The Meaning of John 19:41 Explained

John 19:41

KJV: Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.

YLT: and there was in the place where he was crucified a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one was yet laid;

Darby: But there was in the place where he had been crucified a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid.

ASV: Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new tomb wherein was never man yet laid.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now  in  the place  where  he was crucified  there was  a garden;  and  in  the garden  a new  sepulchre,  wherein  was  never  man  yet  laid. 

What does John 19:41 Mean?

Verse Meaning

John is the only evangelist who recorded that there was a garden and an unused new tomb near the place of Jesus" crucifixion. The tomb was probably an artificial cave in the limestone, several examples of which are observable in Palestine today. Matthew noted that the garden and its tomb belonged to Joseph ( Matthew 27:60). John"s mention of the garden prepares for his reference later to a gardener ( John 20:15). His reference to the tomb being new and unused prepares for the Resurrection in which no other corpse was in the tomb ( John 20:8; John 20:12).
"The fall of the first Adam took place in a garden; and it was in a garden that the second Adam redeemed mankind from the consequences of Adam"s transgression." [1]
The site was probably not the "Garden Tomb" near Gordon"s Calvary since Jesus" tomb would have been closer to the crucifixion site that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher now covers. Jesus" tomb could have been quite similar in appearance to this "Garden Tomb," however.

Context Summary

John 19:38-42 - Love-Impelled Services
In that supreme hour Christ's secret disciples revealed their true heroism, and carried Him to the garden sepulcher. It had been written that the Messiah would make His grave with the rich, Isaiah 53:9; that prophecy seemed unlikely of fulfillment until Joseph and Nicodemus stood forth, in the darkest hour, as confessors of their faith and reverence. There are more friends of Christ in the world than we know of. They sit in our legislatures, our councils, and we meet them day by day as we go about our work. Although they give no outward sign of love or loyalty, they are forming secret resolves in their hearts, and the time will come when the fires of their love will burn the bushel that hides it, and they will avow themselves on the Lord's side. Let us plead with such, however, not to waste these precious years. How much Joseph and Nicodemus missed of Christ's inner fellowship by this long delay!
It was a royal burial. Love carried the body; sweet spices scented the air; a new-hewn grave received the precious treasure; and angels mounted guard. Remember that wherever the Cross of Jesus is erected, whether in the soul for the daily crucifixion of the flesh, or in the life by self-sacrifice for others, gardens will inevitably bloom. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 19

1  Jesus is scourged, crowned with thorns, and beaten
4  Pilate is desirous to release him,
15  but being overcome with the outrage of the crowd, he delivers him to be crucified
23  They cast lots for his garments
25  He commends his mother to John
28  He dies
31  His side is pierced
38  He is buried by Joseph and Nicodemus

Greek Commentary for John 19:41

A garden [κηπος]
See John 18:1, John 18:26. New Fresh, unused. Was never yet laid Periphrastic past perfect passive of τιτημι — tithēmi It was Joseph‘s mausoleum, a rock tomb hewn out of the mountain side (Mark 15:46; Matthew 27:60; Luke 23:53), a custom common with the rich then and now. For royal tombs in gardens see 2 Kings 21:18, 2 Kings 21:26; Nehemiah 3:16. [source]
A garden []
Mentioned by John only. [source]
New [καινὸν]
See on Matthew 26:29. John omits the detail of the tomb being hewn in the rock, which is common to all the Synoptists. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 19:41

Mark 15:46 Wound [ενειλησεν]
This word is only here in the N.T. As εντυλισσω — entulissō is only in Matthew 27:59; Luke 23:53; John 20:7. Both verbs occur in the papyri, Plutarch, etc. They both mean to wrap, wind, roll in. The body of Jesus was wound in the linen cloth bought by Joseph and the hundred pounds of spices brought by Nicodemus (John 19:39) for burying were placed in the folds of the linen and the linen was bound around the body by strips of cloth (John 19:40). The time was short before the sabbath began and these two reverently laid the body of the Master in Joseph‘s new tomb, hewn out of a rock. The perfect passive participle For further details see Matthew 27:57-60. Luke 23:53 and John 19:41 also tell of the new tomb of Joseph. Some modern scholars think that this very tomb has been identified in Gordon‘s Calvary north of the city. [source]
Luke 13:19 Cast into his own garden [εβαλεν εις κηπον εαυτου]
Different from “earth” (Mark) or “field” (Matthew.)” Κηπος — Kēpos old word for garden, only here in the N.T. and John 19:1, John 19:26; John 19:41.Became a tree (εγενετο εις δενδρον — egeneto eis dendron). Common Hebraism, very frequent in lxx, only in Luke in the N.T., but does appear in Koiné though rare in papyri; this use of εις — eis after words like κατεσκηνωσεν — ginomai It is a translation Hebraism in Luke.Lodged Mark and Matthew have kataskēnoin infinitive of the same verb, to make tent (or nest). [source]
John 18:1 With [συν]
See John 12:2 for another example of συν — sun in John (common in Paul). The usual μετα — meta reappears in John 18:2. Over “Beyond,” preposition with the ablative as in John 6:22, John 6:25. Brook Old word, flowing Literally, “of the Cedars,” “Brook of the Cedars.” Only here in N.T. So 2 Samuel 15:23. Textus Receptus like Josephus (Ant. VIII, 1, 5) has the singular κηπος — tou Kedrōn (indeclinable). As a matter of fact it was always dry save after a heavy rain. A garden (kēpos). Old word, in N.T. only here, John 18:26; John 19:41 (Joseph‘s); Luke 13:19. John, like Luke, does not give the name Gethsemane (only in Mark 14:32; Matthew 26:36). The brook of the cedars had many unhallowed associations (1 Kings 2:37; 1 Kings 15:13; 2 Kings 23:4.; 2 Chronicles 29:16; Jeremiah 31:40). [source]
John 18:1 Over [περαν]
“Beyond,” preposition with the ablative as in John 6:22, John 6:25. Brook Old word, flowing Literally, “of the Cedars,” “Brook of the Cedars.” Only here in N.T. So 2 Samuel 15:23. Textus Receptus like Josephus (Ant. VIII, 1, 5) has the singular κηπος — tou Kedrōn (indeclinable). As a matter of fact it was always dry save after a heavy rain. A garden (kēpos). Old word, in N.T. only here, John 18:26; John 19:41 (Joseph‘s); Luke 13:19. John, like Luke, does not give the name Gethsemane (only in Mark 14:32; Matthew 26:36). The brook of the cedars had many unhallowed associations (1 Kings 2:37; 1 Kings 15:13; 2 Kings 23:4.; 2 Chronicles 29:16; Jeremiah 31:40). [source]
John 18:1 Brook [χειμαρρου]
Old word, flowing Literally, “of the Cedars,” “Brook of the Cedars.” Only here in N.T. So 2 Samuel 15:23. Textus Receptus like Josephus (Ant. VIII, 1, 5) has the singular κηπος — tou Kedrōn (indeclinable). As a matter of fact it was always dry save after a heavy rain. A garden (kēpos). Old word, in N.T. only here, John 18:26; John 19:41 (Joseph‘s); Luke 13:19. John, like Luke, does not give the name Gethsemane (only in Mark 14:32; Matthew 26:36). The brook of the cedars had many unhallowed associations (1 Kings 2:37; 1 Kings 15:13; 2 Kings 23:4.; 2 Chronicles 29:16; Jeremiah 31:40). [source]

What do the individual words in John 19:41 mean?

There was now in the place where He was crucified a garden and garden a tomb new which not yet no one was laid
Ἦν δὲ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ὅπου ἐσταυρώθη κῆπος καὶ κήπῳ μνημεῖον καινόν οὐδέπω οὐδεὶς ἦν τεθειμένος

Ἦν  There  was 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
τόπῳ  place 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: τόπος 
Sense: place, any portion or space marked off, as it were from surrounding space.
ὅπου  where 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὅπου  
Sense: where, whereas.
ἐσταυρώθη  He  was  crucified 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: σταυρόω  
Sense: to stake, drive down stakes.
κῆπος  a  garden 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κῆπος  
Sense: a garden.
κήπῳ  garden 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: κῆπος  
Sense: a garden.
μνημεῖον  a  tomb 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: μνημεῖον  
Sense: any visible object for preserving or recalling the memory of any person or thing.
καινόν  new 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: καινός  
Sense: new.
οὐδέπω  not  yet 
Parse: Adverb
Root: οὐδέπω  
Sense: not yet, not as yet.
οὐδεὶς  no  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οὐδείς 
Sense: no one, nothing.
τεθειμένος  laid 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: τίθημι  
Sense: to set, put, place.