Matthew 27:66 (WEB)
So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone.
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Matthew 27:66 (KJV)
So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
Key words
- σφραγίσαντες τὸν λίθονsphragisantes ton lithon · Greek
- 'sealing the stone' — the tomb is officially sealed and guarded.
- κουστωδίαkoustōdia · Greek
- 'a watch' — a Roman guard, from the Latin custodia.
Why it matters
The tomb is sealed and guarded, and on Easter morning the stone is still in place when the angel arrives (28:2). Pitre draws on Ephrem, who saw the sealed tomb as a witness to the sealed womb (p 137): Jesus passed out of the closed tomb as he came out of the virginal womb. The resurrection is a kind of birth, and the virgin birth a sign of the resurrection.