MAT 27:62-66

The Guards at the Tomb

62The next day — that is, after the Preparation — the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate,

63saying, "Sir, we recall that that deceiver said while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.'

64Therefore, order the tomb to be secured until the third day, lest his disciples come and steal him away and say to the people, 'He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse than the first."

65Pilate said to them, "You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you know how."

66So they went and secured the tomb by sealing the stone and posting the guard.

In the world it was spoken into

In this passage, the chief priests and Pharisees approach Pilate on the day after the Preparation , which refers to the day before the Sabbath or a major festival, a time when Jewish law prohibited work. Their concern centers on Jesus, whom they label a 'deceiver' , a term often used for charlatans or imposters who mislead others. They fear His disciples might steal His body and claim He has risen, leading to a greater 'deception' , a term implying error or delusion. Their request to secure the tomb reflects their anxiety over maintaining public order and their own religious authority. Pilate grants them a Roman guard , a Latin loanword indicating an official military detachment, underscoring the Roman involvement in this Jewish religious matter. This interaction highlights the tension between Jewish leaders and Roman authority, as well as the political and religious stakes surrounding Jesus' death and the claims of His resurrection.

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How other translations render this

MAT 27:62

KJV: Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
BSB: The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees assembled before Pilate.
Koinōnos: The next day — that is, after the Preparation — the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate,

MAT 27:63

KJV: Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
BSB: “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’
Koinōnos: saying, "Sir, we recall that that deceiver said while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.

MAT 27:64

KJV: 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.
BSB: 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.”
Koinōnos: Therefore, order the tomb to be secured until the third day, lest his disciples come and steal him away and say to the people, 'He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse than the first.

MAT 27:65

KJV: Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
BSB: “You have a guard,” Pilate said. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.”
Koinōnos: Pilate said to them, "You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you know how.

MAT 27:66

KJV: So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
BSB: So they went and secured the tomb by sealing the stone and posting the guard.
Koinōnos: So they went and secured the tomb by sealing the stone and posting the guard.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Where the historical framing draws from

Josephus, WarsWars 2.13.5

›Josephus, Wars Wars 2.13.5

“But there was an Egyptian false prophet that did the Jews more mischief than the former; for he was a cheat, and pretended to be a prophet also, and got together thirty thousand men that were deluded by him”

Cited to ground: whom they label a 'deceiver' , a term often used for charlatans or imposters who mislead others.

Translator's notes

MAT 27:62

Preparation,:The word translated 'Preparation' refers to the day before the Sabbath, a day specifically for getting things ready, which in this context would have been Friday.

MAT 27:63

deceiver:The term used here for 'deceiver' implies someone who leads others astray, often through trickery or false teachings, not just someone who tells a lie.

MAT 27:64

last:The word translated 'last' here carries the sense of a wandering or going astray, implying a deception or error that leads someone off the right path.

MAT 27:65

You have:The word translated 'You have' is actually a Latin loanword that refers to a Roman guard or watch, indicating a specific military detachment.