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Matthew 27:45-56
New English Translation

Jesus’ Death

45 Now from noon until three,[a] darkness came over all the land.[b] 46 At[c] about three o’clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice,[d] “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”[e] 47 When[f] some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 Immediately[g] one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine,[h] put it on a stick,[i] and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the rest said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to save him.”[j] 50 Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. 51 Just then[k] the temple curtain[l] was torn in two, from top to bottom. The[m] earth shook and the rocks were split apart. 52 And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died[n] were raised. 53 (They[o] came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.) 54 Now when the centurion[p] and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place, they were extremely terrified and said, “Truly this one was God’s Son!” 55 Many[q] women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and given him support[r] were also there, watching from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 27:45 tn Grk “from the sixth hour to the ninth hour.”
  2. Matthew 27:45 sn This imagery has parallels to the Day of the Lord: Joel 2:10; Amos 8:9; Zeph 1:15.
  3. Matthew 27:46 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  4. Matthew 27:46 tn Grk “with a loud voice, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  5. Matthew 27:46 sn A quotation from Ps 22:1.
  6. Matthew 27:47 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  7. Matthew 27:48 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
  8. Matthew 27:48 sn Sour wine refers to cheap wine that was called in Latin posca, 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.
  9. Matthew 27:48 tn Grk “a reed.”
  10. Matthew 27:49 tc Early and significant witnesses, including the chief Alexandrian mss (א B C L Γ 1010 and some versional witnesses) add a sentence at the end of this verse: “And another [soldier] took a spear and pierced him in the side, and water and blood flowed out.” This comment finds such a strong parallel in John 19:34 that it was undoubtedly lifted from the Fourth Gospel by some early, well-meaning scribe and inserted into Matt 27:49. The alternative—that this sentence was part of Matthew’s Ausgangstext—has serious difficulties, as Metzger notes: “It might be thought that the words were omitted because they represent the piercing as preceding Jesus’ death, whereas John makes it follow; but that difference would have only been a reason for moving the passage to a later position (perhaps at the close of ver. 50 or 54 or 56), or else there would have been some tampering with the passage in John, which is not the case. It is probable that the Johannine passage was written by some reader in the margin of Matthew from memory (there are several minor differences, such as the sequence of ‘water and blood’), and a later copyist awkwardly introduced it into the text” (TCGNT, 59). Consequently, even though the support for the shorter reading (A D W Θ ƒ1,13 33 565 579 700 1241 1424 M lat sy sa bo) is not as impressive, internal considerations on its behalf are compelling.
  11. Matthew 27:51 tn Grk “And behold.”
  12. Matthew 27:51 tn The referent of this term, καταπέτασμα (katapetasma), is not entirely clear. It could refer to the curtain separating the holy of holies from the holy place (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.5 [5.219]), or it could refer to one at the entrance of the temple court (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.4 [5.212]). Many argue that the inner curtain is meant because another term, κάλυμμα (kalumma), is also used for the outer curtain. Others see a reference to the outer curtain as more likely because of the public nature of this sign. Either way, the symbolism means that access to God has been opened up.
  13. Matthew 27:51 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
  14. Matthew 27:52 tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaō) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for the death of a believer.
  15. Matthew 27:53 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
  16. Matthew 27:54 sn See the note on the word centurion in Matt 8:5.
  17. Matthew 27:55 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  18. Matthew 27:55 tn Grk “and ministered to him.”sn Cf. Luke 8:3.
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Matthew 26
Matthew 28
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Luke 23:44-49
New English Translation

44 It was now[a] about noon,[b] and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,[c] 45 because the sun’s light failed.[d] The temple curtain[e] was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”[f] And after he said this he breathed his last.

47 Now when the centurion[g] saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!”[h] 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.[i] 49 And all those who knew Jesus[j] stood at a distance, and the women who had followed him from Galilee saw[k] these things.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 23:44 tn Grk “And it was.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
  2. Luke 23:44 tn Grk “the sixth hour.”
  3. Luke 23:44 tn Grk “until the ninth hour.”
  4. Luke 23:45 tc The wording “the sun’s light failed” is a translation of τοῦ ἡλίου ἐκλιπόντος/ ἐκλείποντος (tou hēliou eklipontos/ ekleipontos), a reading found in the earliest and best witnesses (among them P75 א B C*vid L 070 579 2542) as well as several ancient versions. The majority of mss (A C3 [D] W Θ Ψ ƒ1,13 M lat sy) have the flatter, less dramatic term, “the sun was darkened” (ἐσκοτίσθη, eskotisthe), a reading that avoids the problem of implying an eclipse (see sn below). This alternative thus looks secondary because it is a more common word and less likely to be misunderstood as referring to a solar eclipse. That it appears in later witnesses rather than the earliest ones adds confirmatory testimony to its inauthentic character.sn This imagery has parallels to the Day of the Lord: Joel 2:10; Amos 8:9; Zeph 1:15. Some students of the NT see in Luke’s statement the sun’s light failed (eklipontos) an obvious blunder in his otherwise meticulous historical accuracy. The reason for claiming such an error on the author’s part is due to an understanding of the verb as indicating a solar eclipse when such would be an astronomical impossibility during a full moon. There are generally two ways to resolve this difficulty: (a) adopt a different reading (“the sun was darkened”) that smoothes over the problem (discussed in the tc problem above), or (b) understand the verb eklipontos in a general way (such as “the sun’s light failed”) rather than as a technical term, “the sun was eclipsed.” The problem with the first solution is that it is too convenient, for the Christian scribes who, over the centuries, copied Luke’s Gospel would have thought the same thing. That is, they too would have sensed a problem in the wording and felt that some earlier scribe had incorrectly written down what Luke penned. The fact that the reading “was darkened” shows up in the later and generally inferior witnesses does not bolster one’s confidence that this is the right solution. But second solution, if taken to its logical conclusion, proves too much for it would nullify the argument against the first solution: If the term did not refer to an eclipse, then why would scribes feel compelled to change it to a more general term? The solution to the problem is that ekleipo did in fact sometimes refer to an eclipse, but it did not always do so. (BDAG 306 s.v. ἐκλείπω notes that the verb is used in Hellenistic Greek “Of the sun cease to shine.” In MM it is argued that “it seems more than doubtful that in Lk 2345 any reference is intended to an eclipse. To find such a reference is to involve the Evangelist in a needless blunder, as an eclipse is impossible at full moon, and to run counter to his general usage of the verb = ‘fail’…” [p. 195]. They enlist Luke 16:9; 22:32; and Heb 1:12 for the general meaning “fail,” and further cite several contemporaneous examples from papyri of this meaning [195-96]) Thus, the very fact that the verb can refer to an eclipse would be a sufficient basis for later scribes altering the text out of pious motives; conversely, the very fact that the verb does not always refer to an eclipse and, in fact, does not normally do so, is enough of a basis to exonerate Luke of wholly uncharacteristic carelessness.
  5. Luke 23:45 tn The referent of this term, καταπέτασμα (katapetasma), is not entirely clear. It could refer to the curtain separating the holy of holies from the holy place (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.5 [5.219]), or it could refer to one at the entrance of the temple court (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.4 [5.212]). Many argue that the inner curtain is meant because another term, κάλυμμα (kalumma), is also used for the outer curtain. Others see a reference to the outer curtain as more likely because of the public nature of this sign. Either way, the symbolism means that access to God has been opened up. It also pictures a judgment that includes the sacrifices.
  6. Luke 23:46 sn A quotation from Ps 31:5. It is a psalm of trust. The righteous, innocent sufferer trusts in God. Luke does not have the cry of pain from Ps 22:1 (cf. Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34), but notes Jesus’ trust instead.
  7. Luke 23:47 sn See the note on the word centurion in 7:2.
  8. Luke 23:47 tn Or “righteous.” It is hard to know whether “innocent” or “righteous” is intended, as the Greek term used can mean either, and both make good sense in this context. Luke has been emphasizing Jesus as innocent, so that is slightly more likely here. Of course, one idea entails the other. sn Here is a fourth figure who said that Jesus was innocent in this chapter (Pilate, Herod, a criminal, and now a centurion).
  9. Luke 23:48 sn Some apparently regretted what had taken place. Beating their breasts was a sign of lamentation.
  10. Luke 23:49 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  11. Luke 23:49 tn Technically the participle ὁρῶσαι (horōsai) modifies only γυναῖκες (gunaikes) since both are feminine plural nominative, although many modern translations refer this as well to the group of those who knew Jesus mentioned in the first part of the verse. These events had a wide array of witnesses.
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Luke 24
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John 19:28-37
New English Translation

Jesus’ Death

28 After this Jesus, realizing that by this time[a] everything was completed,[b] said (in order to fulfill the scripture),[c] “I am thirsty!”[d] 29 A jar full of sour wine[e] was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop[f] and lifted it[g] to his mouth. 30 When[h] he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!”[i] Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.[j]

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

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Footnotes

  1. John 19:28 tn Or “that already.”
  2. John 19:28 tn Or “finished,” “accomplished”; Grk “fulfilled.”
  3. John 19:28 sn A reference to Ps 69:21 or Ps 22:15.
  4. 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).
  5. 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.
  6. 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).
  7. John 19:29 tn Or “and brought it.”
  8. John 19:30 tn Grk “Then when.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
  9. John 19:30 tn Or “It is accomplished,” “It is finished,” or “It is ended.” See tn on John 13:1.
  10. John 19:30 tn Or “he bowed his head and died”; Grk “he bowed his head and gave over the spirit.”
  11. 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.
  12. John 19:31 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. John 19:32 sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
  18. John 19:32 tn Grk “with him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  19. John 19:32 tn Grk “broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him.”
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. John 19:35 tn Grk “and that one.”
  24. John 19:35 sn A parenthetical note by the author.
  25. 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.
  26. 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.
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