Mark 15:43-47

15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, ¹  who was himself looking forward to ²  the kingdom of God, ³  went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁴  15:44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He ⁵  called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time. 15:45 When Pilate ⁶  was informed by the centurion, ⁷  he gave the body to Joseph. 15:46 After Joseph ⁸  bought a linen cloth ⁹  and took down the body, he wrapped it in the linen and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock. ¹⁰  Then ¹¹  he rolled a stone across the entrance ¹²  of the tomb. 15:47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body ¹³  was placed.

¹ tn Grk “a councillor” (as a member of the Sanhedrin, see L&N 11.85). This indicates that some individuals among the leaders did respond to Jesus.

² tn Or “waiting for.”

³ sn Though some dispute that Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, this remark that he was looking forward to the kingdom of God and his actions regarding Jesus’ burial suggest otherwise.

⁴ sn Asking for the body of Jesus was indeed a bold move on the part of Joseph of Arimathea, for it clearly and openly identified him with a man who had just been condemned and executed, namely, Jesus. His faith is exemplary, especially for someone who was a member of the council that handed Jesus over for crucifixion (cf. Luke 23:51). He did this because he sought to give Jesus an honorable burial.

⁵ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷ sn See the note on the word centurion in 15:39.

⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Joseph of Arimathea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁹ tn The term σινδών (sindwn) can refer to a linen cloth used either for clothing or for burial.

¹⁰ tn That is, cut or carved into an outcropping of natural rock, resulting in a cave-like structure (see L&N 19.25).

¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

¹² tn Or “to the door,” “against the door.”

¹³ tn Grk “it”; the referent (Jesus’ body) has been specified in the translation for clarity.