Matthew 27:57-58

Jesus’ Burial

27:57 Now ¹  when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. ²  27:58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ³  Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him.

Mark 15:42-45

Jesus’ Burial

15:42 Now ⁴  when evening had already come, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), ⁵  15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, ⁶  who was himself looking forward to ⁷  the kingdom of God, ⁸  went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁹  15:44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He ¹⁰  called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time. 15:45 When Pilate ¹¹  was informed by the centurion, ¹²  he gave the body to Joseph.

John 19:38

Jesus’ Burial

19:38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, because he feared the Jewish leaders ¹³ ), ¹⁴  asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate ¹⁵  gave him permission, so he went and took the body away. ¹⁶ 

[27:57]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[27:57]  ² sn Though some dispute that Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, his actions regarding Jesus’ burial suggest otherwise.

[27:58]  ³ 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. Mark 15:43, Luke 23:51). He did this because he sought to give Jesus an honorable burial.

[15:42]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Or “waiting for.”

[15:43]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[15:45]  ¹¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:45]  ¹² sn See the note on the word centurion in 15:39.

[19:38]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:38]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “took away his body.”