Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
Command {G2753} therefore {G3767} that the sepulchre {G5028} be made sure {G805} until {G2193} the third {G5154} day {G2250}, lest {G3379} his {G846} disciples {G3101} come {G2064} by night {G3571}, and steal {G2813} him {G846} away {G2813}, and {G2532} say {G2036} unto the people {G2992}, He is risen {G1453} from {G575} the dead {G3498}: so {G2532} the last {G2078} error {G4106} shall be {G2071} worse than {G5501} the first {G4413}.
Therefore, order that the grave be made secure till the third day; otherwise the talmidim may come, steal him away and say to the people, `He was raised from the dead'; and the last deception will be worse than the first."
So give the order that the tomb be secured until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him away and tell the people He has risen from the dead. And this last deception would be worse than the first.”
Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest haply his disciples come and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: and the last error will be worse than the first.
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Matthew 28:13
Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him [away] while we slept. -
Matthew 12:45
Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last [state] of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
Matthew 27:64 records the request of the chief priests and Pharisees to Pontius Pilate, seeking to secure Jesus' tomb. Their primary concern was preventing Jesus' disciples from stealing His body and then falsely claiming He had risen from the dead, fearing that such a deception would be more impactful than Jesus' ministry itself.
Context
This verse immediately follows Jesus' crucifixion and burial, which is described in Matthew 27:57-61. The religious leaders, despite their role in Jesus' death, were acutely aware of His repeated prophecies that He would rise on the third day. They recall this prophecy directly to Pilate in Matthew 27:63, demonstrating their deep-seated fear that His words might prove true, or at least that His followers might attempt to fulfill them through fraud. Their request for a Roman guard and a sealed tomb highlights their determination to control the narrative surrounding Jesus' death and prevent any claims of His resurrection.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
Significance & Application
Matthew 27:64 is a pivotal verse because it sets the stage for the irrefutable evidence of Jesus' resurrection. The very measures taken by His enemies to prevent a hoax—the Roman guard and the sealed tomb—served to authenticate the resurrection when the tomb was found empty. Had the tomb not been guarded, the disciples' claim could have been dismissed as a simple theft. Instead, the secured tomb meant the only logical explanation for its emptiness was a supernatural event.
This passage underscores God's sovereignty, demonstrating that human attempts to thwart divine plans often inadvertently facilitate them. The religious leaders' efforts to suppress the truth ultimately highlighted the undeniable power of God at work in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For believers, this account strengthens faith in the historical reality of the resurrection, which is the cornerstone of Christian doctrine (1 Corinthians 15:14). The empty tomb, guarded by Roman soldiers, became undeniable proof of Jesus' victory over death, as recorded in Matthew 28:1-7, and the subsequent attempts by the chief priests to spread a false narrative (Matthew 28:11-15) only further expose their desperate denial of the truth.