minals." — ro <rw,aa, the body} All the Evangelists use this word for our Lord's frame when dead, since it would not have been becoming to designate it by the expression corpse (cadaver}. Such is the Divine propriety of style, which has indeed been abandoned by human commentators. — avododijvat, to be restored*) The Jews had alienated it ; Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrim, as it were in the public name received it from the Gentiles, and together with Nicodemus restored it to the Jews ; cf. the conclusion of John xix. 40.
59. Sivdovi, a very fine linen or muslin cloth) Such as had not hitherto been worn by our Lord. The beginnings of honour2 already appear. Joseph is called in Mark xv. 43, ivff^f^uv |3ouXiuf"4^ an honourable senator) It was not allowable to wrap the dead in anything more costly.
60. Ka/vw, new) Which had not been polluted by any corrup tion ; and also lest any of the ancient saints should be said to have risen instead of Him, or to have given Him the power of rising. — auroD, his own) Jesus Christ, the leader and guide of life, was placed in the tomb of another.3 — r?j Supy, the door) The sepulchre was not a narrow trench, but a crypt. — a-TJjX^i/, he departed) Not hoping those things which soon were to come to pass.
61. KaS^sva/, sitting) A holy and salutary delay.4
62. T?j <5« ivavpiov, but on the morrow) A periphrasis for the Sabbath (cf. ch. xxviii. 1), which St Matthew employed for an important reason ; perhaps because he did not choose to call the Jewish Sabbath any longer The Sabbath. — xai o'i <[>af>/<ra/b/, and the Pharisees) They had taken no part in the actual trial ; see ch. xxvi. 3, 57, yet they had not been altogether inactive ; see John xviii. 3. Perhaps there were also Pharisees among the Scribes and the Elders. Perhaps the Pharisees, from their ex treme zeal, did many things which did not exactly belong to their office.
1 Engl. Vers. To be delivered.— (I. B.)
2 Cf. 1 Cor. xv. 4.— E. B.
s Implying that the tomb was something alien and strange for Him, the Lord of Life, to be associated with. Therefore He had no tomb of His own. —Bo.
4 x.eci YI a£*x>7, and the other) of whom ver. 56 speaks. — \. g.