Matthew 27:64
New International Version
So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This 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.”

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.”

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.”

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore command the tomb to be secured until the third day, lest ever His disciples having come, steal Him away and say to the people, 'He is risen from the dead.' And the last deception will be worse than the first."

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night 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 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.”

NASB 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.”

NASB 1977
“Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, lest the 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.”

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.”

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].”

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.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Therefore 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.’ Then 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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Command therefore to guard the tomb until the third day, lest his disciples should come and steal it in the night and say to the people that he is risen from the grave, and the last deception 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 he has been raised to life, and this last lie will be worse than the first one."

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.

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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Therefore, give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may steal him and say to the people, 'He has been brought back to life.' Then 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."

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."

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.”

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

New American Bible
Give orders, then, that the grave be secured until the third day, lest his disciples come and steal him and say to the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ This last imposture would be worse than the first.”

NET Bible
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 Revised Standard Version
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.”

New Heart English Bible
Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He is risen from the dead;' and the last deception 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.

Weymouth 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."

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.”

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.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Guards at the Tomb
63“Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64So 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.” 65“You have a guard,” Pilate said. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.”…

Cross References
Matthew 27:63
"Sir," they said, "we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.'

Matthew 27:65
"You have a guard," Pilate said. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how."

1 Thessalonians 2:3
For our appeal does not arise from deceit or ulterior motives or trickery.


Treasury of Scripture

Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure 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 shall be worse than the first.

and steal.

Matthew 28:13
Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

so.

Matthew 12:45
Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Jump to Previous
Body Command Dead Deception Disciples Error Fear First Guarded Night Orders Perhaps Risen Secure Securely Sepulcher Sepulchre Steal Sure Third Tomb Worse
Jump to Next
Body Command Dead Deception Disciples Error Fear First Guarded Night Orders Perhaps Risen Secure Securely Sepulcher Sepulchre Steal Sure Third Tomb Worse
Matthew 27
1. Jesus is delivered bound to Pilate.
3. Judas hangs himself.
19. Pilate, admonished of his wife,
20. and being urged by the multitude, washes his hands, and releases Barabbas.
27. Jesus is mocked and crowned with thorns;
33. crucified;
39. reviled;
50. dies, and is buried;
62. his tomb is sealed and watched.














(64) Until the third day.--The phrase is worth noting as indicating the meaning which the priests attached to the words "after three days." They were looking for the fraud which they anticipated as likely to be attempted at the beginning of the third day from the death.

The last error.--Better, deceit, to connect the word, in English as in the Greek, with the "deceiver" of Matthew 27:63.

Verse 64. - Command therefore. In consideration of the fact which we have stated, and of our apprehension of some imposture. The rulers had no power in themselves to take the measures which they required. Jesus was a state criminal, and they dared not assume the responsibility of guarding his tomb from invasion. Until the third day. Which was all that was necessary, as Christ had promised to rise on that day - neither before nor after it; and if it passed without the predicted event, he would be proved to be an impostor. Come by night (νυκτός). This word is absent from the best manuscripts and from the Vulgate. It seems to have been an early interpolation. And steal him away. A most unlikely hypothesis under the circumstances. The disciples had forsaken Christ while alive, were now hiding in terror, and utterly demoralized and depressed; were they likely to incur further danger for the sake of supporting an assertion, which, unless it proved absolutely true, would only further crush their faith and hope? The rulers seem to have had an uneasy feeling that Jesus might reappear, and they thus prepared themselves to cast discredit upon him, even if, like Lazarus, he rose from the dead. This explanation of the Resurrection has obtained among the Jews from the time of Justin Martyr ('Dial. c. Tryph.,' 17; 108.), and has scarcely yet died out, though in many quarters what is called the "vision-hypothesis" has taken its place (see on Matthew 28:15, and Edersheim, 2, pp. 626, etc.). The people. The Pharisees were always disdainful of the vulgar herd. "This people who knoweth not the Law are cursed" (John 7:49). The last error...the first. "Error" is πλάνη, as they had called Christ πλάνος (ver. 63), so the word here may be taken actively, as meaning "imposture." The deception arising from his death and supposed resurrection would be of graver consequence than that concerned with his previous life. Morison, considering the word to have its usual meaning of "error," regards it as used by the Pharisees in a political sense, in accordance with the governor's standpoint: "If that deceiver's body should be stolen by his disciples, the fickle people will undoubtedly leap back to their old conclusion, that after all he was what he professed to be. This conclusion would be, as we all know, an 'error;' but yet it would be most thin, ions to the interests of Caesar. There would be more political disaffection than ever." It is more simple to say that the first error, the acceptance of Christ's Messianic claims, was not of such decided and far-reaching consequence as would be the belief in his resurrection. They do not, indeed, see all that such belief involves; but they understood enough to know that it would give supernatural importance to all the words and acts of his life.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
So
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

give the order that
κέλευσον (keleuson)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2753: To command, order, direct, bid. From a primary kello; 'hail'; to incite by word, i.e. Order.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

tomb
τάφον (taphon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5028: A burial-place, sepulcher, tomb, grave. Masculine from thapto; a grave.

be secured
ἀσφαλισθῆναι (asphalisthēnai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive
Strong's 805: To make safe (secure, fast). From asphales; to render secure.

until
ἕως (heōs)
Preposition
Strong's 2193: A conjunction, preposition and adverb of continuance, until.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

third
τρίτης (tritēs)
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 5154: Third. Ordinal from treis; third; neuter a third part, or a third time, thirdly.

day.
ἡμέρας (hēmeras)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

Otherwise,
μή‿ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

disciples
μαθηταὶ (mathētai)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3101: A learner, disciple, pupil. From manthano; a learner, i.e. Pupil.

may come
ἐλθόντες (elthontes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

[and] steal Him away
κλέψωσιν (klepsōsin)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2813: To steal. A primary verb; to filch.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

tell
εἴπωσιν (eipōsin)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

the
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

people
λαῷ (laō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2992: Apparently a primary word; a people.

He has risen
Ἠγέρθη (Ēgerthē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1453: (a) I wake, arouse, (b) I raise up. Probably akin to the base of agora; to waken, i.e. Rouse.

from
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

the
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

dead.
νεκρῶν (nekrōn)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3498: (a) adj: dead, lifeless, subject to death, mortal, (b) noun: a dead body, a corpse. From an apparently primary nekus; dead.

And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

[this]
(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

last
ἐσχάτη (eschatē)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2078: Last, at the last, finally, till the end. A superlative probably from echo; farthest, final.

deception
πλάνη (planē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4106: Feminine of planos; objectively, fraudulence; subjectively, a straying from orthodoxy or piety.

would be
ἔσται (estai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

worse
χείρων (cheirōn)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular - Comparative
Strong's 5501: Worse, more severe. Irregular comparative of kakos; from an obsolete equivalent cheres; more evil or aggravated.

than the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

first.�
πρώτης (prōtēs)
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4413: First, before, principal, most important. Contracted superlative of pro; foremost.


Links
Matthew 27:64 NIV
Matthew 27:64 NLT
Matthew 27:64 ESV
Matthew 27:64 NASB
Matthew 27:64 KJV

Matthew 27:64 BibleApps.com
Matthew 27:64 Biblia Paralela
Matthew 27:64 Chinese Bible
Matthew 27:64 French Bible
Matthew 27:64 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: Matthew 27:64 Command therefore that the tomb be made (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 27:63
Top of Page
Top of Page