Lukas 23:56

23:56 Then ¹  they returned and prepared aromatic spices ²  and perfumes. ³ 

On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. ⁴ 

Yohanes 19:39-40

19:39 Nicodemus, the man who had previously come to Jesus ⁵  at night, ⁶  accompanied Joseph, ⁷  carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes ⁸  weighing about seventy-five pounds. ⁹  19:40 Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices, ¹⁰  in strips of linen cloth ¹¹  according to Jewish burial customs. ¹² 

[23:56]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:56]  ² tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these preparations were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition. The women planned to return and anoint the body. But that would have to wait until after the Sabbath.

[23:56]  ³ tn Or “ointments.” This was another type of perfumed oil.

[23:56]  ⁴ sn According to the commandment. These women are portrayed as pious, faithful to the law in observing the Sabbath.

[19:39]  ⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:39]  ⁶ sn See John 3:1-21.

[19:39]  ⁷ tn Grk “came”; the words “accompanied Joseph” are not in the Greek text but are supplied for clarity.

[19:39]  ⁸ sn Aloes refers to an aromatic resin from a plant similar to a lily, used for embalming a corpse.

[19:39]  ⁹ sn The Roman pound (λίτρα, litra) weighed twelve ounces or 325 grams. Thus 100 Roman pounds would be about 32.5 kilograms or 75 pounds.

[19:40]  ¹⁰ tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these materials were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition.

[19:40]  ¹¹ tn The Fourth Gospel uses ὀθονίοις (oqonioi") to describe the wrappings, and this has caused a good deal of debate, since it appears to contradict the synoptic accounts which mention a σινδών (sindwn), a large single piece of linen cloth. If one understands ὀθονίοις to refer to smaller strips of cloth, like bandages, there would be a difference, but diminutive forms have often lost their diminutive force in Koine Greek (BDF §111.3), so there may not be any difference.

[19:40]  ¹² tn Grk “cloth as is the custom of the Jews to prepare for burial.”