Matthew 27:58

27:58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ¹  Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him.

John 19:38

Jesus’ Burial

19:38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, because he feared the Jewish leaders ² ), ³  asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate ⁴  gave him permission, so he went and took the body away. ⁵ 

[27:58]  ¹ 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.

[19:38]  ² 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]  ³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:38]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Grk “took away his body.”