Matthew 28:13 Meaning and Explanation
“Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The leaders instruct the soldiers to claim that the disciples stole the body while they slept.
What Does Matthew 28:13 Mean?
The bribe comes with a script. The soldiers are to say that the disciples crept in by night and stole the body while the guards were asleep. The story is meant to explain away the empty tomb without admitting a resurrection.
The lie collapses under its own weight, for sleeping witnesses could not possibly testify to what happened while they slept. It is the desperate invention of those who cannot deny the empty grave yet refuse to accept its meaning. Falsehood is often like this, forced to contradict itself to survive. Against the clean, simple truth, 'He is risen,' stands a tangled fabrication that everyone involved knows is false. The contrast itself testifies to which account is true.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 28:13
What does Matthew 28:13 mean?
The leaders instruct the soldiers to claim that the disciples stole the body while they slept.