Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Mark: Chapter 15].
sons of Zebedee" (Mt 27:56). Only in Mark.
15:41 {Followed him and ministered unto him} (\•kolouthoun kai
di•konoun aut•i\). Two imperfects describing the long Galilean
ministry of these three women and many other women in Galilee
(Lu 8:1-3) who came up with him (\hai sunanab•sai aut•i\) to
Jerusalem. This summary description in Mark is paralleled in Mt
27:55f. and Lu 23:49. These faithful women were last at the
Cross as they stood afar and saw the dreadful end to all their
hopes.
15:42 {The preparation} (\paraskeu•\). Mark explains the term as
meaning "the day before the sabbath" (\prosabbaton\), that is our
Friday, which began at sunset. See discussion on ¯Mt 27:57. The
Jews had already taken steps to get the bodies removed (Joh
19:31).
15:43 {A councillor of honourable estate} (\eusch•m•n
bouleut•s\). A senator or member of the Sanhedrin of high
standing, rich (Mt 27:57). {Looking for the Kingdom of God}
(\•n prosdechomenos t•n basileian tou theou\). Periphrastic
imperfect. Also Lu 23:51. The very verb used by Luke of Simeon
and Anna (Lu 2:25,38). Mt 27:57 calls him "Jesus' disciple"
while Joh 19:38 adds "secretly for fear of the Jews." He had
evidently taken no public stand for Jesus before now. {Boldly}
(\tolm•sas\). Aorist (ingressive) active participle, becoming
bold. It is the glory of Joseph and Nicodemus, secret disciples
of Jesus, that they took a bold stand when the rest were in
terror and dismay. That is love psychology, paradoxical as it may
seem.
15:44 {If he were already dead} (\ei •d• tethn•ken\). Perfect
active indicative with \ei\ after a verb of wondering, a
classical idiom, a kind of indirect question just as we say "I
wonder if." Usually death by crucifixion was lingering. This item
is only in Mark. {Whether he had been any while dead} (\ei palai
apethanen\). B D read \•d•\ (already) again here instead of
\palai\ (a long time). Mark does not tell the request of the Jews
to Pilate that the legs of the three might be broken (Joh
19:31-37). Pilate wanted to make sure that Jesus was actually
dead by official report.
15:45 {Granted the corpse} (\ed•r•sato to pt•ma\). This official
information was necessary before the burial. As a matter of fact
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