Matthew 27:60

27:60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away.

Matthew 27:66

27:66 So they went with the soldiers of the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.


tcαὐτό (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.

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

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

tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Pilate’s order.

tn Grk “with the guard.” The words “soldiers of the” have been supplied in the translation to prevent “guard” from being misunderstood as a single individual.