Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 19:39

And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pound [weight.]

39. Nicodemus ] Another coincidence. Nicodemus also was a member of the Sanhedrin (iii. 1), and his acquaintance with Joseph is thus explained. And it is S. Mark who tells us that Joseph was one of the Sanhedrin, S. John who brings him in contact with Nicodemus. It would seem as if Joseph’s unusual courage had inspired Nicodemus also. We are not told whether or no Nicodemus had ‘consented to the counsel and deed of them.’

at the first ] Either the first time that he came to Jesus, in contrast to other occasions; or simply at the beginning of Christ’s ministry. Comp. Joh 10:40).

myrrh and aloes ] Myrrh-resin and pounded aloe-wood, both aromatic substances: ‘All thy garments are myrrh and aloes’ (Psa 45:8). Comp. Mat 2:11. Aloes are not mentioned elsewhere in N.T. For ‘mixture’ ( migma) the two best MSS. read roll ( eligma), and the purpose of this large quantity was probably to cover the Body entirely. Comp. 2Ch 16:14.

about an hundred pound ] 1200 ounces. There is nothing incredible in the amount. It is a rich man’s proof of devotion, and possibly of remorse for a timidity in the past which now seemed irremediable: his courage had come too late.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Joh 19:39

There came also Nicodemus (Text and Joh_3:1; Joh_7:50-51).

The courage-inspiring power of the cross

Each of these passages contains a vivid picture, and together they unfold the progressive spiritual experience of the man portrayed. In the first the night silence is broken by the footsteps of one who steals along, afraid, to the great Teacher. In the second, in the council-chamber of the supreme assembly of the nation, He interposes a trembling word of expostulation at a gross illegality, a word which brings down on its utterer a storm of indignation, but cannot be recalled; it shows that, though amongst His enemies, Nicodemus is at heart a friend of Jesus. In the third, at Calvary. Two men in the garb of rulers appear, and, braving the shame and scorn, advance, and with reverent gentleness take the Body down, and bear it away to the sepulchre. And of those–the two most courageous hearts in all Judaea at that moment–Nicodemus was one.

I. THE RULERS SECRET APPLICATION TO CHRIST.

1. There was at heart a secret longing for what only Christ could give. No one would have supposed that Nicodemus was unsatisfied; he seems to have had almost every temporal good. But He had hours of anxious wondering, seasons when His thirsty soul turned away from earth as from broken cisterns which could hold no water, and a conviction that somehow what he so much wanted this Teacher sent from God could give. How little we know what is going on in those around us I No one could have thought this of Nicodemus.

2. But the gratification of that longing was opposed by great difficulties. No soul can try to make its way to Christ without finding an enemy there to prevent it; but in the case of some–those whose circle is more or less antagonistic to Christ; whose training has led them to believe that morality is enough–who have taken a position in a contrary direction from which it is hard to recede; the difficulties are almost overwhelming. They are illustrated here. This man was a Pharisee; as such he had set ideas on the subject of religion, was one of the council of the LXX. and a doctor of the law. Hardly anything can be more difficult than for a man, perhaps an old man, who has prided himself on his beliefs, to come to say, Perhaps after all I am wrong, at least I am not satisfied, teach me and let me learn, but when one knows that he must have Christ or perish, he makes short work with these barriers.

3. When these difficulties were broken through, Christ received and taught the applicant. He might have said, Come to Me by day, I am tired and would rest, or, Why should I forego repose to listen to a Pharisee? He might have upbraided him with his fear, or questioned his sincerity. Christ did none of these, He will not break the bruised reed, &c. How full of help are the words, The same came to Jesus by night! Many come by day, and we see them. There are others whom we do not see, and wonder they do not come; perhaps they come to Jesus by night. All who come as he did, are welcomed as he was.

II. THE RULERS UNCONSCIOUS CONFESSION OF ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST. What was the immediate result of the interview we are left to imagine; but that is not difficult. Christ gave him instruction because He recognized in him a sincere seeker, and we cannot doubt that from that time Nicodemus was at heart a disciple of Jesus. But he makes no stand; months pass; he is in the council-chamber, the hatred of his colleagues to Christ breaks out in a storm, and then in spite of himself he lets fall a word which reveals that secretly he is on the Lords side. But why secretly? Many here may know what it would cost to stand fearlessly forward as the humble champion of righteousness in the social circle or in public, and they find the answer there. But let me remind you that such a position

1. Is one of great injustice to Christ. If we were to judge by those whom we see come forward, we should be obliged to say that comparatively few are brought to Christ when early life is passed. I have rarely seen a man of years, and position, and learning take it for the first time; and when then, we ask, Are such men past hope? we think of Nicodemus and believe there are many whose surrender to Christ is the secret of their own soul. Such do not reflect how unjust that secrecy is. We cannot estimate what would have been the consequence if Nicodemus had come boldly out at first; many of the rulers secretly believed, and only wanted a fearless leader. He who has deigned to receive us has a right to expect that we let men know what He has done for us.

2. Involves considerable pain to the man himself. Those months in which this Jewish councillor kept his allegiance to Christ a secret must have been months of great discomfort. He could not listen to debates from which he revolted, nor walk the streets and be regarded as one of those who were against Christ, without a guilty conscience. Let one live below what he knows God requires, and from that moment his happiness is doomed.

3. Is a position of great peril to spiritual hope. Whoso shall confess Me, &c. Confession of Christ is indispensable to salvation because it is the necessary result of that union with Christ in which salvation consists.

III. THE RULERS OPEN AVOWAL OF DISCIPLESHIP TO CHRIST. There is a point where the real disciple must emerge from secrecy. Where is it? Where he has a vision of Jesus crucified. We lose our courage because we do not look at the cross. There are mainly three hindrances to confession of Christ, and the cross conquers them all.

1. The cross is a declaration of redemption. That meets the difficulty in uncertainty as to our position. Many a one feels that he cannot acknowledge that he is redeemed because he is not sure of it. But can he look on the Son of God in the agony of an accursed death, and then doubt whether an atonement of such worth has not satisfied the law? If such a price was paid for my redemption it is enough, I am redeemed.

2. The cross is a revelation of Divine love. That meets the difficulty to confessing Christ in coldness of heart. It is because our hearts are cold that we are disciples secretly. What we want is hearts aglow with love to the Redeemer, and for that we may go to Calvary.

3. The cross is a manifestation of the Divine will. That destroys the difficulty to Christian confession in ignorance of what He would have us do. Lord, what is Thy will about me whom Thou hast redeemed? Follow Me, He says; and as we look we see Jesus in the crucified One. The cross becomes the symbol of Christian life which, as His people, we dare not and cannot refuse, for he that taketh not up his cross and cometh after Me cannot be My disciple. (U. New.)

The significance of the final honours

I. BY THIS SERVICE THE SACRED FORM OF THE CRUCIFIED WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE POWER OF HIS ENEMIES. The Romans had no respect for the sanctity of death. The common expression was, The crows to the cross. The Jews acted on the old words, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree, and carted the bodies of the executed away to the valley of Hinnom, the great abomination into which were flung things unmentionable, and past imagination, a place thought of as the symbol of hell, and as one of its three doors. When, to satisfy the Jews, orders came that the bodies of the crucified should be instantly made away with, the weeping women were in the distraction, not only of grief, but of helplessness. Just then, when their thoughts were in hopeless entanglement, and the sorrows of a lifetime condensed into one desolating burst, two strangers approached the cross, had the shaft sawn through by workmen, then laid level on the ground, took charge of the body, and set about the observance of the last solemnities. As the watchers looked on the dead weight on their hearts was lifted, the nameless terror was gone.

II. BY THIS UNITED ACTION THE ROYALTY OF THE SAVIOUR WAS RECOGNIZED. In the acute moment when the two newly-revealed disciples bent over the face that was still shadowed by the crown of thorns, only the eyes of their faith could see the marks of royalty there. The text may seem to indicate that nothing more than ordinary was done at the funeral of Jesus, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. The reference, however, is to the nature, not to the scale of the preparations. It certainly was not the manner of the Jews to use spices at a funeral on such a scale as this. Great quantities were used when it was intended to show high respect. At the funeral of Gamaliel the elder, eighty pounds of spices were burnt; and there were five hundred spice-bearers at that Of King Herod; but such a large use of aromatics in honour of the dead was limited to cases of distinction like these. At the Crucifixion His kingly claims had been treated with mockery. There was mockery of His crown, of His sceptre, of His robe, of a court of ceremonial in the offer of vinegar and gall, of a heralds announcement, in the title written on His cross; and His cross was the mockery of a throne; but now, with a love which broke through all bounds of calculation, these men tried to show some sign of their loyalty, now so penitent because it was so late, and were resolved to treat their crucified Master only as a dead king is treated.

III. THE BURIAL OF JESUS IN THE PARTICULAR TOMB SELECTED WAS OVERRULED TO WORK OUT CERTAIN VITALLY IMPORTANT PURPOSES. The tomb was not a structure of masonry, like most others, but a chamber cut out of the living rock. Few could enjoy such a luxury. There are not probably five hundred in or about Jerusalem, and as that city must, in the days of its prosperity, have possessed a population of from thirty thousand to forty thousand souls, and as there must have been a population on this spot for more than three thousand years the inference will be irresistible that the possession of such a tomb must have been one of the things that marked a man of distinction.

1. This act helped to make the actual death of Christ an unquestionable fact. It was no obscure grave, affording an excuse for doubt; no tomb in Jerusalem could have been more conspicuous; no fact more public than Christs burial in it.

2. It prepared for, and made possible, complete and unanswerable evidence of His resurrection, which was further illustrated by the grave being in a garden.

3. Crowning all the other services to the Church; there were undesignedly instrumental in fulfilling this ancient prophecy, He made His grave with the wicked, &c., or, according to the most careful reading, His grave was appointed with the wicked, but He was with a rich man, i.e., His grave was appointed by men with the wicked–under usual circumstances, only such a grave was thought of for one who died on a cross; but He was with a rich man in His tomb after all. And why? Because He had done no violence, &c.

IV. THE ACT OF THESE MEN ILLUSTRATES THE FUNCTION OF WEALTH IN THE SERVICE OF CHRIST, and this is another practical outcome of their profession. The gospel is full of words to comfort and dignify the holy poor; but the gospel creates no class distinctions. The Church is the poor mans church; yes, and it is also the rich mans church; for there the rich and the poor meet together, and the Lord is the Maker of them all. (C. Stanford, D. D.)

A mixture of myrrh and aloes.

The mixture here mentioned was probably in the shape of powder. The two ingredients were strongly aromatic and antiseptic. The large quantity brought shows the wealth and the liberal mind of Nicodemus. It also shows his wise forethought. A dead body so torn and lacerated as that of our blessed Lord, would need an unusually large quantity of antiseptics or preservatives, to check the tendency to corruption which such a climate would cause, even at Easter. Considering also that everything must have been done with some haste, the large quantity of spices used was probably meant to compensate for the want of time to do the work slowly and carefully. Then took they the body, &c. Here we are told the precise manner of the preparation of our Lords body for burial. As always in that time and country, He was not put into a coffin. He was simply wrapped up in linen cloths, on which the preparation of myrrh and aloes had been laid. Thus the powder would be next to our Lords body, and interpose between the linen and His skin. How the linen clothes were provided, we are told by St. Mark (Joh 15:46). Joseph, being a rich man, had no difficulty in supplying funds for this purpose. (Bp. Ryle.)

Extremes in Christs history

Twice was Jesus rich in the days of His poverty. Once immediately after His birth, when the wise men offered Him gold, &c., and now after His ignominious death, when a rich man buries Him, and a distinguished man provides spices to anoint Him. Yea! a rich Joseph has taken the place of that poor Joseph who stood by the manger. (R. Besser, D. D.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 39. Nicodemus] See Clarke on Joh 3:1, c.

Myrrh and aloes] Which drugs were used to preserve bodies from putrefaction. Calmet says that the aloes mentioned here is a liquor which runs from an aromatic tree, and is widely different from that called aloes among us.

Some have objected that a hundred pounds’ weight of myrrh and aloes was enough to embalm two hundred dead bodies and instead of , a hundred, some critics have proposed to read – a mixture of myrrh and aloes, of about a pound EACH. See Bowyer’s Conjectures. But it may be observed that great quantities of spices were used for embalming dead bodies, when they intended to show peculiar marks of respect to the deceased. A great quantity was used at the funeral of Aristobulus; and it is said that five hundred servants bearing aromatics attended the funeral of Herod: see Josephus, Ant. b. xv. c. 3, s. 4; and b. xvii. c. 8, s. 3: and fourscore pounds of spices were used at the funeral of R. Gamaliel the elder. See Wetstein in loc.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

The history of Nicodemus coming by night to our Saviour, and of their discourse together, we had Joh 3:1-21. We again heard of him standing up for Christ in the sanhedrim, Joh 7:50. We read no more of him till now, where he shows his love to his dead body; bringing a hundred pounds weight of myrrh and aloes, which were both of them drugs used in embalming dead bodies, as also in perfuming other things, Psa 45:8.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

39. also Nicodemus, which at thefirst came to Jesus by night“This remark corresponds tothe secrecy of Joseph’s discipleship, just noticed, and callsattention to the similarity of their previous character and conduct,and the remarkable change which had now taken place” [WEBSTERand WILKINSON].

brought . . . myrrh andaloes, about an hundred pounds weightan immense quantity,betokening the greatness of their love, but part of it probablyintended as a layer for the spot on which the body was to lie. (See2Ch 16:14) [MEYER].

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And there came also Nicodemus,…. To the cross, at the same time as Joseph did; who, whether they were brethren, as some conjecture, and met here by consent, since one prepared one thing, and another, for the interment of Christ, is not certain. This Nicodemus is thought to be the same with Nicodemus ben Gorion, the Talmudists speaks of, who, they say u, was one of the three rich men in Jerusalem; as this appears to be a rich man, from the large quantity of myrrh and aloes he brought with him, and which must be very costly. Moreover, they say w, that he had another name, which was Boni; and they themselves observe x, that Boni was one of the disciples of Jesus, as this Nicodemus was, though a secret one, as Joseph: this is he

which at the first came to Jesus by night; who, when Christ first entered on his ministry, or when he first came unto him, came to him by night to discourse with him about his Messiahship, doctrine, and miracles, Joh 3:1 for being one of the Pharisees, a ruler of the Jews, and a Rabbi or master in Israel, he was ashamed or afraid to converse publicly with him; however, he went away a disciple; and though he did not openly profess him, he loved him, and believed in him, and now being dead showed his respect to him:

and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight: not himself, but by his servants. This mixture of myrrh and aloes together, and which was a very large quantity, and exceeding costly, was not designed the embalming of his body, and preserving it from putrefaction; for he was not embalmed, though myrrh and cassia and other odours were used in embalming y; but for perfuming it, and in honour and respect unto him: it was sweet smelling myrrh, and an aromatic spice called “aloe” he brought, and not the common aloe. Nonnus calls it the “Indian aloe”, which was of a sweet odour; for which reason it was brought. These are both reckoned with the chief spices, So 4:14. Myrrh was one of the principal spices in the anointing oil and holy perfume, Ex 30:23. It is a kind of gum or resin called “stacte”, that issues either by incision, or of its own accord, out of the body or branches of a tree of this name, which grows in Arabia and Egypt; and being of an agreeable smell, was used at funerals: hence those words of Martial z “— olentem funera myrrham” and so Nazianzen, speaking of his brother Caesarius, says a,

“he lies dead, friendless, desolate, miserable,

, “favoured with a little myrrh”.”

And so the aloe was used to perfume, and to give a good scent, Pr 7:17 and Christ’s garments are said to smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia, Ps 45:8. Some have thought, that this was a mixture of the juice of myrrh, and of the juice of the aloe plant, and was a liquid into which the body of Christ was put: but this will not so well agree with the winding of the body in linen, with these in the next verse, where they are called spices. A Jew b objects to this relation of the evangelist as unworthy of belief: he affirms, that this was enough for two hundred dead bodies, and that it could not be carried with less than the strength of a mule, and therefore not by Nicodemus. In answer to which, it is observed by Bishop Kidder c, that we having nothing but the Jew’s own word for it, that this was enough for two hundred bodies, and a load for a mule; and that it should be told what was the weight of the , or pound, mentioned by the evangelist, ere the force of the objection can be seen; and that it is a thing well known, that among the Jews the bodies of great men were buried with a great quantity of spices: it is said of Asa, that “they buried him in his own sepulchre which he had made for himself, in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours, and divers kinds of spices”,

2Ch 16:14. To which may be added, what is before observed, that this was not brought by Nicodemus himself, but by his servants; and what they did by his orders, and he coming along with them, he may be said to do. Just as Joseph is said to take down the body of Jesus from the cross, wind it in linen, and carry it to his sepulchre, and there bury it; this being done by his servants, at his orders, or they at least assisting in it; and as Pilate is said to put the title he wrote upon the cross, though it was done by others, at his command.

u T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 56. 1. w T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 20. 1. x T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 43. 1. y Herodotus in Euterpe, c. 86. z L. 11. Epigr. 35. a Epist. 18. p. 78l. Tom. I. b Jacob Aben Amram, porta veritatis No. 1040. apud Kidder, Demonstration of the Messiah, part 3. p. 65, 66. Ed. fol. c Ib.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Nicodemus also ( ). The Synoptics tell about Joseph of Arimathea, but only John adds the help that Nicodemus gave him in the burial of Jesus, these two timid disciples, Nicodemus now at last taking an open stand.

At the first ( ). Adverbial accusative and reference to 3:1ff.

Mixture (). Late word from , to mix, only here in the N.T. Many old MSS. have here (roll), from (Heb 1:12), another late word here only in N.T. It was common to use sweet-smelling spices in the burial (2Ch 16:14).

Pound (). Late word for twelve ounces, in N.T. only here and 12:3. Nicodemus was a rich man and probably covered the entire body with the spices.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Came Nicodemus – came by night. The contrast is marked between his first and his second coming.

Mixture [] . Only here in the New Testament. Some authorities read eligma, a roll.

Pounds. Roman pounds, of nearly twelve ounces. The large quantity may be explained by the intention of covering the entire body with the preparation, and by the fact that a portion was designed for the couch of the body in the grave. Compare the account of the burial of Asa, 2Ch 16:14. “Extraordinary reverence in its sorrowful excitement does not easily satisfy itself” (Meyer).

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1) “And there came also Nicodemus,” (elthen de kai Nikodemas) “Then Nicodemus also came,” the born again ruler of the Jews, Joh 3:1-9; Joh 7:50, also a member of the Jewish council, of the Sanhedrin.

2) “Which at the first came to Jesus by night,” (ho elthon pros auton nuktos to proton) “The one (Nicodemus) who first came to Him by night,” as recounted, Joh 3:1-2, with less boldness than at this time.

3) “And brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes,” (pheron migma smurnes kai aloes) “Bearing a mixture of myrrh and aloes,” fitting spices for burial preparation of the dead body of our Lord, used in palaces of the wealthy, befitting the burial of Jesus, Psa 45:8; Son 1:3; Son 4:4.

4) “About an hundred pound weight.” (hos litras hekaton) “About an hundred pounds in weight,” according to Roman weight, about 12 ounces to the pound, about 75 pounds by English weight, at 16 ounces to the pound.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

(39) Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night.He is mentioned only by St. John. (Comp. Notes on Joh. 3:1-2; Joh. 7:50.)

A mixture of myrrh and aloes.For myrrh, comp. Note on Mat. 2:11. Aloes are not elsewhere mentioned in the New Testament, but they are joined with myrrh in the Messianic Psa. 45:8. The aloe is an Eastern odoriferous woodto be distinguished from the aloes of commerceand chips of the better kinds are now said to be worth their weight in gold. The myrrh and aloes were probably pulverised and mixed together, and then placed in the linen in which the body was wrapped.

About an hundred pound weight.Comp. Notes on Joh. 12:3 et seq. The quantity is clearly much more than could have been placed in the linen which surrounded the body; but the offering was one of love, and part of it may have been placed in the sepulchre. We read of the burial of Asa, that they laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries art (2Ch. 16:14).

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

39. Also Nicodemus Mentioned by John alone. See notes on Joh 3:1-21, and Joh 7:50-53.

Myrrh This myrrh is a gum exuding from a tree found in Arabia and more plentifully in Abyssinia. It was a very ancient article of commerce among Egyptians, Jews, Greeks, and Romans. It is first mentioned in Exo 30:23. It was celebrated in ancient times as a perfume, and burned for an agreeable fumigation; it was esteemed as a medicine. It was an ingredient in the ancient Egyptian embalmment. In the middle ages of Europe it was held that it would render a man’s body immortal, if there were any method of completely imbuing the system with it.

Aloes The article here mentioned is not to be identified with the drug which bears that name in the modern Materia Medica, which is a very bitter and somewhat stimulant stomachic purgative; on the contrary, the article here named is an odoriferous wood, celebrated for its agreeable qualities in ancient literature. Thus in Psa 45:8: “All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia.” The Hebrew word ahil became identified, both in the Greek and modern languages, with the word aloes simply from the verbal resemblance. It is curious that the Malay name of the article is agila; which, besides bearing a strong resemblance to the Hebrew word, has also a resemblance to the word eagle; and hence the same article has received the name of eagle-wood. A hundred pounds Probably in the form of a ground or pulverized grain. Sceptical critics have raised a great outcry at the enormous amount of embalmment here mentioned. Its weight is almost equal to that of the body to be embalmed. But it is probable that St. John knew quite as well as any modern caviller whether this amount was incredibly large. Certain it is that the amount of spices bestowed was anciently considered an honour to the person entombed. Thus, when Rabbi Gamaliel, senior, died, it is said that there was burned by one proselyte more than eighty pounds of Oppo balsam. Might not Nicodemus esteem this “Teacher sent from God” above all rabbis, priests, or prophets? Might he not have dealt his spices in proportion to his estimation? Do we know that all this material was used in the first enwrapment of the body? (See note on Mat 27:59.) Might not a large amount have been reserved for a fragrant fumigation of the apartments of the sepulchre? Besides, we have already intimated, that probably this great amount of embalming material may have been furnished under some vague idea that the body of Jesus was to be preserved from corruption, and that human means might contribute to that effect. And when we note that the women also prepared spices on Friday evening, (Luk 23:56,) and others brought spices on Sunday morning, (Mar 16:1,) we plainly see that each, without regard to the others’ contributions, was anxious to furnish a share as a tribute of love. To the cavils of Strauss the reply of Ebrard is both beautiful and conclusive: “As if when flowers were to be strewn on the grave of a dear departed friend any one would now ask the question, How many were required? so that there might be just enough! If a friend sent unexpectedly a bunch of flowers, would the mourner, glad to save his money, say, Now there are sufficient flowers; I do not need to buy any more?”

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Joh 19:39. About an hundred pound weight. The author of the Observations has the following remark: “What Joseph and Nicodemus did with the mixture ofmyrrh and aloes, doth not appear: Dr. Lardner supposes, that they might possibly form a bed of spices. But with respect to the quantity, which he tells us, from Bishop Kidder, a modern Jew has made an objection against the history of the New Testament, affirming that it was enough for two hundred dead bodies, (which is, saying in other words, that half a pound of these drugs is sufficient to embalm a single body) I would observe, that our English surgeons require a much larger quantity of drugs for embalming; and in a recipe, which I have seen, of a very eminent one, the weight of the drugs employed, is above one third of the weight brought by Nicodemus. Much less indeed would be wanted where the body is not embowelled; but even the cerate, or drugsused externally in our embalmings, is, I find, one seventh of the weight of the myrrh and aloes bought for embalming our Lord. However, be this as it may, as it appears from what Josephus says of the funeral of Aristobulus, the last of the high priests of the family of the Maccabees, that ‘the larger the quantity of spices used in their interments, the greater honour was thought to be done to the dead;’ we may easily account for the quantity which Nicodemus brought, in general, though we may not be able to tell, with the precision that could be wished, how it was disposed of. Dr. Lardner does not appear to have mentioned this passage, but it entirely answers the objection of this Jew.”

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

DISCOURSE: 1729
CHARACTER OF NICODEMUS

Joh 19:39. There came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night.

IT is generally supposed, that by conversion a mans character is altogether changed. But this is by no means true. Divine grace gives a new direction to a mans natural powers; but it does not divest him of them, so that he shall altogether cease to be the same as he was before. His moral dispositions, so far as they were evil, will be corrected; and, so far as they were good, will be improved: but the natural temperament of his mind will remain in a great measure the same as it was in his unconverted state, only under the controul of a higher and better principle. For instance, a bold and confident Peter will carry into his religious profession the same boldness and precipitancy which characterized him as a natural man: and, for the most part, a mans besetting sins (due allowance being made for a change of age and circumstances) will prove his besetting sins even to his.dying hour. In conduct, the lion will become a lamb; but the disposition of courage or timidity will still adhere to each, according to his natural bias. Yet sometimes these matters shall be reversed, as we see in the history before us. At the period of our Lords lowest extremity, when he hanged dead upon the cross, a cowardly Nicodemus united with another no less timid than himself, Joseph of Arimathea, to honour the Saviour, whom the intrepid Peter had forsaken, and denied even with oaths and curses.

To cast further light upon this subject, I shall,

I.

Consider the character of Nicodemus

He was a man of very considerable distinction, at the time of our Lords death. In his religious profession he was a Pharisee; in his civil station he was a member of the great council of the nation, and a ruler and teacher in a synagogue; and in the habit of his mind, a candid and honest man. Having heard of the miracles which the Lord Jesus had wrought, he concluded, that a person endued with such powers must necessarily have come from God, and, consequently, must have much religious information to impart. He determined, therefore, to obtain an interview with Jesus, and learn from him whatever he was commissioned to reveal. And, when he went to Jesus, he, though possessed of such rank and authority himself, addressed that despised and persecuted Teacher by the respectful appellation of Rabbi; confessing his belief in him as a Teacher sent from God. Thus far all was well. But there were in Nicodemus two great defects, to which I must now call your attention:

1.

His cowardice

[Twice is Nicodemus mentioned after that interview; and both times is he stigmatized as the person that went to Jesus by night [Note: Compare Joh 7:50.]. In this he acted most unworthily. As a man of probity, he should not have been ashamed of doing what was right, or afraid of any censure he might incur by following the dictates of his own conscience. What have we to do with mans opinion? We should approve ourselves to God, without so much as thinking, and much less fearing, what man may either say or do. It is the happiness of the Christian that he has none to fear, but God. But, wherever Christ comes in the ministration of the word, there are too many who are like-minded with Nicodemus; and are kept from seeking instruction for their souls, through that fear of man which bringeth a snare. Many will not even go so far as he. They have an inward conviction that this or that minister is really sent of God, and has most valuable information to impart; and yet they neither dare to hear him in public, nor to visit him in private, lest it should be known that they are inquiring after truth. Sad enemies are these to their own welfare, whilst they deprive themselves of opportunities which God has afforded them for the instruction and salvation of their souls! They may avoid the censure of men; but they have a stigma fixed upon them by God; and they have reason to fear that that Saviour, whom they thus deny before men, will deny them before his Father and his holy angels [Note: Mar 8:38.].]

2.

His unbelief

[Our blessed Lord, instead of reproaching him for his cowardice, immediately opened to him that doctrine which he most needed to hear, and which was of most immediate importance to one of his caste and complexion. Being himself a teacher of religion, and of that sect which was highest in repute for sanctity, he would of course think that he needed only some particular instruction which Jesus might have been commissioned to impart. But our blessed Lord told him, and with the strongest asseverations assured him, that he needed altogether a new birth; and that, without being born both, of water and of the Spirit, he could neither see nor enter into the kingdom of God. This, it might have been expected, Nicodemus should be well acquainted with: for the prophets, with whose writings he was so conversant, had most distinctly affirmed it [Note: Jer 31:32-33. Eze 36:25-26.] But Nicodemus could not at all comprehend such mysterious truths: he foolishly thought that our Lord must refer to some natural birth which his followers were to experience; and when our Lord explained himself more fully by a comparison which was familiar to all, and told him plainly that it was a spiritual birth that he spoke of, he still remained as ignorant as ever; saying, How can these things be? Hence our Lord reproved his unbelief; saying, If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things [Note: Joh 3:12.]?

Thus it frequently is found amongst ourselves. Frequently do we see persons who are most exemplary in their morals and most intelligent in their minds, and, on the whole, of candid dispositions too, yet stumbling at the truths of the Gospel, and unable to comprehend them, for want of a spiritual discernment [Note: 1Co 2:14.]. And so it must ever be, when men mix not faith with the word they hear [Note: Heb 4:2.].]

Having seen the character of Nicodemus, let us,

II.

Make some remarks upon it

This subject would open to us a very wide field for observation; but I content myself with observing, that in Nicodemus we see,

1.

The power of the world in opposition to truth

[It is clear that the words of our blessed Lord had made a lodgment both in the mind and in the heart of this timid man; and yet he did not dare to follow up his convictions. At no great distance of time, when the council was condemning Jesus unheard, Nicodemus ventured to express an opinion that such conduct was both ungenerous and unjust: Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doeth [Note: Joh 7:51.]? But for three years after this we hear no more of Nicodemus. No more does he seek to be instructed by our Lord, either in public or in private. The general voice was against our Saviour; and Nicodemus dared not to encounter the reproach that would be cast upon him, if he should be known to be, even in heart, a follower of the despised Nazarene. Who would have thought that a ruler in Israel should be so timid? But the fact is, that the more elevated any man is, the more fearful he is of subjecting himself to public observation and reproach. In St. Pauls day it was thus. He appealed to the whole Church of Corinth: Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called [Note: 1Co 1:26.]. And so it is in every age: let a man possess any distinction in society, and, instead of being emboldened by it to act according to his conscience, he is intimidated and restrained, and scarcely dares, even in private, to associate with one who is an avowed follower of Christ. In vain is it said that the fearful shall not inherit the kingdom of God [Note: Rev 21:8.]; and that, if we deny Christ, he also will deny us [Note: 2Ti 2:12.]. So great is the power of a vain ungodly world, that we will please them rather than God; and, for fear of their censure, expose ourselves to the wrath of an offended God.]

2.

The power of truth in opposition to the world

[The seed, which had been sown in Nicodemuss heart, grew up, he knew not how [Note: Mar 4:27.]; and, in an hour when, according to all human calculations, we should have least expected it to shew itself, it sprang up, and brought forth fruit, to the honour of our blessed Lord. The Lord Jesus was now dead upon the cross; and to pay him any honour was at the peril of a persons life. Yet then, when Christs own Disciples had forsaken him, Nicodemus, with Joseph, who also had been a disciple, but secretly for fear of the Jews [Note: ver. 38.], went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus, in order that they might inter it with such a measure of honour and respect as the present circumstances would admit of. The boldness of this petition is particularly noticed by St. Mark [Note: Mar 15:43.]: but truth, if allowed to have its proper influence, will embolden any man, and make him to disregard even life itself, if duty call for the surrender of it [Note: Act 20:24.]. On this occasion the force of truth appears particularly conspicuous, when it animated two such timid persons to so perilous an adventure, to which they had not been called, and which they might have declined without the slightest imputation on their character. Let but truth erect its throne within the heart, and every adverse power it will utterly subdue [Note: Joh 8:32.].]

What, then, is my advice in relation to this matter?
1.

Let us not covet the distinctions of this life

[There is an idea prevalent amongst men, that the higher we rise in society, the greater will be our influence, especially if we stand well with the world, as not being righteous over-much. Now, I will grant that persons of this description can often do things which more decided characters would be unable to effect. I think it highly probable, that not all the Disciples together could have prevailed on Pilate to give them the body of Jesus; nor would the chief priests have suffered even Joseph and Nicodemus to have the body, if they had been generally known as followers of Christ. But the man that will draw back from Christ, and conform to the world with any such expectation as this, little thinks to what peril he subjects his own soul, and what a stigma will be fixed upon him by Almighty God, even if he should find mercy at his hands in the last day. Beloved brethren, know this, that ye cannot serve God and mammon too [Note: Mat 6:24.]. If ye will be friends of the world, ye must be the enemies of God [Note: Jam 4:4.], and be dealt with as enemies in the eternal world. I mean not to discourage exertion in the pursuit either of wealth or science: but an ambitious coveting of distinction I must declare to be utterly inconsistent with true piety. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world: if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him [Note: 1Jn 2:15-16.]. I can have little doubt, but that if Joseph and Nicodemus had been in a lower sphere of life, they would have earlier confessed our blessed Lord. It was their elevation that kept them back: for lofty mountains are usually barren, in comparison of the lowly valleys. And you likewise may have reason to curse the day that ever you were raised to spheres of eminence and distinction. Be content, then, with the sphere in which it has pleased God to place you. If only you reflect, that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, you will see the wisdom of that advice, Seekest thou great things unto thyself? Seek them not [Note: Jer 45:5.].]

2.

Let us follow the dictates of our own conscience

[How lamentable was it, that Nicodemus, for the space of three years, should suppress, instead of following, the voice of God within him. Were he now to return from heaven, and sojourn here again, what shame would he take to himself for such unworthy conduct! Beloved brethren, let us serve God, and him only, even though all around us should depart from him [Note: Jos 24:15.]. Let us, like Caleb and Joshua, follow the Lord fully [Note: Num 14:24.]. Who does not admire Elijah, when he stood alone, as he thought, in the midst of all Israel? Thus let us do. If the Lord be God, let us follow him, in despite both of men and devils.]

3.

Let us, whatever talents we possess, improve them for the Lord

[Doubtless Joseph and Nicodemus felt, that on this occasion they could exert an influence which others did not possess: and they did well, in improving it for the Lord. Now, all of us, in our respective situations, have influence of some kind: and, whatever it be, let us use it diligently, for the honour of our God. There are times and seasons which we should seize; lest, by delay, they pass away, and our opportunity for serving God be lost for ever. Had Esther not promptly followed the advice of Mordecai, in going, at the peril of her life, to Ahasuerus, the whole nation of the Jews had perished. She was the only person that, humanly speaking, could interpose with effect: and God signally blessed her pious exertions. Let us, also, watch the calls of Providence, and every one of us, according to our ability, discharge the duties that lie before us. And, if a momentary fear arise in our hearts, let us, with Moses, esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt [Note: Heb 11:26.]; and, with the Apostle Paul, account martyrdom itself a ground of self-congratulation and of holy joy [Note: Php 2:17.].]

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight .

Ver. 39. And there came also Nicodemus ] Another night bird, a chieftain in the ecclesiastical state, as Joseph of Arimathea (or Ramath, Samuel’s country) was in the civil. The faith of these two now breaks out, though it had long lain hidden, as the sun under a cloud, as seed under a clod: now they manifest their love to Christ, so cruelly handled, as the true mother did hers to her child, when it was to be cut in two.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

39. ] John alone mentions Nicodemus. The Galilan narrative had no previous trace of him, and does not recognize him here. Joseph bore too prominent a part not to be mentioned by all. Luthardt beautifully remarks on the contrast between these men’s secret and timid discipleship before, and their courage now, “Their love to Jesus was called out by the might of His love. His Death is the Power which constrains men. And thus this act of love on the part of both these men is a testimony for Jesus, and for the future effect of His death. Hence also it appears why the Evangelist mentions the weight of the spices, as a proof of the greatness of their love, as Lampe observes.”

, myrrh, the gum of an aromatic plant, not indigenous in Palestine, but in Arabia Felix, see reff. and Exo 30:23 ; Pro 7:17 (Hebr. and E. V.): Son 3:6 , and Winer, Real-wrterbuch, ii. 126 (edn. 3).

, the name of various sorts of aromatic wood in the East, see Winer, Realw. i. 54. Both materials appear to have been pulverized (the wood by scraping or burning?) and strewed in the folds of the linen in which the body was wrapped (De Wette). The quantity is large; but perhaps the whole Body was encased, after the wrapping, in the mixture, and an outer wrapper fastened over all. The proceeding was hurried, on account of the approaching Sabbath: and apparently an understanding entered into with the women, that it should be more completely done after the Sabbath was over. This plentiful application of the aromatic substances may therefore have been made with an intention to prevent the Body, in its lacerated state, from incipient decomposition during the interval.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Joh 19:39 . . “Thus Jesus by being lifted up is already drawing men unto Him. These Jewish aristocrats first confess Him in the hour of His deepest degradation.” Plummer. Nicodemus is identified as , “he who came to Jesus by night at the first”; Joh 3:1 , in contrast to the boldness of his coming now. . , a “confection” or “compound,” cf. Sir 38:8 . , “of myrrh and aloes”. Myrrh was similarly used by the Egyptians, see Herod., ii. 83. Cf. Psa 45:9 . . The (libra) was rather over eleven ounces avoirdupois. The enormous quantity has been accounted for as a rich man’s expression of devotion, or as required if the entire body and all the wrappings were to be smeared with it, and if the grave itself was to be filled with unguents as in 2Ch 16:14 .

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

also Nicodemus. Read, Nicodemus also.

Nicodemus. See Joh 3:1, and Joh 7:50.

to. Greek. pros. App-104.

by night. Now he comes openly, as Joseph did,

and brought = bringing.

a mixture. Greek. migma. Occurs only here. Some read heligma = a roll.

myrrh. Greek. smurna. Only here and in Mat 2:11,

aloes. a fragrant aromatic wood. Occurs only here in N.T. Referred to four times in O.T.

pound. Greek. litra. See Joh 12:3 and App-51.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

39.] John alone mentions Nicodemus. The Galilan narrative had no previous trace of him, and does not recognize him here. Joseph bore too prominent a part not to be mentioned by all. Luthardt beautifully remarks on the contrast between these mens secret and timid discipleship before, and their courage now, Their love to Jesus was called out by the might of His love. His Death is the Power which constrains men. And thus this act of love on the part of both these men is a testimony for Jesus, and for the future effect of His death. Hence also it appears why the Evangelist mentions the weight of the spices, as a proof of the greatness of their love, as Lampe observes.

, myrrh,-the gum of an aromatic plant, not indigenous in Palestine, but in Arabia Felix, see reff. and Exo 30:23; Pro 7:17 (Hebr. and E. V.): Son 3:6, and Winer, Real-wrterbuch, ii. 126 (edn. 3).

, the name of various sorts of aromatic wood in the East,-see Winer, Realw. i. 54. Both materials appear to have been pulverized (the wood by scraping or burning?) and strewed in the folds of the linen in which the body was wrapped (De Wette). The quantity is large; but perhaps the whole Body was encased, after the wrapping, in the mixture, and an outer wrapper fastened over all. The proceeding was hurried, on account of the approaching Sabbath: and apparently an understanding entered into with the women, that it should be more completely done after the Sabbath was over. This plentiful application of the aromatic substances may therefore have been made with an intention to prevent the Body, in its lacerated state, from incipient decomposition during the interval.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

[39. , and Nicodemus) Whose faith had already put itself forth into exercise by a kind of confession (ch. Joh 7:50) six months before this time; but now it is manifested by an altogether distinguished work of love.-Harm., p. 581.]

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Joh 19:39

Joh 19:39

And there came also Nicodemus, he who at the first came to him by night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.-Nicodemus was of a similar temperament, and now declared himself the friend of the dead Savior by bringing the mixture for embalming the body of Jesus. [This is the third time Nicodemus is mentioned. First in 3:5, the second 7:50 where he protested against the injustice of the Sanhedrin, and here he is assisting in the burial of Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea is not mentioned save in connection with the burial of the body of Jesus. The Sanhedrin condemned Jesus to death, but here we learn that two of its members were minority voters in the Sanhedrins decision to crucify the Savior. This shows that the majority rule is not a safe rule.]

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

Nicodemus: Joh 3:1-21, Joh 7:50-52, Mat 12:20, Mat 19:30

a: Joh 12:7, 2Ch 16:14, Son 4:6, Son 4:14

Reciprocal: Gen 50:2 – embalmed Jdg 16:31 – his brethren Psa 45:8 – All Son 1:13 – bundle Mat 26:12 – General Joh 3:2 – came 1Co 1:26 – not many mighty

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

9

The visit of Nicodemus with Jesus is recorded in chapter 3 of this book. Nothing is said at that place as to the impression made on the ruler, nor of what his attitude was afterward; but the present verse indicates that it left him with a favorable feeling. Also the protest he made against the unfair treatment accorded to Jesus by the Jews (chapter 7:50, 51) agrees with that attitude. Hence he joined with Joseph in giving the body of Jesus this honorable burial. Thayer says that myrrh is, “a bitter gum and costly perfume which exudes from a certain tree or shrub in Arabia and Ethiopia, or is obtained by incisions made in the bark; as an antiseptic it was used in embalming.” Of aloes he says it is “the name of an aromatic tree which grows in eastern India and Cochin China, and whose soft bitter wood the Orientals used in fumigation and in embalming the dead.” The immense weight of these materials that Nicodemus brought would indicate his respect for Jesus.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Joh 19:39. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to him by night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. The quantity of spices thus brought by Nicodemus is certainly remarkable; and hence some have shrunk from taking the words in their literal sense, holding that a hundred pound (especially as here qualified by about) may be an expression merely denoting a great quantity. Others, following the suggestion of 2Ch 16:14, have supposed that, when part of the mixture of spices had been spread on the linen cloths in which the body was to be wrapped, the remainder was destined for a burning. Whether this be accepted or not, the passage referred to is interesting as bringing before us the burial of a King. The distinct identification of this Nicodemus with the ruler who came to Jesus by night (chap. 3) is undoubtedly significant. The humiliation of the King of Israel (chap. Joh 3:3, Joh 12:13), so far from discouraging, does but strengthen the once weak faith of the true disciple; and in contrast with (andmay we not addin expression of shame and penitence for) timorous hesitation, we read of the lavish offering of a love open and avowed. The declaration of chap. Joh 12:32 begins to receive its fulfilment.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Verse 39

For previous evidence of Nicodemus’s friendly feeling towards Jesus, see John 7:50.–Myrrh and aloes; for the embalming of the body.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

Only John mentioned that Nicodemus also played a part in burying Jesus (cf. Joh 3:1-15). He was also probably a member of the Sanhedrin (cf. Joh 3:1). He, too, was now taking a more visible position as a disciple of Jesus (cf. Joh 7:50-52). Nicodemus brought about 65 pounds (100 litrai, cf. Joh 12:3) of spices with which to prepare Jesus’ body for burial. This was a large quantity and reflected Nicodemus’ great respect for Jesus. Evidently these two wealthy rulers decided to honor Jesus together. They apparently divided their responsibilities, with Joseph securing Pilate’s permission and Nicodemus preparing the spices.

Myrrh was a fragrant resin that the Jews turned into powder and mixed with aloes, which was powdered sandalwood. [Note: Ibid., p. 630.] The purpose of covering a corpse with this aromatic powder was to dry it out and to lessen the foul odor that putrefaction caused.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)