Bible Strands
Mark 15:42
Now it was already evening. Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath),
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator records the time and calendar day as the crucifixion account transitions to the burial preparations. This statement occurs after noting the Galilean women who followed Jesus and immediately before Joseph of Arimathea approaches Pilate.
The words — παρασκευὴ (paraskeuē) literally means Preparation and identifies the day before the Sabbath. The clause ἤδη ὀψίας γενομένης (ēdē opsias genomenēs) translates to "already evening having arrived," fixing the chronological boundary.
The thread — This chronological marker runs through Matthew 27:57, Luke 23:50, and John 19:31, which all tie Joseph’s actions to the same Preparation Day and evening deadline. The Gospel writers use this shared temporal reference to synchronize the burial narrative.
Why it lands — The text establishes a strict time limit that forces the burial to occur before sunset. It requires the reader to note the historical urgency that governs the subsequent actions of Joseph and the women.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
Cross-references
- Luke 23:50 Now there was a Council member named Joseph, a good and righteous man,
- Matthew 27:57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself was a disciple of Jesus.
- John 19:31 It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath. In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.
- John 19:38 Afterward, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (but secretly for fear of the Jews), asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and removed His body.