Mark 15:43

Updated Bible Version

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

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, came and boldly went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body.

King James Version (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.

King James Version
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.

English Standard Version
Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

New American Standard Bible
Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself also waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

New Century Version
Joseph from Arimathea was brave enough to go to Pilate and ask for Jesus' body. Joseph, an important member of the Jewish council, was one of the people who was waiting for the kingdom of God to come.

Amplified Bible
Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent and respected member of the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God—and he courageously dared to go in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

Legacy Standard Bible
Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent Council member, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

Contemporary English Version
A man named Joseph from Arimathea was brave enough to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus. Joseph was a highly respected member of the Jewish council, and he was also waiting for God's kingdom to come.

Complete Jewish Bible
Yosef of Ramatayim, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who himself was also looking forward to the Kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Yeshua's body.

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

Easy-to-Read Version
A man named Joseph from Arimathea was brave enough to go to Pilate and ask for Jesus' body. Joseph was an important member of the high council. He was one of the people who wanted God's kingdom to come.

Geneva Bible (1587)
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.

George Lamsa Translation
There came Joseph of Arimathaea, an honorable counsellor, who was also waiting for the kingdom of God; and he dared and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

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

Literal Translation
Joseph of Arimathea came, an honorable councillor, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. And taking courage, he went in to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus.

American Standard Version
there came Joseph of Arimathaea, 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.

Bible in Basic English
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.

Hebrew Names Version
Yosef of Ramatayim, a member of the council of honorable estate, who also himself was looking for the kingdom of God, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Yeshua' body.

International Standard Version
Joseph of Arimathea, a highly respected member of the Council,Sanhedrin">[fn] who was waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.Luke 2:25,38;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
came Jauseph, he who was from Rometha, an honourable counsellor, who also himself waited for the kingdom of Aloha. And he took courage, and went in to Pilatos and requested the body of Jeshu.

Murdock Translation
Joseph of Ramath, an honorable counsellor, who also himself waited for the kingdom of God, came, and assuming courage, went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
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.

English Revised Version
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.

World English Bible
Joseph of Arimathaea, a member of the council of honorable estate, who also himself was looking for the kingdom of God, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Jesus' body.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
the day before the sabbath) Joseph of Arimathea, an honourable counsellor, who also waited for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus.

Weymouth's New Testament
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.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
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.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

New English Translation
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.

New King James Version
Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

New Living Translation
Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.)

New Life Bible
Joseph, who was from the city of Arimathea, was an important man in the court. He was looking for the holy nation of God. Without being afraid, he went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

New Revised Standard
Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Joseph of Arimathaea, a noble counsellor, who, also himself, was awaiting the kingdom of God, came; and, venturing, went in unto Pilate, and claimed the body of Jesus.

Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Revised Standard Version
Joseph of Arimathe'a, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Ioseph of Arimathia a noble councelour which also loked for ye kyngdome of God came and went in booldly vnto Pylate and begged ye boddy of Iesu.

Young's Literal Translation
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.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
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.

Mace New Testament (1729)
one Joseph of Arimathea, an honourable senator, who was himself in expectation of the kingdom of God, ventur'd to come and wait upon Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

Simplified Cowboy Version
a local leader named Joseph of Arimathea and believer of Jesus, went and boldly asked Pilate for the body of Jesus.

Contextual Overview

⁴² And when evening was now come, because it was the Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, ⁴³ there came Joseph of Arimathaea, a councilor of honorable estate, who also himself was looking for the kingdom of God; and he boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ And Pilate marveled if he were already dead: and calling to him the captain, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. ⁴⁵ And when he learned it of the captain, he granted the corpse to Joseph. ⁴⁶ And he bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wound him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of a rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. ⁴⁷ And Mary Magdalene and Mary the [mother] of Joses looked at where he was laid.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

an: Mark 10:23-27

which: Luke 2:25, Luke 2:38, Luke 23:51

and went: Mark 14:54, Mark 14:66-72, Matthew 19:30, Matthew 20:16, Acts 4:8-13, Philippians 1:14

Reciprocal: Genesis 49:18 - General Isaiah 53:9 - made Matthew 27:57 - there 1 Corinthians 15:4 - that

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Joseph of Arimathea, an honourable counsellor,.... A man of a good aspect, well dressed, and that behaved well and honourably in his office, as a counsellor: he seems to have been a priest, and one of the bench of priests that sat in the high priest's chamber, which is called, לשכת בלווטי, "the chamber of the counsellors" d; with whom he advised there, in matters of moment:

which also waited for the kingdom of God; for the coming and kingdom of the Messiah, for the Gospel dispensation, the world to come, the Jews were so much in expectation of.

Came and went in boldly unto Pilate; not now ashamed of Christ, or afraid openly to appear in his cause, and declare himself a lover of him, a believer in him, and a disciple of his, though he formerly was:

and craved the body of Jesus; desired leave to take it down from the cross, and bury it; :-.

d T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 3. 2. & Hieros. Yoma, fol. 38. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Joseph, an honorable counselor - A distinguished man, who probably held a high office among the Jews, as one of their great council, or a Jewish senator. The word “honorable,” here, is not a mere title of “office,” but is given in reference to his personal character, as being a man of integrity and blameless life.

Waited for the kingdom of God - Waited for, or expected, the coming of the Messiah. But this expression means more than an “indefinite” expectation that the Messiah “would” come, for all the Jews expected that. It implies that he believed “Jesus” to be the Messiah, and that he had “waited” for Him to build up the kingdom of God; and this agrees with what John says John 19:38, that he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews. He had retained his “secret” belief, in the hope that Jesus would be proclaimed and treated as the Messiah, and then he probably proposed openly to acknowledge his attachment to him. But God called him to a public profession of attachment in a different manner, and gave this distinguished man grace to evince it. So men often delay a profession of attachment to Christ. They cherish a secret love, they indulge a hope in the mercy of God, but they conceal it for fear of man; whereas God requires that the attachment should be made known. “Whosoever is ashamed of me,” said the Saviour, “and of my words, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father and with the holy angels,” Mark 8:38. Those who love the Saviour have no right to hide their light under a bushel. As soon as they have evidence satisfactory to their own mind that they are Christians, or have a “prevalent” belief, after faithful examination, that they truly love God, and that they depend on the Lord Jesus for salvation, so soon are they bound to profess Christ before men. This is the command of God, and this is the way of peace. None have the prospect of “comfort” in religion who do not have respect to all of the commandments of God.

Went in boldly unto Pilate - God had raised up this distinguished counselor and secret disciple for a special and most important occasion. The disciples of Jesus had fled, and if they had not, they had no influence with Pilate. Unless there had been a special application to Pilate in behalf of Jesus, his body would have been buried “that night” in the same grave with the malefactors, for it was a law of the Jews that the body of an executed man should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath. At this critical juncture God called forward this secret disciple - this friend of Jesus, though unknown as such to the world - and gave him confidence. He dared to express sympathy for the Saviour; he went in boldly and begged the body of Jesus. It needed no small measure of courage to do this. Jesus had just been condemned, mocked, spit on, crucified - the death of a slave or of the most guilty wretch. To avow attachment for him now was proof of sincere affection; and the Holy Spirit has thought this worthy of special notice, and has set down this bold attachment of a senator for Jesus for our imitation.

Craved the body - Begged, or asked.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Mark 15:43. Went in boldly unto Pilate — He who was a coward before now acts a more open, fearless part, than any of the disciples of our Lord! This the Holy Spirit has thought worthy of especial notice. It needed no small measure of courage to declare now for Jesus, who had been a few hours ago condemned as a blasphemer by the Jews, and as a seditious person by the Romans; and this was the more remarkable in Joseph, because hitherto, for fear of the Jews, he had been only a secret disciple of our Lord. See John 19:38.

The apostle says, We have BOLDNESS to enter into the holiest through his blood. Strange as it may appear, the death of Jesus is the grand cause of confidence and courage to a believing soul.