Matthew 27:57

When evening had come, a rich man from Arimathaea, named Joseph, who himself was also Jesus’ disciple came.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

When evening had come, a rich man from Arimathaea named Joseph, who himself was also Jesus’ disciple, came.

BSB

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself was a disciple of Jesus.

KJV

When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:

ASV

And when even was come, there came a rich man from Arimathæa, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:

BBE

And in the evening, there came a man of wealth from Arimathaea, Joseph by name, who was a disciple of Jesus:

Original Greek

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Ὀψίας Opsias When evening G3798 δὲ de now G1161 γενομένης genomenēs having arrived G1096 ἦλθεν ēlthen came G2064 ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos a man G444 πλούσιος plousios rich G4145 ἀπὸ apo from G575 Ἁριμαθαίας Harimathaias Arimathea G707 τοὔνομα tounoma named G5122 Ἰωσήφ Iōsēph Joseph G2501 ὃς hos who G3739 καὶ kai also G2532 αὐτὸς autos himself G846 ἐμαθητεύθη emathēteuthē was discipled G3100 τῷ tō (the) G3588 Ἰησοῦ Iēsou to Jesus G2424

The early church

Mystically, Joseph affords a figure of the Apostles.
Hilary of Poitiers · d. 367Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
"But Joseph went, and begged the body." This was Joseph, who was concealing his discipleship of late; now however he had become very bold after the death of Christ. For neither was he an obscure person, nor of the unnoticed; but one of the council, and highly distinguished; from which circumstance especially one may see his courage. For he exposed himself to death, taking upon him enmity with all, by his affection to Jesus, both having dared to beg the body, and not having desisted until he obtained it. But not by taking it only, nor by burying it in a costly manner, but also by laying it in his own new tomb, he showeth his love, and his courage. And this was not so ordered without purpose, but so there should not be any bare suspicion, that one had risen instead of another.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Matthew
He is described as rich, not out of any ambition on the part of the writer to represent so noble and rich a man as Jesus' disciple, but to show how he was able to obtain the body of Jesus from Pilate. For poor and unknown individuals would not have dared to approach Pilate, the representative of Roman power, and ask the body of a crucified malefactor. In another Gospel this Joseph is called a counsellor; and it is supposed that the first Psalm has reference to him, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. (Ps. 1:1.)
Jerome · d. 420Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
Arimathea is the same as Ramatha, the city of Helcana and Samuel, and is situated in the Chananitic country near Diospolis. This Joseph was a man of great dignity in respect of worldly station, but has the praise of much higher merit in God's sight, seeing he is described as righteous. Indeed he that should have the burial of the Lord's body ought to have been such, that he might be deserving of that office by righteous merit.
Remigius of Rheims · d. 533Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
(non occ.) When the Evangelist had finished the order of the Lord's Passion and death, he treats of His burial.
Glossa Ordinaria · d. 1274Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 57–61

In the burial of Christ was nothing of pomp or solemnity. As Christ had not a house of his own, wherein to lay his head, while he lived, so he had not a grave of his own, wherein to lay his body, when he was dead. Our Lord Jesus, who had no sin of his own, had no grave of his own. The Jews designed that he should have made his grave with the wicked, should have been buried with the thieves with whom he was crucified, but God overruled it, so that he should make it with the rich in his death, Is 53:9. And although to the eye of man the beholding a funeral may cause terror, yet if we remember how Christ by his burial has changed the nature of the grave to believers, it should make us rejoice. And we are ever to imitate Christ's burial in being continually occupied in the spiritual burial of our sins.

Read Matthew Henry on Matthew 27 →

Parallel passages

3

The same words or events elsewhere.

Mark 15:42–45Luke 23:50–52John 19:38

Cross-references

6

People & places

JesusJoseph Arimathea

Topics

Jesus, The ChristLoveJosephRich, ThePilate, PontiusArimathea

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.