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His disciples came, and took the body, and buried it; and they went and told Jesus.
Matthew 14:12 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
  • BSB Then John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. And they went and informed Jesus.
  • ESV And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.
  • NKJV Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
  • NASB John’s disciples came and took away the body and buried it; and they went and reported to Jesus.
  • NLT Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

John's disciples bury his body and go to tell Jesus. In grief they turn to the Lord.

Overview

John's followers reverently take and bury his body, then report the news to Jesus. Their action honors their teacher and connects John's ministry to the one he came to announce. Bringing their sorrow to Jesus models the believer's instinct to turn to Christ in loss, and it sets the stage for Jesus' own withdrawal and ministry that follow.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 2

  • Acts 8:2Devout men buried Stephen, and lamented greatly over him.
  • Matt 27:58–61This man went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

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

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 14:12YouTube · 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 MatthewMatthew 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

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 14:12 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.