Matthew 27:64

Literal Standard Version

command, then, the grave to be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples, having come by night, may steal Him away, and may say to the people, He rose from the dead, and the last deceit will be worse than the first."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come, steal him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”

King James Version (1611)
Command therfore that the sepulchre be made sure, vntill the third day, lest his disciples come by night, & steale him away, and say vnto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last errour shalbe worse then the first.

King James Version
Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

English Standard Version
Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first."

New American Standard Bible
"Therefore, give orders for the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse than the first."

New Century Version
So give the order for the tomb to be guarded closely till the third day. Otherwise, his followers might come and steal the body and tell people that he has risen from the dead. That lie would be even worse than the first one."

Amplified Bible
"Therefore, give orders to have the tomb made secure and safeguarded until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last deception [the reporting of His resurrection] will be worse than the first [the reporting that He is the Messiah]."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse than the first."

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore, order for the grave to be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse than the first."

Berean Standard Bible
So give the order that the tomb be secured until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him away and tell the people He has risen from the dead. And this last deception would be worse than the first."

Contemporary English Version
So please order the tomb to be carefully guarded for three days. If you don't, his disciples may come and steal his body. They will tell the people that he has been raised to life, and this last lie will be worse than the first one."

Complete Jewish Bible
Therefore, order that the grave be made secure till the third day; otherwise the talmidim may come, steal him away and say to the people, ‘He was raised from the dead'; and the last deception will be worse than the first."

Darby Translation
Command therefore that the sepulchre be secured until the third day, lest his disciples should come and steal him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead; and the last error shall be worse than the first.

Easy-to-Read Version
So give the order for the tomb to be guarded well for three days. His followers might come and try to steal the body. Then they could tell everyone that he has risen from death. That lie will be even worse than what they said about him before."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Command therefore, that the sepulchre be made sure vntill the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steale him away, and say vnto the people, He is risen from the dead: so shall the last errour be worse then the first.

George Lamsa Translation
Now, therefore, command that precautions be taken at the tomb for three days. It is probable that his disciples may come and steal him at night, and then say to the people, He has risen from the dead; and the last deception will be worse than the first.

Good News Translation
Give orders, then, for his tomb to be carefully guarded until the third day, so that his disciples will not be able to go and steal the body, and then tell the people that he was raised from death. This last lie would be even worse than the first one."

Lexham English Bible
Therefore give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples come and steal him and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse than the first."

Literal Translation
Therefore, command that the grave be secured until the third day, that His disciples may not come by night and steal Him away, and may say to the people, He is raised from the dead. And the last deception will be worse than the first.

American Standard Version
Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest haply his disciples come and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: and the last error will be worse than the first.

Bible in Basic English
Give orders, then, that the place where his body is may be made safe till the third day, for fear that his disciples come and take him away secretly and say to the people, He has come back from the dead: and the last error will be worse than the first.

Hebrew Names Version
Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his talmidim come at night and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He is risen from the dead;' and the last deception will be worse than the first."

International Standard Version
Therefore, order the tomb to be secured until the third day, or his disciples may go and steal him and then tell the people, 'He has been raised from the dead.' Then the last deception would be worse than the first one."

Etheridge Translation
Command therefore that they watch the sepulchre till (after) the third of the days; lest his disciples come, and steal him away by night, and tell the people that from the house of the dead he has risen, and the last delusion be worse than the first.

Murdock Translation
Command, therefore to guard the sepulchre; until the third day; lest his disciples come and steal him away by night, and say to the people that he hath risen from the dead; and the last delusion be worse than the first.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Commaunde therfore, that the sepulchre be made sure, vntyll the thirde day: lest his disciples come by nyght & steale hym away, and say vnto the people, he is rysen from the dead: & the last error shalbe worse then the first.

English Revised Version
Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest haply his disciples come and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: and the last error will be worse than the first.

World English Bible
Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come at night and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He is risen from the dead;' and the last deception will be worse than the first."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Command therefore that the sepulchre be secured till the third day, lest his disciples coming steal him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last imposture shall be worse than the first.

Weymouth's New Testament
So give orders for the sepulchre to be securely guarded till the third day, for fear his disciples should come by night and steal the body, and then tell the people that he has come back to life; and so the last imposture will be more serious than the first."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor comaunde thou, that the sepulcre be kept in to the thridde dai; lest hise disciplis comen, and stelen hym, and seie to the puple, He hath rise fro deeth; and the laste errour schal be worse than the formere.

Update Bible Version
Command therefore that the tomb be made sure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come and steal him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead: and the last error will be worse than the first.

Webster's Bible Translation
Command therefore that the sepulcher be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error will be worse than the first.

New English Translation
So give orders to secure the tomb until the third day. Otherwise his disciples may come and steal his body and say to the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse than the first."

New King James Version
Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night [fn] and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be worse than the first."

New Living Translation
So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we'll be worse off than we were at first."

New Life Bible
Speak the word to have the grave watched for three days. Then His followers cannot come at night and take Him away and say to the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.' The last mistake would be worse than the first."

New Revised Standard
Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception would be worse than the first."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Command, therefore, that the sepulchre be made secure until the third day, - lest once the disciples should come and steal him, and say unto the people, He hath arisen from the dead! and, the last deception, shall be, worse than the first.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Command therefore the sepulchre to be guarded until the third day: lest perhaps his disciples come and steal him away and say to the people: He is risen from the dead. And the last error shall be worse than the first.

Revised Standard Version
Therefore order the sepulchre to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Commaunde therfore that the sepulcre be made sure vntyll ye thyrd daye lest paraventure his disciples come and steale him awaye and saye vnto the people he is rysen from deeth and the laste erroure be worsse then the fyrst.

Young's Literal Translation
command, then, the sepulchre to be made secure till the third day, lest his disciples, having come by night, may steal him away, and may say to the people, He rose from the dead, and the last deceit shall be worse than the first.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Comaunde therfore that the sepulcre be kepte vnto the thirde daye, lest peraduenture his disciples come, and steale him awaye, and saye vnto the people: He is rysen from the deed, and so shal the last errour be worse the the first.

Mace New Testament (1729)
pray therefore order a guard to be posted at the sepulchre till the third day, for fear his disciples should come and steal him away, and then tell the people, "he is risen from the dead:" for this last imposture would be of worse consequence than the first.

Simplified Cowboy Version
We want you to post some deputies at his grave to keep Jesus's cowboys from stealin' the body and claimin' that he come back to life. Jesus deceived many good and honest folks while he was alive, but if they pull this off, it will be worse than the first trick."

Contextual Overview

⁵⁷And evening having come, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who also himself was discipled to Jesus, ⁵⁸he having gone near to Pilate, asked for himself the body of Jesus; then Pilate commanded the body to be given back. ⁵⁹And having taken the body, Joseph wrapped it in clean linen, ⁶⁰and laid it in his new tomb that he hewed in the rock, and having rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, he went away; ⁶¹now Mary the Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave. ⁶²And on the next day that is after the Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate, ⁶³saying, "Lord, we have remembered that this deceiver said while yet living, After three days I rise; ⁶⁴command, then, the grave to be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples, having come by night, may steal Him away, and may say to the people, He rose from the dead, and the last deceit will be worse than the first."⁶⁵And Pilate said to them, "You have a guard, go away, make [it] secure—as you have known"; ⁶⁶and they, having gone, made the grave secure, having sealed the stone, together with the guard.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and steal: Matthew 28:13

so: Matthew 12:45

Reciprocal: Exodus 9:5 - a set time Esther 5:1 - on the Psalms 21:11 - are not Psalms 41:8 - and Proverbs 19:21 - many Matthew 12:40 - so Matthew 26:32 - I am Luke 2:46 - after John 19:41 - and in John 20:1 - the stone John 20:2 - They have taken Acts 4:17 - let Acts 12:4 - delivered 1 Corinthians 15:4 - he rose

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure,.... By this also they own, that he was buried; and they knew in what, and whose sepulchre he was laid, and where it was; and request of Pilate, that as he had given leave to Joseph to take the body and inter it, that he would also give orders that the sepulchre might be watched, that no body might come near it, and remove the body, and that

until the third day: not from the time they made this request, but from the time of Christ's death; for no longer did they desire the sepulchre to be guarded; for if he did not rise, and no pretensions could be made to it in that time, they then very likely intended to expose his dead body, and triumph over him as an impostor; and after that time, they cared not what became of it, and were in no concern about watching the sepulchre; but till then they judged it necessary and desired it,

lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away: but of this there was no danger; they were too fearful and timorous to do such an action, had they been ever so much inclined to it; they all forsook him and fled immediately upon his apprehension; nor durst any of them appear at the time of his crucifixion, but John; and were now shut up for fear of the Jews; and besides, they had forgot what Christ said to them about his resurrection, though these men remembered it, and even disbelieved it when it was told them: the phrase "by night", is not in two copies of Beza's, nor in the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions, nor in Munster's Hebrew Gospel; but is in other copies, and in the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions:

and say unto the people, he is risen from the dead; to the common people, that were illiterate, credulous, and easily imposed on: as for themselves, who were the learned, the wise and knowing, they were in no danger of being carried away with such a deception; but the populace, for whom they pretend a great concern, were:

so the last error shall be worse than the first; either their own error and mistake, should the sepulchre be neglected, and an opportunity given for such a report; this would be of more fatal consequence than their first mistake, in suffering him and his followers to go on so long: or rather, the error of the people, in believing that Jesus was the Messiah; which would be greatly strengthened and received by greater numbers, should it be given out, and there was any proof of it, that he was risen from the dead: nor were they mistaken in this, for the number of the disciples and followers of Christ greatly increased after his resurrection; to an hundred and twenty, which was their number upon Christ's resurrection, three thousand were added at one time; being converted under one sermon, and that the first preached after Christ was risen.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Until the third day - That is, during two nights and the intervening day. This proves that when the Jews spoke of “three days,” they did not of necessity mean three “whole days,” but parts of three days, as was the case in our Saviour’s lying in the grave. See the notes at Matthew 12:40.

The last error shall be worse than the first - That is, the last “deception,” or the taking him from the tomb, pretending that he rose, will have a wider influence among the people than the first, or his pretending to be the Messiah.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 27:64. Lest his disciples come by night — Νυκτος, by night, is wanting in ten of the uncial MSS., and in several others, and in most of the versions. Erasmus, Aldus, Bengel, and Boghard, with Griesbach, leave it out of the text.