19:42a

And: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And introduces two reasons why they buried Jesus in that tomb. There are several ways that this verse can be rearranged. For examples of how it could be rearranged, see the General Comment following the note on 19:42c.

because it was the Jewish day of Preparation: The phrase the Jewish day of Preparation refers to Friday. This was the day before the Jewish Sabbath, when no one was allowed to work. That meant that people had to do any work or preparations before the Sabbath began. Because it was almost sunset and the Jewish Sabbath would begin then, they had to bury Jesus quickly. When the Sabbath began the Jews were not allowed to bury anyone because they considered it work.

the Jewish day of Preparation: See how you translated the similar phrase “the day of Preparation” in 19:31. For example:

because it was the Jews’ day to prepare for the Sabbath
-or-
because it was almost the Sabbath, ⌊the day when the Jews rested/worshiped⌋ ,

19:42b

and the tomb was nearby: The word nearby indicates that the tomb was near where Jesus was crucified. This is the second, related, reason why they buried Jesus here. Because it was almost the Sabbath, Joseph and Nicodemus did not have time to carry Jesus very far. For example:

and because the tomb was near
-or-
because it was close to the place where he had been killed (Yakan Back Translation)

19:42c

they placed Jesus there: The pronoun they refers mainly to Joseph and Nicodemus. There may have been servants present also. They placed Jesus’ body in the cave tomb.

placed Jesus there: The term Jesus here refers to Jesus’ dead body. In some languages it is more natural to say:

placed Jesus’ corpse/body there

placed: In some languages there will be a verb referring to placing a dead body in a permanent position. It may be natural to use a verb meaning “buried.” But avoid using a verb that indicates that Jesus’ body was buried underground or covered with dirt.

there: The Greek text emphasizes this word. You may want to emphasize it in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

that is where they buried him

General Comment on 19:42a–c

In some languages it may be natural to rearrange 19:42a–c. You may want to first say what Joseph and Nicodemus did and then why they did it. For example:

42c The men laid Jesus in that tomb, 42b because it was nearby, 42a and they were preparing to start their Sabbath day. (New Century Version)

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