MARK 15:43 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Joseph, the one from Arimathea, a respected member of the council who also himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, having come, having dared, entered in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

UST 42-43 Now there was a man from the city of Arimathea whose name was Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish council, and people respected him. He too was eagerly expecting God’s kingdom. When he arrived in the city of Jerusalem, it was Preparation Day, the day before the Jewish day of rest, and the evening had already begun. Because it was Preparation Day, this man went boldly to Pilate. He asked Pilate to allow him to take Jesus’ body to bury it.

BSB Joseph of Arimathea, [a] prominent Council member who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, boldly went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

MSB Joseph of Arimathea, [a] prominent Council member who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, boldly went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

BLB having come, Joseph from Arimathea, a prominent Council member, who was also himself waiting for the kingdom of God, having boldness, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

AICNT Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting for the kingdom of God, came and boldly went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

OEB Joseph from Arimathea, a councillor of good position, who was himself living in expectation of the kingdom of God, came and ventured to go in to see Pilate, and to ask for the body of Jesus.

WEBBE Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for God’s Kingdom, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body.

WMBB Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for God’s Kingdom, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Yeshua’s body.

NET Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

LSV Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable counselor, who also himself was waiting for the Kingdom of God, came, boldly entered in to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

FBV Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the governing council who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, had the courage to go to Pilate and ask for Jesus' body.

TCNT Joseph of Arimathea, a respected council member, who was himself also waiting for the kingdom of God, came and boldly went in before Pilate to ask for Jesus' body.

T4T 42-43 When evening was near, a man named Joseph from Arimathea town came there. He was a member of the Jewish council, one whom everyone respected. He was also one of those who had been waiting expectantly for the time when God would send his king to begin to rule. He knew that, according to Jewish law, people’s bodies had to be buried {someone had to bury people’s bodies} on the day they died. He also realized that it was the day when people prepared things for ◄the Jewish day of rest/the Sabbath►, and that the Sabbath would start when the sun set. So he became courageous and went to Pilate and asked Pilate to permit him to take the body of Jesus down from the cross and bury it immediately.

LEB Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the council who was also himself looking forward to[fn] the kingdom of God, came acting courageously and[fn] went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

15:43 Or “waiting for”

15:43 *Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb

BBE There came Joseph of Arimathaea, a responsible man in high honour, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God; and he went in to Pilate without fear, and made a request for the body of Jesus.

Moff Joseph of Arimathaea, a councillor of good position who himself was on the outlook for the Reign of God, ventured to go to Pilate and ask for the body of Jesus.

Wymth Joseph of Arimathaea came, a highly respected member of the Council, who himself also was living in expectation of the Kingdom of God. He summoned up courage to go in to see Pilate and beg for the body of Jesus.

ASV there came Joseph of Arimathæa, a councillor of honorable estate, who also himself was looking for the kingdom of God; and he boldly went in unto Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

DRA Joseph of Arimathea, a noble counsellor, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

YLT Joseph of Arimathea, an honourable counsellor, who also himself was waiting for the reign of God, came, boldly entered in unto Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus.

Drby Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable councillor, who also himself was awaiting the kingdom of [fn]God, coming, emboldened himself and went in to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus.

15.43 Elohim

RV there came Joseph of Arimathaea, a councillor of honourable estate, who also himself was looking for the kingdom of God; and he boldly went in unto Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

SLT Joseph came from Arimathea, a distinguished counsellor, who also himself was expecting the kingdom of God, having ventured, he went in to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

Wbstr Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable counselor, who also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly to Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

KJB-1769 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

KJB-1611 Ioseph of Arimathea, an honourable counseller, which also waited for the kingdome of God, came, and went in boldly vnto Pilate, and craued the body of Iesus.
(Yoseph of Arimathea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Yesus/Yeshua.)

Bshps Ioseph of the citie of Aramathia, a noble councellour, which also loked for the kyngdome of God, came, and went in boldely vnto Pilate, and begged of hym the body of Iesu.
(Yoseph of the city of Aramathia, a noble councellour, which also looked for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and begged of him the body of Yesu.)

Gnva Ioseph of Arimathea, an honorable counsellour, which also looked for the kingdome of God, came, and went in boldly vnto Pilate, and asked the body of Iesus.
(Yoseph of Arimathea, an honourable counsellor, which also looked for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and asked the body of Yesus/Yeshua. )

Cvdl there came one Ioseph of Arimathia, a worshipfull Senatoure (which loked also for the kyngdome of God) & wete in boldely vnto Pilate, & axed ye body of Iesus.
(there came one Yoseph of Arimathia, a worshipfull Senatore (which looked also for the kingdom of God) and went in boldly unto Pilate, and asked ye/you_all body of Yesus/Yeshua.)

TNT Ioseph of Arimathia a noble councelour which also loked for the kyngdome of God came and went in booldly vnto Pylate and begged the boddy of Iesu.
(Yoseph of Arimathia a noble councelour which also looked for the kingdom of God came and went in boldly unto Pilate and begged the body of Yesu. )

Wycl Joseph of Armathie, the noble decurioun, cam, and he abood the rewme of God; and booldli he entride to Pilat, and axide the bodi of Jhesu.
(Yoseph of Armathie, the noble decurioun, came, and he abode/stayed the realm of God; and boldly he entered to Pilat, and asked the body of Yhesu.)

Luth kam Joseph von Arimathia, ein ehrbarer Ratsherr, welcher auch auf das Reich Gottes wartete; der wagte es und ging hinein zu Pilatus und bat um den Leichnam JEsu.
(came Yoseph from Arimathia, a ehrbarer Ratsherr, which also on/in/to the kingdom God’s waited; the/of_the wagte it and went into/inside to/for Pilatus and asked around/by/for the Leichnam Yesu.)

ClVg venit Joseph ab Arimathæa nobilis decurio, qui et ipse erat exspectans regnum Dei, et audacter introivit ad Pilatum, et petiit corpus Jesu.[fn]
(he_came Yoseph away Arimathæa noble decurio, who/which and exactly_that/himself was waitns kingdom of_God, and audacter entered to Pilatum, and petiit body Yesu. )

15.43 Venit Joseph. HIER. Joseph venit sero parasceve ab Arimathia, quæ interpretatur deponens, ad deponendum corpus Christi, etc., us que ad aspicientibus a longe electis qui sunt stellæ maris, quando, si fieri potest, scandalizabuntur etiam electi.

15.43 He_came Yoseph. HIER. Yoseph he_came late parasceve away Arimathia, which interprets deponens, to deponendum body Christi, etc., us que to aspicientibus from far_away chosen_(ones) who/which are stars of_the_sea, quando, when/but_if to_be_done can, scandalizabuntur also chosen.

UGNT ἐλθὼν Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀπὸ Ἁριμαθαίας, εὐσχήμων βουλευτής, ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν προσδεχόμενος τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ; τολμήσας, εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς τὸν Πειλᾶτον καὶ ᾐτήσατο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
(elthōn Yōsaʸf ho apo Harimathaias, eusⱪaʸmōn bouleutaʸs, hos kai autos aʸn prosdeⱪomenos taʸn Basileian tou Theou; tolmaʸsas, eisaʸlthen pros ton Peilaton kai aʸtaʸsato to sōma tou Yaʸsou.)

SBL-GNT ⸀ἐλθὼν Ἰωσὴφ ⸀ὁ ἀπὸ Ἁριμαθαίας εὐσχήμων βουλευτής, ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν προσδεχόμενος τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ, τολμήσας εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς ⸀τὸν Πιλᾶτον καὶ ᾐτήσατο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
(⸀elthōn Yōsaʸf ⸀ho apo Harimathaias eusⱪaʸmōn bouleutaʸs, hos kai autos aʸn prosdeⱪomenos taʸn basileian tou theou, tolmaʸsas eisaʸlthen pros ⸀ton Pilaton kai aʸtaʸsato to sōma tou Yaʸsou.)

RP-GNT ἦλθεν Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀπὸ Ἀριμαθαίας, εὐσχήμων βουλευτής, ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν προσδεχόμενος τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ· τολμήσας εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς Πιλάτον, καὶ ᾐτήσατο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
(aʸlthen Yōsaʸf ho apo Arimathaias, eusⱪaʸmōn bouleutaʸs, hos kai autos aʸn prosdeⱪomenos taʸn basileian tou theou; tolmaʸsas eisaʸlthen pros Pilaton, kai aʸtaʸsato to sōma tou Yaʸsou.)

TC-GNT [fn]ἦλθεν Ἰωσὴφ [fn]ὁ ἀπὸ Ἀριμαθαίας, εὐσχήμων βουλευτής, ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν προσδεχόμενος τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ· τολμήσας εἰσῆλθε πρὸς [fn]Πιλάτον, καὶ ᾐτήσατο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
(aʸlthen Yōsaʸf ho apo Arimathaias, eusⱪaʸmōn bouleutaʸs, hos kai autos aʸn prosdeⱪomenos taʸn basileian tou Theou; tolmaʸsas eisaʸlthe pros Pilaton, kai aʸtaʸsato to sōma tou Yaʸsou. )

15:43 ηλθεν ¦ ελθων ANT CT PCK

15:43 ο ¦ — WH

15:43 πιλατον ¦ τον πιλατον ECM^† NA SBL ¦ τον πειλατον TH WH

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 15:42–47: Joseph buried Jesus

After someone died on a cross, his body was normally left on the cross to rot. Sometimes the Romans threw the body in a group grave and buried it without any honor. But for the Jews, a proper burial was important. It was their custom to bury the body on the same day that a person died.

Joseph was determined to give Jesus a proper burial. So he bravely went to Pilate and asked permission to do this. When he did this, he risked being punished. Pilate might have thought that since he was a friend of Jesus, he was also rebelling against Rome.

The Sabbath day began just a few hours after Jesus died. On the Sabbath, it was forbidden to move a dead body. So Joseph had to act very quickly in all that he did.

In this section, Mark emphasized two important facts that help readers understand that Jesus truly rose from the dead. First, he showed that Jesus was really dead. Second, he said that the women in 15:47 observed and noted carefully the location of the tomb where Jesus was laid. They did not mistakenly go to the wrong tomb later.

It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Joseph put/laid the body of Jesus in a tomb

Jesus was placed in a burial cave.

The burial of Jesus

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 27:57–61, Luke 23:50–55, and John 19:38–42.

Paragraph 15:42–47

In Jewish culture, a new day started at sunset. Jesus had died sometime during the middle of the afternoon. The Sabbath day would begin in a few hours. On the Sabbath day, a dead body could be washed and prepared for burial, but it could not be moved. This explains why Joseph had to hurry to bury Jesus’ body.

15:43

In 15:43, many details are given about Joseph. These details include his name, where he was from, that he was a member of the Jewish high council, and that he desired the coming of God’s reign. Put these details in an order that is natural in your language when introducing a new person in a story.

15:43a

Joseph of Arimathea,

So Joseph of/from Arimathea,
There was a certain man. His name was Joseph. He was from the town of Arimathea.

Joseph of Arimathea: This man was called Joseph of Arimathea to distinguish him from other men named Joseph in the Gospels. (Some other men named Joseph are Mary’s husband and Joseph/Joses who is mentioned in Mark 15:40). The phrase of Arimathea means “from the town of Arimathea.” (Arimathea was a town about twenty miles northwest of Jerusalem.)

This is the first time that Joseph of Arimathea is mentioned in Mark. Introduce him in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

There was a man named Joseph who was from the town of Arimathea.

15:43b

a prominent Council member

an honored member of the high/supreme court of the Jews,
He was a highly respected person of the Jewish high council.

a prominent Council member: The phrase a prominent Council member means that Joseph was “a highly respected/honored” member of the Jewish high court. This high court was called the Council or “the Sanhedrin” (14:55). This Council had condemned Jesus to death.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

an honored member of the high council (NLT)

a respected person in the Jewish high/supreme court

The related word “Sanhedrin” occurs at 14:55a and 15:1b (see the notes on “Sanhedrin”). See how you translated it there.

15:43c

who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God,

who himself was eager for God’s rule/reign to begin,
He was one of the people who desired that the time would come when God would rule as king.

who himself was waiting: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as who himself was waiting emphasizes that Joseph was personally waiting for the kingdom of God. Try to show this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.

Here are some other ways this has been done in English versions:

who was also himself looking for… (RSV)

Joseph…was one of the people who was waiting for… (NCV)

was waiting for the kingdom of God: The Greek verb phrase that the BSB translates as was waiting in this context means “desired very much” that something would come or happen. Joseph wanted the time to come when God would establish his kingdom.

The phrase kingdom of God refers to God’s activity of ruling and caring for his people as their king. It does not refer to a land or territory that he rules over. In this context, Joseph was desiring the time when God would rule his people as king. Here are some other ways to translate kingdom of God in this context:

As a noun. For example:
God’s rule/reign
God’s kingship
God’s chieftaincy/government
As a verbal expression:
the time when God will rule
when God will protect/deliver his people as their king

See how you translated this phrase in similar contexts such as 9:47b. See also kingdom of God, Context 3, in the Glossary.

15:43d

boldly went to Pilate

went bravely to Pilate
There was little time in which to do something before the Sabbath/rest day began, so he went with courage to Pilate

boldly went to Pilate: The word boldly here means that Joseph showed “courage” or “bravery” when he went to Pilate to ask for the body. It was dangerous for Joseph to ask this. It was dangerous because he would be letting Pilate know that he was the friend of a rebel against Rome.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

bravely went in to Pilate (REB)

showed bravery/courage in going to Pilate

The word boldly here does not refer to the manner in which Joseph approached Pilate. Nor does it show the attitude he had when he spoke to him.

15:43e

to ask for the body of Jesus.

and asked if he could take/have Jesus’ body.
to ask for permission to take/lift Jesus’ body/corpse down from the cross.
and asked/said: “May I take the body of Jesus so that I may bury it/him?”

to ask for the body of Jesus: In this context to ask for the body of Jesus means that Joseph asked Pilate for permission to have Jesus’ body. He did this so that he could bury the body. Jesus’ body was still on the cross. It was not at Pilate’s residence where he could give it to Joseph. You may want to make this explicit. For example:

asked for permission to take Jesus’ body from the cross and bury it/him

In some languages, it may be natural to state Joseph’s request using direct speech. For example:

Joseph bravely went to Pilate and asked/said: “Please sir, may I take the body of Jesus so that I may bury it/him?”

General Comment on 15:42–43

In verses 15:42–43, Mark:

introduces Joseph (15:43a–c)
says what Joseph did (15:43d–e)
gives the reason for what Joseph did (15:42a–b)

These verses could be ordered in many different ways. If you change the order of these verses, you can put the numbers 42–43 before the first word of these two verses. For examples, the GNT has:

^42–43It was toward evening when Joseph of Arimathea arrived. He was a respected member of the Council, who was waiting for the coming of the Kingdom of God. It was Preparation day (that is, the day before the Sabbath), so Joseph went boldly into the presence of Pilate and asked him for the body of Jesus.

Here is another way to reorder these verses:

^43aThere was a man named Joseph who was from Arimathea. ^43bHe was a prominent member of the Council ^43cand was himself waiting for the kingdom of God. ^43dHe bravely went to Pilate ^43eand asked for the body of Jesus. ^42aHe did this because it was already late afternoon ^43bon Preparation Day. This was the day before the rest day of the Jews when it was forbidden to move a body for burial.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-participants

ἐλθὼν Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀπὸ Ἁριμαθαίας, εὐσχήμων βουλευτής, ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν προσδεχόμενος τὴν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ; τολμήσας, εἰσῆλθεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐλθών Ἰωσήφ ὁ ἀπό Ἁριμαθαίας εὐσχήμων Βουλευτής ὅς καί αὐτός ἦν προσδεχόμενος τήν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ τολμήσας εἰσῆλθεν πρός τόν Πιλᾶτον καί ᾐτήσατο τό σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ)

Here Mark introduces Joseph as a new participant in the story. If your language has its own way of introducing new participants, you could use it here in your translation. Alternate translation: [a man from Arimathea came. He was named Joseph, and he was a respected member of the council who also himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. Having dared, he entered in]

Note 2 topic: translate-names

Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀπὸ Ἁριμαθαίας

The word Joseph is the name of a man, and the word Arimathea is the name of the city he was from.

Note 3 topic: writing-background

εὐσχήμων βουλευτής

˓a˒_prominent (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐλθών Ἰωσήφ ὁ ἀπό Ἁριμαθαίας εὐσχήμων Βουλευτής ὅς καί αὐτός ἦν προσδεχόμενος τήν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ τολμήσας εἰσῆλθεν πρός τόν Πιλᾶτον καί ᾐτήσατο τό σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ)

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who did the action, you could use an indefinite subject. Alternate translation: [an honorable member of the council] or [a member of the council whom others thought highly of,]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rpronouns

ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν

Mark uses the word himself to emphasize that Joseph was one of the people who was waiting for the kingdom of God. Use a way that is natural in your language to indicate this emphasis. Alternate translation: [who, he too, was] or [who indeed also was]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / go

ἐλθὼν

In a context such as this, your language might say “gone” instead of come. Alternate translation: [having gone]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ᾐτήσατο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ

requested (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐλθών Ἰωσήφ ὁ ἀπό Ἁριμαθαίας εὐσχήμων Βουλευτής ὅς καί αὐτός ἦν προσδεχόμενος τήν Βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ τολμήσας εἰσῆλθεν πρός τόν Πιλᾶτον καί ᾐτήσατο τό σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ)

The reason that Joseph asked Pilate for the body of Jesus was so that he could bury it. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [asked for the body of Jesus so that he could bury it]

Parallel MARK 15:43