Matthew 27:58-61

27:58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ¹  Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 27:59 Joseph ²  took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ³  27:60 and placed it ⁴  in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. ⁵  Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance ⁶  of the tomb and went away. 27:61 (Now Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there, opposite the tomb.)

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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.

² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

³ tn The term σινδών (sindwn) can refer to a linen cloth used either for clothing or for burial.

⁴ tc ‡ αὐτό (auto, “it”) is found after ἔθηκεν (eqhken, “placed”) in the majority of witnesses, including many important ones, though it seems to be motivated by a need for clarification and cannot therefore easily explain the rise of the shorter reading (which is read by א L Θ Ë¹³ 33 892 pc). Regardless of which reading is original (though with a slight preference for the shorter reading), English style requires the pronoun. NA²⁷ includes αὐτό here, no doubt due to the overwhelming external attestation.

⁵ tn That is, cut or carved into an outcropping of natural rock, resulting in a cave-like structure (see L&N 19.25).

⁶ tn Or “to the door,” “against the door.”