoned. Amen.
