Thieves in Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Greek leestai. Rather "robbers." Lawless banditti infested Israel in our Lord's days (Josephus, Ant. 17:19, section 8; 20:8, section 10), and gave trouble to each successive Roman governor (Josephus, B. J. 2:13, section 2). Even on the high road between Jericho and Jerusalem they assailed travelers, as the parable of the good Samaritan shows (Luke 10:30). Armed bands were needed to encounter them (Luke 22:52). Fanatical zeal for emancipating the Jewish nation often accompanied robbery, from whence Barabbas and his companions in insurrection and murder enlisted popular sympathy (Mark 15:7). Crucifixion was the Roman penalty for the robber and the rebel alike. The two crucified with Jesus were probably such: the taunt of the one, "if Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us," implies sympathy with the Jews' fanatical zeal for national and individual deliverance from Roman rule: they probably were among Barabbas' fellow insurgents, and were doomed to die with him; but he was released, and they were left to their fate. At first both railed at Jesus (Matthew 27:44; Mark 15:32). (Though possibly the plural for the singular is a Hebrew idiom when the writer expresses a fact generally, without specifying which of two the fact bolds good of, as when Jonah "went down into the sides (i.e. one or other of the sides) of the ship," Jonah 1:5.) The mysterious darkness from noon; the meek, holy, and divine bearing of Jesus amidst all taunts and agonies, and His prayer for His murderers, touched the heart of one of the two robbers with sympathy and awe (Luke 23:39-43). When his fellow reviled Jesus he rebuked the reviler (which makes probable the explanation from Hebrew idiom above, that he himself had not reviled Jesus), "dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation (surely such a terrible penalty from God should lead thee to fear Him: see Isaiah 9:13; Revelation 16:10-11; 2 Chronicles 28:22; Jeremiah 5:3); and we indeed justly (he justifies God in His dealings however penal, the sure mark of repentance, accepting the punishment of iniquity: Psalm 51:4; Leviticus 26:41), for we receive the due reward of our deeds (confession of sin: 1 John 1:9); but this Man hath done nothing amiss" (acknowledgment of Jesus as the Holy One of God: Romans 10:9; Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22-24). Then he said to Jesus, "Lord remember me": he might have said, Lord save me from this agonizing cross, as the other said in taunt; but recognizing him as "Lord" by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3), he leaves the mode of blessing for the All-wise and Loving One to decide. "Remember me" includes all that is really...