Discovery BoxMatthew 27:57-61 
Context27:57 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. 27:59 Joseph 4 took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 5 27:60 and placed it 6 in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. 7 Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance 8 of the tomb and went away. 27:61 (Now Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there, opposite the tomb.)
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
2 sn Though some dispute that Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, his actions regarding Jesus’ burial suggest otherwise.
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.
4 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
5 tn The term σινδών (sindwn) can refer to a linen cloth used either for clothing or for burial.
6 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.
7 tn That is, cut or carved into an outcropping of natural rock, resulting in a cave-like structure (see L&N 19.25).
8 tn Or “to the door,” “against the door.”
