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Ezra 1-2

The Decree of Cyrus

1 ^[a] In the first^[b] year of King Cyrus of Persia, in fulfillment of the Lord’s message spoken through^[c] Jeremiah,^[d] the Lord motivated^[e] King Cyrus of Persia to issue^[f] a proclamation^[g] throughout his kingdom and also to put it in writing. It read:^[h]

²“This is what King Cyrus of Persia says:

“‘The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed^[i] me to build a temple^[j] for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. ³Anyone of^[k] his people among you (may his God be with him!) may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may build the temple of the Lord God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. ⁴Anyone who survives in any of those places where he is a resident foreigner must be helped by his neighbors^[l] with silver, gold, equipment, and animals, along with voluntary offerings for the temple of God which is in Jerusalem.’”

The Exiles Prepare to Return to Jerusalem

⁵Then the leaders^[m] of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites—all those whose mind God had stirred—got ready^[n] to go up in order to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. ⁶All their neighbors assisted them^[o] with silver utensils,^[p] gold, equipment, animals, and expensive gifts, not to mention^[q] all the voluntary offerings.

⁷Then King Cyrus brought out the vessels of the Lord’s temple which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and had displayed^[r] in the temple of his gods. ⁸King Cyrus of Persia entrusted^[s] them to^[t] Mithredath^[u] the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar^[v] the leader of the Judahite exiles.^[w]

⁹The inventory^[x] of these items was as follows:

30 gold basins,^[y]
1,000 silver basins,
29 silver utensils,^[z]
¹⁰30 gold bowls,
410 other^[aa] silver bowls,
and 1,000 other vessels.

¹¹All these gold and silver vessels totaled 5,400.^[ab] Sheshbazzar brought them all along when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

The Names of the Returning Exiles

2 ^[ac] These are the people^[ad] of the province who were going up,^[ae] from the captives of the exile whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into exile in Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own city. ²They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.

The number of Israelites^[af] was as follows:^[ag]

³the descendants^[ah] of Parosh: 2,172;

⁴the descendants of Shephatiah: 372;

⁵the descendants of Arah: 775;

⁶the descendants of Pahath Moab (from the line^[ai] of Jeshua and^[aj] Joab): 2,812;

⁷the descendants of Elam: 1,254;

⁸the descendants of Zattu: 945;

⁹the descendants of Zaccai: 760;

¹⁰the descendants of Bani: 642;

¹¹the descendants of Bebai: 623;

¹²the descendants of Azgad: 1,222;

¹³the descendants of Adonikam: 666;

¹⁴the descendants of Bigvai: 2,056;

¹⁵the descendants of Adin: 454;

¹⁶the descendants of Ater (through^[ak] Hezekiah): 98;

¹⁷the descendants of Bezai: 323;

¹⁸the descendants of Jorah: 112;

¹⁹the descendants of Hashum: 223;

²⁰the descendants of Gibbar: 95.

²¹The men^[al] of Bethlehem: 123;

²²the men of Netophah: 56;

²³the men of Anathoth: 128;

²⁴the men of the family^[am] of Azmaveth: 42;

²⁵the men of Kiriath Jearim,^[an] Kephirah and Beeroth: 743;

²⁶the men of Ramah and Geba: 621;

²⁷the men of Micmash: 122;

²⁸the men of Bethel and Ai: 223;

²⁹the descendants of Nebo: 52;

³⁰the descendants of Magbish: 156;

³¹the descendants of the other Elam: 1,254;

³²the descendants of Harim: 320;

³³the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: 725;

³⁴the men of Jericho: 345;

³⁵the descendants of Senaah: 3,630.

³⁶The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family^[ao] of Jeshua): 973;

³⁷the descendants of Immer: 1,052;

³⁸the descendants of Pashhur: 1,247;

³⁹the descendants of Harim: 1,017.

⁴⁰The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (through the line of Hodaviah): 74.

⁴¹The singers: the descendants of Asaph: 128.

⁴²The gatekeepers:^[ap] the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai: 139.

⁴³The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth, ⁴⁴the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Siaha, the descendants of Padon, ⁴⁵the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Akkub, ⁴⁶the descendants of Hagab, the descendants of Shalmai,^[aq] the descendants of Hanan, ⁴⁷the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, the descendants of Reaiah, ⁴⁸the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda, the descendants of Gazzam, ⁴⁹the descendants of Uzzah, the descendants of Paseah, the descendants of Besai, ⁵⁰the descendants of Asnah, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephussim, ⁵¹the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur, ⁵²the descendants of Bazluth, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha, ⁵³the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah, ⁵⁴the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha.

⁵⁵The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Hassophereth, the descendants of Peruda, ⁵⁶the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel, ⁵⁷the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pokereth Hazzebaim, and the descendants of Ami.

⁵⁸All the temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon: 392.

⁵⁹These are the ones that came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer (although they were unable to certify^[ar] their family connection^[as] or their ancestry,^[at] as to whether they really were from Israel):

⁶⁰the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda: 652.

⁶¹And from among^[au] the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that^[av] name). ⁶²They^[aw] searched for their records in the genealogical materials, but did not find them.^[ax] They were therefore excluded^[ay] from the priesthood. ⁶³The governor^[az] instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult^[ba] the Urim and Thummim.^[bb]

⁶⁴The entire group numbered 42,360,^[bc] ⁶⁵not counting^[bd] their male and female servants, who numbered 7,337. They also had 200 male and female singers ⁶⁶and 736 horses, 245 mules, ⁶⁷435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. ⁶⁸When they came to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders^[be] offered voluntary offerings for the temple of God in order to rebuild^[bf] it on its site. ⁶⁹As they were able,^[bg] they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 drachmas^[bh] of gold, 5,000 minas^[bi] of silver, and 100 priestly robes.^[bj]

⁷⁰The priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, and all the rest of Israel lived in their towns.

Footnotes

Ezra 1:1 sn In addition to the canonical books of Ezra and Nehemiah, there are two deuterocanonical books that are also called “Ezra.” Exactly how these books are designated varies in ancient literature. In the Septuagint (LXX) canonical Ezra is called Second Esdras, but in the Latin Vulgate it is called First Esdras. Our Nehemiah is called Third Esdras in some manuscripts of the LXX, but it is known as Second Esdras in the Latin Vulgate. (In the earliest LXX manuscripts Ezra and Nehemiah were regarded as one book, as they were in some Hebrew manuscripts.) The deuterocanonical books of Ezra are called First and Fourth Esdras in the LXX, but Third and Fourth Esdras in the Latin Vulgate. The titles for the so-called books of Ezra are thus rather confusing, a fact that one must keep in mind when consulting this material.
Ezra 1:1 sn The first year of Cyrus would be ca. 539 b.c. Cyrus reigned in Persia from ca. 539-530 b.c.
Ezra 1:1 tc The MT reads מִפִּי (mippi, “from the mouth of”), but this should probably be emended to בְּפִי (b^efi, “by the mouth of”), which is the way the parallel passage in 2 Chr 36:22 reads. This is also reflected in the LXX, which is either reflecting an alternate textual tradition of בְּפִי or is attempting to harmonize Ezra 1:1 in light of 2 Chronicles.tn Heb “from the mouth of.”
Ezra 1:1 sn Cf. Jer 29:10; 25:11-14. Jeremiah had prophesied that after a time of seventy years the Jews would return “to this place.” How these seventy years are to be reckoned is a matter of debate among scholars. Some understand the period to refer to the approximate length of Babylon’s ascendancy as a world power, beginning either with the fall of Nineveh (612 b.c.) or with Nebuchadnezzar’s coronation (605 b.c.) and continuing till the fall of Babylon to the Persians in 539 b.c. Others take the seventy years to refer to the period from the destruction of the temple in 586 b.c. till its rebuilding in 516 b.c.
Ezra 1:1 tn Heb “stirred the spirit of.” The Hebrew noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) has a broad range of meanings (see BDB 924-26 s.v.). Here, it probably refers to (1) “mind” as the seat of mental acts (e.g., Exod 28:3; Deut 34:9; Isa 29:24; 40:13; Ezek 11:5; 20:32; 1 Chr 28:12; cf. BDB 925 s.v. 6) or (2) “will” as the seat of volitional decisions (e.g., Exod 35:5, 22; Pss 51:12, 14; 57:8; 2 Chr 29:31; cf. BDB 925 s.v. 7). So also in v. 5. The entire phrase “stirred the spirit” has been rendered as “motivated” to better reflect normal English.
Ezra 1:1 tn Heb “caused to pass.”
Ezra 1:1 tn Heb “a voice.” The Hebrew noun קוֹל (qol, “voice, sound”) has a broad range of meanings, including the metonymical (cause—effect) nuance “proclamation” (e.g., Exod 36:6; 2 Chr 24:9; 30:5; 36:22; Ezra 1:1; 10:7; Neh 8:15). See BDB 877 s.v. 3.a.2.
Ezra 1:1 tn Heb “in writing, saying.”sn For an interesting extrabiblical parallel to this edict see the Cyrus cylinder (ANET 315-16).
Ezra 1:2 tn Or “instructed.”
Ezra 1:2 tn Heb “house.” The Hebrew noun בַּיִת (bayit, “house”) is often used in reference to the temple of Yahweh (BDB 108 s.v. 1.a). This is also frequent elsewhere in Ezra and Nehemiah (e.g., Ezra 1:3, 4, 5, 7; 2:68; 3:8, 9, 11, 12; 4:3; 6:22; 7:27; 8:17, 25, 29, 30, 33, 36; 9:9; 10:1, 6, 9).
Ezra 1:3 tn Heb “from all.”
Ezra 1:4 tn Heb “the men of his place.”
Ezra 1:5 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”
Ezra 1:5 tn Heb “arose.”
Ezra 1:6 tn Heb “strengthened their hands.”
Ezra 1:6 tc The MT reads בִּכְלֵי־כֶסֶף (bikhle khesef, “with silver vessels”). However, part of the LXX manuscript tradition reads ἐν πᾶσιν ἀργυρίῳ (en pasin arguriō), which reflects an alternate Hebrew reading of בַּכֹּל־בַּכֶּסֶף (bakkol bakkesef, “everywhere, with silver”). The textual variant involves (1) simple omission of yod (י) between two words, a common scribal mistake; (2) haplography of the preposition bet (ב); and (3) an alternate vocalization tradition of the first term.
Ezra 1:6 tn Heb “besides” or “in addition to.”
Ezra 1:7 tn Heb “and he gave them.”
Ezra 1:8 tn Heb “brought them forth.”
Ezra 1:8 tn Heb “upon the hand of.”
Ezra 1:8 sn A Persian name meaning “gift of Mithras.” See HALOT 656 s.v. מִתְרְדָת.
Ezra 1:8 sn A Babylonian name with the probable meaning “Shamash protect the father.” See HALOT 1664-65 s.v. שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּר.
Ezra 1:8 tn Heb “Sheshbazzar the prince to Judah”; TEV, CEV “the governor of Judah.”
Ezra 1:9 tn Heb “these are their number.”
Ezra 1:9 tn The exact meaning of the Hebrew noun אֲגַרְטָל (ʾagartal, which occurs twice in this verse) is somewhat uncertain. The lexicons suggest that it is related to a common Semitic root (the Hebrew derivative has a prosthetic prefixed א [aleph] and interchange between ג [gimel] and ק [kof]): Judean Aramaic and Syriac qartalla, Arabic qirtallat, Ethiopic qartalo, all meaning “basket” (BDB 173-74 s.v.; HALOT 11 s.v.). There is debate whether this is a loanword from Greek κάρταλλος (kartallos, “basket”), Persian hirtal (“leather bag”) or Hittite kurtal (“container”). The term is traditionally understood as a kind of vessel, such as “basket, basin” (BDB 173-74 s.v.; HALOT 11 s.v.); but some suggest “leather bag” or a basket-shaped container of some sort (P. Humbert, “En marge du dictionnaire hébraïque,” ZAW 62 [1950]: 199-207; DCH 1:118 s.v.). The LXX translated it as ψυκτήρ (psuktēr, “metal bowl”). The precise meaning depends on whether the nouns כֶּסֶף (kesef, “silver”) and זָהָב (zahav, “gold”), which follow each use of this plural construct noun, are genitives of content (“containers full of silver” and “containers full of gold”) or genitives of material (“silver containers” and “gold containers” = containers made from silver and gold). If they are genitives of content, the term probably means “baskets” or “leather bags” (filled with silver and gold); however, if they are genitives of material, the term would mean “basins” (made of silver and gold). Elsewhere in Ezra 1, the nouns כֶּסֶף (“silver”) and זָהָב (“gold”) are used as genitives or material, not genitives of content; therefore, the translation “gold basins” and “silver basins” is preferred.
Ezra 1:9 tn Heb “knives.” The Hebrew noun מַחֲלָפִים (makhalafim, “knives”) is found only here in the OT. While the basic meaning of the term is fairly clear, what it refers to here is unclear. The verb II חָלַף (khalaf) means “to pass through” (BDB 322 s.v. חָלַף) or “to cut through” (HALOT 321 s.v. II חלף; see also Judg 5:26; Job 20:24); thus, the lexicons suggest מַחֲלָפִים means “knives” (BDB 322 s.v. מַחֲלָף; HALOT 569 s.v. *מַחֲלָף). The related noun חֲלָפוֹת (khalafot, “knife”) is used in Mishnaic Hebrew (HALOT 321 s.v. II חלף), and חֲלִיפוֹת (khalifot, “knives”) appears in the Talmud. The noun appears in the cognate languages: Ugaritic khlpnm “(“knives”; UT 19) and Syriac khalofta (“shearing knife”; HALOT 321 s.v. II חלף). The Vulgate translated it as “knives,” while the LXX understood it as referring to replacement pieces for the offering basins. The English translations render it variously; some following the Vulgate and others adopting the approach of the LXX: “knives” (KJV, NKJV, NRSV), “censers” (RSV), “duplicates” (NASB), “silver pans” (NIV), “bowls” (TEV), “other dishes” (CEV). Verse 11 lists these twenty-nine objects among the “gold and silver vessels” brought back to Jerusalem for temple worship. The translation above offers the intentionally ambiguous “silver utensils” (the term מַחֲלָפִים [“knives”] would hardly refer to “gold” items, but could refer to “silver items”).
Ezra 1:10 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מִשְׁנִים (mishnim) is uncertain. The noun מִשְׁנֶה (mishneh) means “double, second” (BDB 1041 s.v.), “what is doubled, two-fold” (HALOT 650 s.v. מִשְׁנֶה 3). The translations reflect a diversity of approaches: “410 silver bowls of a second kind” (KJV, NASB, RSV margin), “410 other silver bowls” (NRSV) and “410 matching silver bowls” (NIV). BDB 1041 s.v. משׁנה 3.a suggests it was originally a numeral that was garbled in the transmission process, as reflected in the LXX: “two thousand” (so RSV “two thousand four hundred and ten bowls of silver”). The BHS editor suggests revocalizing the term to מְשֻׁנִים (m^eshunim, “changed”).
Ezra 1:11 sn The total number as given in the MT does not match the numbers given for the various items in v. 9. It is not clear whether the difference is due to error in textual transmission or whether the constituent items mentioned are only a selection from a longer list, in which case the total from that longer list may have been retained. The numbers provided in 1 Esdras come much closer to agreeing with the number in Ezra 1:9-11, but this does not necessarily mean that 1 Esdras has been better preserved here than Ezra. 1 Esdras 2:13-15 (RSV) says, “The number of these was: a thousand gold cups, a thousand silver cups, twenty-nine silver censers, thirty gold bowls, two thousand four hundred and ten silver bowls, and a thousand other vessels. All the vessels were handed over, gold and silver, five thousand four hundred and sixty-nine, and they were carried back by Shesbazzar with the returning exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem.”
Ezra 2:1 sn The list of names and numbers in this chapter of Ezra has a parallel account in Neh 7:6-73. The fact that the two lists do not always agree in specific details suggests that various textual errors have crept into the accounts during the transmission process.
Ezra 2:1 tn Heb “the sons of.”
Ezra 2:1 tn The Hebrew term הָעֹלִים (haʿolim, “those who were going up” [Qal active participle]) refers to continual action in the past. Most translations render this as a simple past: “went up” (KJV), “came up” (RSV, ASV, NASB, NIV), “came” (NRSV). CEV paraphrases: “were on their way back.”
Ezra 2:2 tn Heb “men of the people of Israel.”
Ezra 2:2 tn The words “was as follows” are not in the Hebrew text but are used in the translation for clarity.
Ezra 2:3 tn Heb “the sons of.”
Ezra 2:6 tn Heb “to the sons of.” Cf. v. 40.
Ezra 2:6 tc The MT reads יוֹאָב (yoʾav, “Joab”). However, syntax demands the reading וְיוֹאָב (v^eyoʾav, “and Joab”) which is reflected in the LXX and Syriac.
Ezra 2:16 tn Heb “to.” So also in vv. 36, 40.
Ezra 2:21 tc The translation follows the suggestion in BHS and reads אַנְשֵׁי (ʾanshe, “the men of”) here rather than the reading בְּנֵי (b^ene, “the sons of”) found in the MT. So also in vv. 25, 26, 33, 34.
Ezra 2:24 tc The translation follows the suggestion in BHS and reads אַנְשֵׁי בֵּית (ʾanshe bet, “men of the house of”) here rather than the reading בְּנֵי (b^ene, “the sons of”) found in the MT. And see H. G. M. Williamson, Ezra, Nehemiah (WBC), 25.tn Heb “the men of the house of Azmaveth”; some regard בֵּית (bet, “house of”) as a part of the place name: NAB, NLT “Beth Azmaveth.”
Ezra 2:25 tc The translation, with the support of many manuscripts, reads יְעָרִים (y^eʿarim) here rather than the reading עָרִים (ʿarim) of the MT.
Ezra 2:36 tn Heb “the house of.”
Ezra 2:42 tc Here it is preferable to delete the reading בְּנֵי (b^ene, “the sons of”) found in the MT.
Ezra 2:46 tc The translation follows the Qere reading “Shalmai” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT) rather than the MT Kethib “Shamlai” (so ASV, NAB, NRSV).
Ezra 2:59 tn Heb “relate.”
Ezra 2:59 tn Heb “the house of their fathers.”
Ezra 2:59 tn Heb “their seed.”
Ezra 2:61 tc The translation reads וּמִן (umin, “and from”) rather than the reading וּמִבְּנֵי (umibb^eney, “and from the sons of”) found in the MT.
Ezra 2:61 tn Heb “their.”
Ezra 2:62 tn Heb “these.”
Ezra 2:62 tn Heb “their records were searched for in the genealogical materials, but were not found.” This passive construction has been translated as active for stylistic reasons.
Ezra 2:62 tn Heb “they were desecrated.”
Ezra 2:63 tn The Hebrew word תִּרְשָׁתָא (tirshataʾ) is an official title of the Persian governor in Judea, perhaps similar in meaning to “excellency” (BDB 1077 s.v.; HALOT 1798 s.v.; W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 395).
Ezra 2:63 tn Heb “to stand.”
Ezra 2:63 sn The Urim and Thummim were two objects used to determine God’s will; there is no clear evidence of their size or shape, or the material from which they were made.
Ezra 2:64 sn The same total is given in Neh 7:66, but the numbers of people listed do not add up to this total; the list in vv. 3-60 is apparently selective, but it is not clear what the basis of the selectivity is.
Ezra 2:65 tn Heb “besides” or “in addition to.”
Ezra 2:68 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”
Ezra 2:68 tn Heb “cause it to stand.”
Ezra 2:69 tn Heb “according to their strength.”
Ezra 2:69 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word דַּרְכְּמוֹנִים (dark^emonim, cf. Neh 7:69, 70, 71) is uncertain. It may be a Greek loanword meaning “drachmas” (the view adopted here and followed also by NAB, NASB, NIV) or a Persian loanword “daric,” referring to a Persian gold coin (BDB 204 s.v. דַּרְכְּמוֹן; HALOT 232 s.v. נִים(וֹ)דַּרְכְּמֹ; cf. ASV, NRSV). For further study, see R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 206-9.
Ezra 2:69 sn The מָנִים (manim, cf. Neh 7:71, 72) is a measuring weight for valuable metals, equal to 1/60 of a talent or 60 shekels (BDB 584 s.v. מָנֶה; HALOT 599 s.v. מָנֶה). For further study, see R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 203-6.
Ezra 2:69 tn Or “garments.”

John 19:23-42

²³Now when the soldiers crucified^[a] Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier,^[b] and the tunic^[c] remained. (Now the tunic^[d] was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.)^[e] ²⁴So the soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but throw dice^[f] to see who will get it.”^[g] This took place^[h] to fulfill the scripture that says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they threw dice.”^[i] So the soldiers did these things.

²⁵Now standing beside Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.^[j] ²⁶So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman,^[k] look, here is your son!” ²⁷He then said to his disciple, “Look, here is your mother!” From that very time^[l] the disciple took her into his own home.

Jesus’ Death

²⁸After this Jesus, realizing that by this time^[m] everything was completed,^[n] said (in order to fulfill the scripture),^[o] “I am thirsty!”^[p] ²⁹A jar full of sour wine^[q] was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop^[r] and lifted it^[s] to his mouth. ³⁰When^[t] he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!”^[u] Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.^[v]

³¹Then, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not stay on the crosses on the Sabbath^[w] (for that Sabbath was an especially important one),^[x] the Jewish leaders^[y] asked Pilate to have the victims’ legs^[z] broken^[aa] and the bodies taken down.^[ab] ³²So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men who had been crucified^[ac] with Jesus,^[ad] first the one and then the other.^[ae] ³³But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴But one of the soldiers pierced^[af] his side with a spear, and blood and water^[ag] flowed out immediately. ³⁵And the person who saw it^[ah] has testified (and his testimony is true, and he^[ai] knows that he is telling the truth),^[aj] so that you also may believe. ³⁶For these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will be broken.”^[ak] ³⁷And again another scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”^[al]

Jesus’ Burial

³⁸After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, because he feared the Jewish leaders^[am]),^[an] asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate^[ao] gave him permission, so he went and took the body away.^[ap] ³⁹Nicodemus, the man who had previously come to Jesus^[aq] at night,^[ar] accompanied Joseph,^[as] carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes^[at] weighing about seventy-five pounds.^[au] ⁴⁰Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices,^[av] in strips of linen cloth^[aw] according to Jewish burial customs.^[ax] ⁴¹Now at the place where Jesus^[ay] was crucified^[az] there was a garden,^[ba] and in the garden^[bb] was a new tomb where no one had yet been buried.^[bc] ⁴²And so, because it was the Jewish day of preparation^[bd] and the tomb was nearby,^[be] they placed Jesus’ body there.

Footnotes

John 19:23 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
John 19:23 sn Four shares, one for each soldier. The Gospel of John is the only one to specify the number of soldiers involved in the crucifixion. This was a quaternion, a squad of four soldiers. It was accepted Roman practice for the soldiers who performed a crucifixion to divide the possessions of the person executed among themselves.
John 19:23 tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, chitōn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘chiton.’ On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
John 19:23 tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). See the note on the same word earlier in this verse.
John 19:23 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 19:24 tn Grk “but choose by lot” (probably by using marked pebbles or broken pieces of pottery). A modern equivalent, “throw dice,” was chosen here because of its association with gambling.
John 19:24 tn Grk “to see whose it will be.”
John 19:24 tn The words “This took place” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
John 19:24 tn Grk “cast lots.” See the note on “throw dice” earlier in the verse.sn A quotation from Ps 22:18.
John 19:25 sn Several women are mentioned, but it is not easy to determine how many. It is not clear whether his mother’s sister and Mary the wife of Clopas are to be understood as the same individual (in which case only three women are mentioned: Jesus’ mother, her sister Mary, and Mary Magdalene) or as two different individuals (in which case four women are mentioned: Jesus’ mother, her sister, Mary Clopas’ wife, and Mary Magdalene). It is impossible to be certain, but when John’s account is compared to the synoptics it is easier to reconcile the accounts if four women were present than if there were only three. It also seems that if there were four women present, this would have been seen by the author to be in juxtaposition to the four soldiers present who performed the crucifixion, and this may explain the transition from the one incident in 23-24 to the other in 25-27. Finally, if only three were present, this would mean that both Jesus’ mother and her sister were named Mary, and this is highly improbable in a Jewish family of that time. If there were four women present, the name of the second, the sister of Jesus’ mother, is not mentioned. It is entirely possible that the sister of Jesus’ mother mentioned here is to be identified with the woman named Salome mentioned in Mark 15:40 and also with the woman identified as “the mother of the sons of Zebedee” mentioned in Matt 27:56. If so, and if John the Apostle is to be identified as the beloved disciple, then the reason for the omission of the second woman’s name becomes clear; she would have been John’s own mother, and he consistently omitted direct reference to himself or his brother James or any other members of his family in the Fourth Gospel.
John 19:26 sn The term Woman is Jesus’ normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15; see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus’ use here? Jesus probably used the term here to help establish Mary and the beloved disciple in a new “mother-son” relationship. Someone would soon need to provide for Mary since Jesus, her oldest son, would no longer be alive. By using this term Jesus distanced himself from Mary so the beloved disciple could take his place as her earthly son (cf. John 2:4). See D. A. Carson, John, 617-18, for discussion about symbolic interpretations of this relationship between Mary and the beloved disciple.
John 19:27 tn Grk “from that very hour.”
John 19:28 tn Or “that already.”
John 19:28 tn Or “finished,” “accomplished”; Grk “fulfilled.”
John 19:28 sn A reference to Ps 69:21 or Ps 22:15.
John 19:28 sn In order to fulfill (τελειωθῇ [teleiōthē], a wordplay on the previous statement that everything was completed [τετέλεσται, tetelestai]) the scripture, he said, “I am thirsty.” The scripture referred to is probably Ps 69:21, “They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Also suggested, however, is Ps 22:15, “My tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth, and you [God] lay me in the dust of death.” Ps 22:1 reads “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?,” a statement Jesus makes from the cross in both Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34. In light of the connection in the Fourth Gospel between thirst and the living water which Jesus offers, it is highly ironic that here Jesus himself, the source of that living water, expresses his thirst. And since 7:39 associates the living water with the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ statement here in 19:28 amounts to an admission that at this point he has been forsaken by God (cf. Ps 22:1, Matt 27:46, and Mark 15:34).
John 19:29 sn The cheap sour wine was called in Latin posca, and referred to a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.
John 19:29 sn Hyssop was a small aromatic bush; exact identification of the plant is uncertain. The hyssop used to lift the wet sponge may have been a form of reed (κάλαμος, kalamos, “reed,” is used in Matt 27:48 and Mark 15:36); the biblical name can refer to several different species of plant (at least eighteen different plants have been suggested).
John 19:29 tn Or “and brought it.”
John 19:30 tn Grk “Then when.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
John 19:30 tn Or “It is accomplished,” “It is finished,” or “It is ended.” See tn on John 13:1.
John 19:30 tn Or “he bowed his head and died”; Grk “he bowed his head and gave over the spirit.”
John 19:31 sn The Jewish authorities, because this was the day of preparation for the Sabbath and the Passover (cf. 19:14), requested Pilate to order the legs of the three who had been crucified to be broken. This would hasten their deaths, so that the bodies could be removed before the beginning of the Sabbath at 6 p.m. This was based on the law of Deut 21:22-23 and Josh 8:29 that specified the bodies of executed criminals who had been hanged on a tree should not remain there overnight. According to Josephus this law was interpreted in the 1st century to cover the bodies of those who had been crucified (J. W. 4.5.2 [4.317]). Philo of Alexandria also mentions that on occasion, especially at festivals, the bodies were taken down and given to relatives to bury (Flaccus 10 [83]). The normal Roman practice would have been to leave the bodies on the crosses, to serve as a warning to other would-be offenders.
John 19:31 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 19:31 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.
John 19:31 tn Grk “asked Pilate that the legs of them might be broken.” The referent of “them” (the three individuals who were crucified, collectively referred to as “the victims”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
John 19:31 sn To have the legs…broken. Breaking the legs of a crucified person was a way of speeding up his death, since the victim could no longer use his legs to push upward in order to be able to draw a breath. This breaking of the legs was called in Latin crurifragium, and was done with a heavy mallet.
John 19:31 tn Grk “asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and they might be taken down.” Here because of the numerous ambiguous third person references it is necessary to clarify that it was the crucified men whose legs were to be broken and whose corpses were to be removed from the crosses.
John 19:32 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
John 19:32 tn Grk “with him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 19:32 tn Grk “broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him.”
John 19:34 sn If it was obvious to the soldiers that the victim was already dead it is difficult to see why one of them would try to inflict a wound. The Greek verb pierced (νύσσω, nussō) can indicate anything from a slight prod to a mortal wound. Probably one of the soldiers gave an exploratory stab to see if the body would jerk. If not, he was really dead. This thrust was hard enough to penetrate the side, since the author states that blood and water flowed out immediately.
John 19:34 sn How is the reference to the blood and water that flowed out from Jesus’ side to be understood? This is probably to be connected with the statements in 1 John 5:6-8. In both passages water, blood, and testimony are mentioned. The Spirit is also mentioned in 1 John 5:7 as the source of the testimony, while here the testimony comes from one of the disciples (19:35). The connection between the Spirit and the living water with Jesus’ statement of thirst just before he died in the preceding context has already been noted (see 19:28). For the author, the water which flowed out of Jesus’ side was a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit who could now be given because Jesus was now glorified (cf. 7:39); Jesus had now departed and returned to that glory which he had with the Father before the creation of the world (cf. 17:5). The mention of blood recalls the motif of the Passover lamb as a sacrificial victim. Later references to sacrificial procedures in the Mishnah appear to support this: m. Pesahim 5:3 and 5:5 state that the blood of the sacrificial animal should not be allowed to congeal but should flow forth freely at the instant of death so that it could be used for sprinkling; m. Tamid 4:2 actually specifies that the priest is to pierce the heart of the sacrificial victim and cause the blood to come forth.
John 19:35 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
John 19:35 tn Grk “and that one.”
John 19:35 sn A parenthetical note by the author.
John 19:36 sn A quotation from Exod 12:46, Num 9:12, and Ps 34:20. A number of different OT passages lie behind this quotation: Exod 12:10 LXX, Exod 12:46, Num 9:12, or Ps 34:20. Of these, the first is the closest in form to the quotation here. The first three are all more likely candidates than the last, since the first three all deal with descriptions of the Passover lamb.
John 19:37 sn A quotation from Zech 12:10. Here a single phrase is quoted from Zech 12, but the entire context is associated with the events surrounding the crucifixion. The “Spirit of grace and of supplication” is poured out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the first part of v. 10. A few verses later in 13:1 Yahweh (typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT) says “In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.” The blood which flowed from Jesus’ pierced side may well be what the author saw as the connection here, since as the shedding of the blood of the sacrificial victim it represents cleansing from sin. Although the Jewish authorities and Roman soldiers certainly “looked on the one whom they have pierced” as he hung on the cross, the author may also have in mind the parousia (second coming) here. The context in Zech 12-14 is certainly the second coming, so that these who crucified Jesus will look upon him in another sense when he returns in judgment.
John 19:38 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.
John 19:38 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 19:38 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.
John 19:38 tn Grk “took away his body.”
John 19:39 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 19:39 sn See John 3:1-21.
John 19:39 tn Grk “came”; the words “accompanied Joseph” are not in the Greek text but are supplied for clarity.
John 19:39 sn Aloes refers to an aromatic resin from a plant similar to a lily, used for embalming a corpse.
John 19:39 sn The Roman pound (λίτρα, litra) weighed twelve ounces or 325 grams. Thus 100 Roman pounds would be about 32.5 kilograms or 75 pounds.
John 19:40 tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these materials were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition.
John 19:40 tn The Fourth Gospel uses ὀθονίοις (othoniois) to describe the wrappings, and this has caused a good deal of debate, since it appears to contradict the synoptic accounts which mention a σινδών (sindōn), a large single piece of linen cloth. If one understands ὀθονίοις to refer to smaller strips of cloth, like bandages, there would be a difference, but diminutive forms have often lost their diminutive force in Koine Greek (BDF §111.3), so there may not be any difference. Also, Luke uses both terms to refer to the wrappings, which suggests they are interchangeable in some contexts at least (Luke 23:53; 24:12).
John 19:40 tn Grk “cloth as is the custom of the Jews to prepare for burial.”
John 19:41 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 19:41 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
John 19:41 tn Or “an orchard.”
John 19:41 tn Or “orchard.”
John 19:41 tn Grk “been placed.”
John 19:42 sn The day of preparation was the day before the Sabbath when everything had to be prepared for it, as no work could be done on the Sabbath.
John 19:42 sn The tomb was nearby. The Passover and the Sabbath would begin at 6 p.m., so those who had come to prepare and bury the body could not afford to waste time.

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Old/New Testament

The Decree of Cyrus

The Exiles Prepare to Return to Jerusalem

The Names of the Returning Exiles

Footnotes

Jesus’ Death

Jesus’ Burial

Footnotes