Mark 15:42--16:1

Jesus’ Burial

15:42 Now ¹  when evening had already come, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), ²  15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, ³  who was himself looking forward to ⁴  the kingdom of God, ⁵  went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁶  15:44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He ⁷  called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time. 15:45 When Pilate ⁸  was informed by the centurion, ⁹  he gave the body to Joseph. 15:46 After Joseph ¹⁰  bought a linen cloth ¹¹  and took down the body, he wrapped it in the linen and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock. ¹²  Then ¹³  he rolled a stone across the entrance ¹⁴  of the tomb. 15:47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body ¹⁵  was placed.

The Resurrection

16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought aromatic spices ¹⁶  so that they might go and anoint him.

Luke 23:53--24:3

23:53 Then ¹⁷  he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, ¹⁸  and placed it ¹⁹  in a tomb cut out of the rock, ²⁰  where no one had yet been buried. ²¹  23:54 It was the day of preparation ²²  and the Sabbath was beginning. ²³  23:55 The ²⁴  women who had accompanied Jesus ²⁵  from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 23:56 Then ²⁶  they returned and prepared aromatic spices ²⁷  and perfumes. ²⁸ 

On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. ²⁹ 

The Resurrection

24:1 Now on the first day ³⁰  of the week, at early dawn, the women ³¹  went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices ³²  they had prepared. 24:2 They ³³  found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, ³⁴  24:3 but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ³⁵ 

John 12:7

12:7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial. ³⁶ 

John 19:32-42

19:32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men who had been crucified ³⁷  with Jesus, ³⁸  first the one and then the other. ³⁹  19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced ⁴⁰  his side with a spear, and blood and water ⁴¹  flowed out immediately. 19:35 And the person who saw it ⁴²  has testified (and his testimony is true, and he ⁴³  knows that he is telling the truth), ⁴⁴  so that you also may believe. 19:36 For these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will be broken.” ⁴⁵  19:37 And again another scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.” ⁴⁶ 

Jesus’ Burial

19:38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, because he feared the Jewish leaders ⁴⁷ ), ⁴⁸  asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate ⁴⁹  gave him permission, so he went and took the body away. ⁵⁰  19:39 Nicodemus, the man who had previously come to Jesus ⁵¹  at night, ⁵²  accompanied Joseph, ⁵³  carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes ⁵⁴  weighing about seventy-five pounds. ⁵⁵  19:40 Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices, ⁵⁶  in strips of linen cloth ⁵⁷  according to Jewish burial customs. ⁵⁸  19:41 Now at the place where Jesus ⁵⁹  was crucified ⁶⁰  there was a garden, ⁶¹  and in the garden ⁶²  was a new tomb where no one had yet been buried. ⁶³  19:42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of preparation ⁶⁴  and the tomb was nearby, ⁶⁵  they placed Jesus’ body there.

[15:42]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic and introduction of a new character.

[15:42]  ² sn The day of preparation was the day before the Sabbath when everything had to be prepared for it, as no work could be done on the Sabbath.

[15:43]  ³ 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.

[15:43]  ⁴ tn Or “waiting for.”

[15:43]  ⁵ 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.

[15:43]  ⁶ 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.

[15:44]  ⁷ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[15:45]  ⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:45]  ⁹ sn See the note on the word centurion in 15:39.

[15:46]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Joseph of Arimathea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:46]  ¹¹ tn The term σινδών (sindwn) can refer to a linen cloth used either for clothing or for burial.

[15:46]  ¹² tn That is, cut or carved into an outcropping of natural rock, resulting in a cave-like structure (see L&N 19.25).

[15:46]  ¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[15:46]  ¹⁴ tn Or “to the door,” “against the door.”

[15:47]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “it”; the referent (Jesus’ body) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:1]  ¹⁶ tn On this term see BDAG 140 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these materials were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition.

[23:53]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:53]  ¹⁸ tn The term σινδών (sindwn) can refer to a linen cloth used either for clothing or for burial.

[23:53]  ¹⁹ tn In the Greek text this pronoun (αὐτόν, auton) is masculine, while the previous one (αὐτό, auto) is neuter, referring to the body.

[23:53]  ²⁰ tn That is, cut or carved into an outcropping of natural rock, resulting in a cave-like structure (see L&N 19.26).

[23:53]  ²¹ tc Codex Bezae (D), with some support from 070, one Itala ms, and the Sahidic version, adds the words, “And after he [Jesus] was laid [in the tomb], he [Joseph of Arimathea] put a stone over the tomb which scarcely twenty men could roll.” Although this addition is certainly not part of the original text of Luke, it does show how interested the early scribes were in the details of the burial and may even reflect a very primitive tradition. Matt 27:60 and Mark 15:46 record the positioning of a large stone at the door of the tomb.

[23:54]  ²² sn The day of preparation was the day before the Sabbath when everything had to be prepared for it, as no work could be done on the Sabbath.

[23:54]  ²³ tn Normally, “dawning,” but as the Jewish Sabbath begins at 6 p.m., “beginning” is more appropriate.

[23:55]  ²⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[23:55]  ²⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:56]  ²⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:56]  ²⁷ tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these preparations were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition. The women planned to return and anoint the body. But that would have to wait until after the Sabbath.

[23:56]  ²⁸ tn Or “ointments.” This was another type of perfumed oil.

[23:56]  ²⁹ sn According to the commandment. These women are portrayed as pious, faithful to the law in observing the Sabbath.

[24:1]  ³⁰ sn The first day of the week is the day after the Sabbath.

[24:1]  ³¹ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the women mentioned in 23:55) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:1]  ³² tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. See also the note on “aromatic spices” in 23:56.

[24:2]  ³³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[24:2]  ³⁴ sn Luke tells the story of the empty tomb with little drama. He simply notes that when they arrived the stone had been rolled away in a position where the tomb could be entered. This large stone was often placed in a channel so that it could be easily moved by rolling it aside. The other possibility is that it was merely placed over the opening in a position from which it had now been moved.

[24:3]  ³⁵ tc The translation follows the much better attested longer reading here, “body of the Lord Jesus” (found in {Ì⁷⁵ א A B C L W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 565 700 Ï}), rather than simply “the body” (found in D it) or “the body of Jesus” (found in 579 1241 pc). Further, although this is the only time that “Lord Jesus” occurs in Luke, it seems to be Luke’s normal designation for the Lord after his resurrection (note the many references to Christ in this manner in Acts, e.g., 1:21; 4:33; 7:59; 8:16; 11:17; 15:11; 16:31; 19:5; 20:21; 28:31). Although such a longer reading as this would normally be suspect, in this case some scribes, accustomed to Luke’s more abbreviated style, did not take the resurrection into account.

[12:7]  ³⁶ tn Grk “Leave her alone, that for the day of my burial she may keep it.” The construction with ἵνα (Jina) is somewhat ambiguous. The simplest way to read it would be, “Leave her alone, that she may keep it for the day of my burial.” This would imply that Mary was going to use the perfumed oil on that day, while vv. 3 and 5 seem to indicate clearly that she had already used it up. Some understand the statement as elliptical: “Leave her alone; (she did this) in order to keep it for the day of my burial.” Another alternative would be an imperatival use of ἵνα with the meaning: “Leave her alone; let her keep it.” The reading of the Byzantine text, which omits the ἵνα and substitutes a perfect tense τετήρηκεν (tethrhken), while not likely to be original, probably comes close to the meaning of the text, and that has been followed in this translation.

[19:32]  ³⁷ sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[19:32]  ³⁸ tn Grk “with him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:32]  ³⁹ tn Grk “broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him.”

[19:34]  ⁴⁰ sn If it was obvious to the soldiers that the victim was already dead it is difficult to see why one of them would try to inflict a wound. The Greek verb pierced (νύσσω, nussw) can indicate anything from a slight prod to a mortal wound. Probably one of the soldiers gave an exploratory stab to see if the body would jerk. If not, he was really dead. This thrust was hard enough to penetrate the side, since the author states that blood and water flowed out immediately.

[19:34]  ⁴¹ sn How is the reference to the blood and water that flowed out from Jesus’ side to be understood? This is probably to be connected with the statements in 1 John 5:6-8. In both passages water, blood, and testimony are mentioned. The Spirit is also mentioned in 1 John 5:7 as the source of the testimony, while here the testimony comes from one of the disciples (19:35). The connection between the Spirit and the living water with Jesus’ statement of thirst just before he died in the preceding context has already been noted (see 19:28). For the author, the water which flowed out of Jesus’ side was a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit who could now be given because Jesus was now glorified (cf. 7:39); Jesus had now departed and returned to that glory which he had with the Father before the creation of the world (cf. 17:5). The mention of blood recalls the motif of the Passover lamb as a sacrificial victim. Later references to sacrificial procedures in the Mishnah appear to support this: m. Pesahim 5:3 and 5:5 state that the blood of the sacrificial animal should not be allowed to congeal but should flow forth freely at the instant of death so that it could be used for sprinkling; m. Tamid 4:2 actually specifies that the priest is to pierce the heart of the sacrificial victim and cause the blood to come forth.

[19:35]  ⁴² tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[19:35]  ⁴³ tn Grk “and that one.”

[19:35]  ⁴⁴ sn A parenthetical note by the author.

[19:36]  ⁴⁵ sn A quotation from Exod 12:46, Num 9:12, and Ps 34:20. A number of different OT passages lie behind this quotation: Exod 12:10 LXX, Exod 12:46, Num 9:12, or Ps 34:20. Of these, the first is the closest in form to the quotation here. The first three are all more likely candidates than the last, since the first three all deal with descriptions of the Passover lamb.

[19:37]  ⁴⁶ sn A quotation from Zech 12:10. Here a single phrase is quoted from Zech 12, but the entire context is associated with the events surrounding the crucifixion. The “Spirit of grace and of supplication” is poured out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the first part of v. 10. A few verses later in 13:1 Yahweh (typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT) says “In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.” The blood which flowed from Jesus’ pierced side may well be what the author saw as the connection here, since as the shedding of the blood of the sacrificial victim it represents cleansing from sin. Although the Jewish authorities and Roman soldiers certainly “looked on the one whom they have pierced” as he hung on the cross, the author may also have in mind the parousia (second coming) here. The context in Zech 12-14 is certainly the second coming, so that these who crucified Jesus will look upon him in another sense when he returns in judgment.

[19:38]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially the Pharisees (see John 12:42). See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.

[19:38]  ⁴⁸ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:38]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “And Pilate.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[19:38]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “took away his body.”

[19:39]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:39]  ⁵² sn See John 3:1-21.

[19:39]  ⁵³ tn Grk “came”; the words “accompanied Joseph” are not in the Greek text but are supplied for clarity.

[19:39]  ⁵⁴ sn Aloes refers to an aromatic resin from a plant similar to a lily, used for embalming a corpse.

[19:39]  ⁵⁵ sn The Roman pound (λίτρα, litra) weighed twelve ounces or 325 grams. Thus 100 Roman pounds would be about 32.5 kilograms or 75 pounds.

[19:40]  ⁵⁶ tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these materials were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition.

[19:40]  ⁵⁷ tn The Fourth Gospel uses ὀθονίοις (oqonioi") to describe the wrappings, and this has caused a good deal of debate, since it appears to contradict the synoptic accounts which mention a σινδών (sindwn), a large single piece of linen cloth. If one understands ὀθονίοις to refer to smaller strips of cloth, like bandages, there would be a difference, but diminutive forms have often lost their diminutive force in Koine Greek (BDF §111.3), so there may not be any difference.

[19:40]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “cloth as is the custom of the Jews to prepare for burial.”

[19:41]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:41]  ⁶⁰ sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[19:41]  ⁶¹ tn Or “an orchard.”

[19:41]  ⁶² tn Or “orchard.”

[19:41]  ⁶³ tn Grk “been placed.”

[19:42]  ⁶⁴ sn The day of preparation was the day before the Sabbath when everything had to be prepared for it, as no work could be done on the Sabbath.

[19:42]  ⁶⁵ sn The tomb was nearby. The Passover and the Sabbath would begin at 6 p.m., so those who had come to prepare and bury the body could not afford to waste time.