Matthew 27:59

59 And Joseph took the body, folding it in clean linen,

Matthew 27:59 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 27:59

And when Joseph had taken the body
Down from the cross, with the assistance of others, or from the hands of those who had orders to deliver it to him:

he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth:
that is, he wound up the body in it round and round, as was the custom of the Jews; see ( Acts 5:6 ) ( John 11:44 ) . Nor was it usual to bury in any thing but linen: so it is said F13,

``let the wrappings, or grave clothes, be (Mynbl Ntvp lv) , "of white linen"; and let not the price of them be dear, for it is forbidden to bury in wrappings of silk, or broidered garments, even to a prince of Israel: for this is pride and destruction, and the work of the Gentiles.''

This clean linen cloth, in which the dead body of Christ was wrapped, may be an emblem of his purity and innocence, who did no sin; nor did he die for any of his own, but for the sins of others; and also of his pure and spotless righteousness, which is compared to fine linen, clean and white, and which he now had wrought out, and brought in; see ( Revelation 19:8 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F13 Juchasin, fol. 54. 2. Vid. Maimon. Hilchot Ebel, c. 4. sect. 2.

Matthew 27:59 In-Context

57 And in the evening, there came a man of wealth from Arimathaea, Joseph by name, who was a disciple of Jesus:
58 This man went in to Pilate, and made a request for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate gave orders for it to be given to him.
59 And Joseph took the body, folding it in clean linen,
60 And put it in the resting-place which had been cut out of the rock for himself; and after rolling a great stone to the door of it he went away.
61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, seated by the place of the dead.
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