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Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.
John 19:40 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB So they took Jesus’ body, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.
  • KJV Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
  • BSB So they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom.
  • NASB So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
  • NLT Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Joseph and Nicodemus wrap Jesus' body with spices in linen for burial. The careful burial confirms his genuine death.

Overview

Following Jewish custom, they bind the body in linen cloths with aromatic spices. The reverent, thorough preparation testifies that Jesus truly died and was truly buried, a fact the creeds affirm (1 Corinthians 15:4). This sets the stage for the empty tomb, where these same grave cloths will be found undisturbed.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 5

  • John 11:44He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Free him, and let him go.”
  • Acts 5:6The young men arose and wrapped him up, and they carried him out and buried him.
  • John 20:5–7Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn’t enter in.
  • Luke 24:12But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he departed to his home, wondering what had happened.
  • Matt 26:12For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 19:40YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.

How John 19:40 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.