Matthew 28:13
New International Version
telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’

New Living Translation
They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’

English Standard Version
and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’

Berean Standard Bible
and instructed them: “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’

Berean Literal Bible
saying, "Say that His disciples, having come by night, stole Him--we being asleep.

King James Bible
Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

New King James Version
saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’

New American Standard Bible
and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him while we were asleep.’

NASB 1995
and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’

NASB 1977
and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’

Legacy Standard Bible
and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’

Amplified Bible
and said, “You say this, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him while we were sleeping.’

Christian Standard Bible
and told them, “Say this, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him while we were sleeping.’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and told them, “Say this, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole Him while we were sleeping.’

American Standard Version
saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they were saying to them, “Say, 'His disciples came and stole it in the night, while we slept'.”

Contemporary English Version
They said to the soldiers, "Tell everyone that Jesus' disciples came during the night and stole his body while you were asleep.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Saying: Say you, His disciples came by night, and stole him away when we were asleep.

English Revised Version
saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
and told them to say that Jesus' disciples had come at night and had stolen his body while they were sleeping.

Good News Translation
and said, "You are to say that his disciples came during the night and stole his body while you were asleep.

International Standard Version
They said, "Say that Jesus' disciples came at night and stole him while you were sleeping.

Literal Standard Version
saying, “Say that His disciples having come by night, stole Him—we being asleep;

Majority Standard Bible
and instructed them: “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’

New American Bible
telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’

NET Bible
telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came at night and stole his body while we were asleep.'

New Revised Standard Version
telling them, “You must say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’

New Heart English Bible
saying, "Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

Webster's Bible Translation
Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

Weymouth New Testament
telling them to say, "His disciples came during the night and stole his body while we were asleep."

World English Bible
saying, “Say that his disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept.

Young's Literal Translation
saying, 'Say ye, that his disciples having come by night, stole him -- we being asleep;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Report of the Guards
12And after the chief priests had met with the elders and formed a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money 13and instructed them: “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ 14If this report reaches the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”…

Cross References
Matthew 28:12
And after the chief priests had met with the elders and formed a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money

Matthew 28:14
If this report reaches the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."


Treasury of Scripture

Saying, Say you, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

stole.

Matthew 26:64
Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

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Asleep Body Disciples His Night Secretly Sleeping Slept Stole Telling
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Asleep Body Disciples His Night Secretly Sleeping Slept Stole Telling
Matthew 28
1. Christ's resurrection is declared by an angel to the women.
9. He himself appears unto them.
11. The chief priests pay the soldiers to say that he was stolen out of his tomb.
16. Christ appears to his disciples,
18. and sends them to baptize and teach all nations.














(13) His disciples came by night.--The story was on the face of it self-contradictory. How could they tell, if they had been asleep, who had stolen the body? All that they could know was that they had fallen asleep, and that when they awoke the sepulchre was open and empty.

Verse 13. - Say ye, etc. They put the lie into the soldiers' mouth, directing them to answer inquiries in this way. The last resource of an infatuated obstinacy! If they were asleep, how could they know that the disciples stole the body? St. Chrysostom comments well on the infamous transaction, "How did they steal him? O most foolish of all men! For because of the clearness and conspicuousness of the truth, they are not even able to make up a falsehood. For indeed, what they said was highly incredible, and the falsehood had not even speciousness. For how, I ask, did the disciples steal him, men poor and unlearned, and not venturing so much as to show themselves? What? was not a seal put upon it? What? were there not many watchmen and soldiers and Jews stationed round it? What? did not those men suspect this very thing, and take thought, and break their rest, and are in anxiety about it? And wherefore, moreover, did they steal it? That they might feign the doctrine of the resurrection? And how should it enter their minds to feign such a thing - men who were well content to be hidden and to live? And how could they remove the stone that was made sure? How could they have escaped the observation of so many? Nay, though they had despised death, they would not have attempted without purpose and fruitlessly to venture in defiance of so many who were on the watch. And that moreover they were timorous, what they had done before showed clearly: at least, when they saw him seized, all rushed away from him. If, then, at that time they did not dare so much as to stand their ground when they saw him alive, how when he was dead could they but have feared such a number of soldiers?" ('Hem.,' 90.).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[and] instructed them:
λέγοντες (legontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

“You are to say,
Εἴπατε (Eipate)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

‘His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

disciples
μαθηταὶ (mathētai)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3101: A learner, disciple, pupil. From manthano; a learner, i.e. Pupil.

came
ἐλθόντες (elthontes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

by night
νυκτὸς (nyktos)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3571: The night, night-time. A primary word; 'night'.

[and] stole
ἔκλεψαν (eklepsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2813: To steal. A primary verb; to filch.

His [body]
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

{while} we
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

were asleep.’
κοιμωμένων (koimōmenōn)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 2837: From keimai; to put to sleep, i.e. to slumber; figuratively, to decease.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 28:13 Saying Say that his disciples came (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 28:12
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