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Who really said it

Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do

Recorded in scripture Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke Speaker as represented in the Gospel of Luke
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The King James text of Luke 23:34 records these words as Jesus’s prayer. This verifies the passage in that translation, not an independently preserved transcript of historical speech.

Last verified 9 Nov 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?

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“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” — Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke

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Evoking the world of Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke — Speaker as represented in the Gospel of Luke. Theme: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.

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Provenance

The source

Documented source
Gospel of Luke 23:34, King James Version
Date
Traditional King James text; translation first published 1611

Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

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How we verified this

  • The King James text of Luke 23:34 records these words as Jesus’s prayer. This verifies the passage in that translation, not an independently preserved transcript of historical speech. Read the source
Public domain

The traditional King James English text is public domain in the United States. Other translations have separate rights.

Rights status is our research, not legal advice — and copyright varies by country and edition. For commercial or published use, confirm with the rightsholder. See terms.

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Filed under

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Kindness Justice

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The author

About Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke

Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke

Speaker as represented in the Gospel of Luke

The speaker in Luke’s narrative is Jesus. The attribution is to the scriptural account and the specific English translation, rather than a claim about a surviving contemporary transcript.

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The primary source (Chicago)

Gospel of Luke 23:34, King James Version. Traditional King James English text. Evidence and bibliographical details reproduced in the linked source; no independent access to an original edition is claimed unless stated.

This verification page

Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/father-forgive-them-for-they-know-not-what-they-do/

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