Matius 27:63-66

27:63 and said, “Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 27:64 So give orders to secure the tomb until the third day. Otherwise his disciples may come and steal his body ¹  and say to the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” 27:65 Pilate said to them, “Take ²  a guard of soldiers. Go and make it as secure as you can.” 27:66 So ³  they went with the soldiers ⁴  of the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

Matius 28:12-15

28:12 After ⁵  they had assembled with the elders and formed a plan, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 28:13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came at night and stole his body ⁶  while we were asleep.’ 28:14 If ⁷  this matter is heard before the governor, ⁸  we will satisfy him ⁹  and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁰  28:15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story is told among the Jews to this day. ¹¹ 

[27:64]  ¹ tn Grk “him.”

[27:65]  ² tn Grk “You have a guard.”

[27:66]  ³ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Pilate’s order.

[27:66]  ⁴ 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.

[28:12]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[28:13]  ⁶ tn Grk “him.”

[28:14]  ⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[28:14]  ⁸ tn Here ἐπί (epi) followed by the genitive = “before,” especially in the language of lawsuits (BDAG 363 s.v. 3).

[28:14]  ⁹ tc ‡ αὐτόν (auton, “him”) is found after πείσομεν (peisomen, “we will satisfy”) in the majority of witnesses, though it seems to be motivated by a need for clarification and cannot therefore easily explain the rise of the shorter reading (which is found in א B Θ 33 pc). Nevertheless, English style requires the pronoun. NA²⁷ includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[28:14]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “and you will not have to be worried” = “we will keep you out of trouble.”

[28:15]  ¹¹ tc ‡ The word ἡμέρας (Jhmeras, “day”) is found after σήμερον (shmeron, “today, this [day]”) in some early and important witnesses (B D L Θ lat), but may be a clarifying (or perhaps redundant) note. The shorter reading (found in א A W 0148^vid Ë^1,13 33 Ï) is thus preferred. NA²⁷ includes the word in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.