Matthew 28:11–15
The guards are paid to say the disciples stole the body
Study it word by word11While they were going, look, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the high priests all the things that had happened.
12And when they had gathered with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
13saying, “Say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were sleeping.’
14And if this comes to the ears of the governor, we will persuade him and keep you out of trouble.”
15And they took the money and did as they had been instructed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.
In its context
9And look, Jesus met them, saying, “Greetings.” And they came up and took hold of his feet and bowed down before him.
10Then Jesus says to them, “Do not be afraid; go, tell my brothers to go away to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
…
16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them.
17And when they saw him, they bowed down before him; but some doubted.
Its words in the original
- ΠορευομένωνPoreuomenōn· go
Go, set out; also live, walk in a way of life.
- κουστωδίαςkoustōdias· guard
Guard: a group of soldiers posted to keep watch.
- ἐλθόντεςelthontes· come, go
Come, arrive; go.
- πόλινpolin· city, town
City, town.
- ἀπήγγειλανapēngeilan· report, tell
Report, announce, tell what happened.
- ἀρχιερεῦσινarchiereusin· chief priest, high priest
High priest. In the plural, the one then in office, those who had held it before, and the heads of the priestly families: the chief priests.
- ἅπανταhapanta· all
All, every one without exception.
- γενόμεναgenomena· become, happen
Become, happen, come about; be born.
- συναχθέντεςsynachthentes· gather
Gather, bring together.
- πρεσβυτέρωνpresbyterōn· elder
Elder: an older man; also the leaders of a people or of a community.
- συμβούλιόνsymboulion· counsel, plot
Counsel, a plan. To "take counsel" is to agree together on what to do.
- λαβόντεςlabontes· take, receive
Take, receive.
- ἀργύριαargyria· silver, money
Silver; money, silver coins.
- ἱκανὰhikana· enough, worthy
Sufficient, fit, worthy; also many, a large number.
- ἔδωκανedōkan· give
Give.
- στρατιώταιςstratiōtais· soldier
Soldier.
- λέγοντεςlegontes· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- μαθηταὶmathētai· disciple
Disciple: someone who learns from a teacher and follows him in order to live as he does.
- νυκτὸςnyktos· night
Night. "By night".
- ἔκλεψανeklepsan· steal
Steal.
- κοιμωμένωνkoimōmenōn· sleep, fall asleep
Sleep; also die.
- ἀκουσθῇakousthēi· hear, listen
Hear, listen; also heed.
- ἡγεμόνοςhēgemonos· governor
Governor, the one in charge of a region; a leader.
- πείσομενpeisomen· persuade, trust
To persuade, convince; to trust.
- ἀμερίμνουςamerimnous· free from worry
Free from worry, without care, at ease.
- ποιήσομενpoiēsomen· do, make
Do, make, produce.
- ἐδιδάχθησανedidachthēsan· teach
Teach.
- διεφημίσθηdiephēmisthē· spread around
Spread the news everywhere, make widely known.
- λόγοςlogos· word
Word, saying, message; also reason, cause, account.
- ἸουδαίοιςIoudaiois· Jew, Judean
Jew, Judean: one of the people of Judah; in the New Testament it often means the leaders of the people.
- μέχριmechri· until, as far as
Until; as far as.
- σήμερονsēmeron· today
Today.
- ἡμέραςhēmeras· day
Day. "In the days of" someone: in their time.