Discovery BoxMark 15:43-46 
Context15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, 1 who was himself looking forward to 2 the kingdom of God, 3 went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 4 15:44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He 5 called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time. 15:45 When Pilate 6 was informed by the centurion, 7 he gave the body to Joseph. 15:46 After Joseph 8 bought a linen cloth 9 and took down the body, he wrapped it in the linen and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock. 10 Then 11 he rolled a stone across the entrance 12 of the tomb.
1 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.
2 tn Or “waiting for.”
3 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.
4 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.
5 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
6 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 sn See the note on the word centurion in 15:39.
8 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Joseph of Arimathea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 tn The term σινδών (sindwn) can refer to a linen cloth used either for clothing or for burial.
10 tn That is, cut or carved into an outcropping of natural rock, resulting in a cave-like structure (see L&N 19.25).
11 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
12 tn Or “to the door,” “against the door.”
