And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
Nicodemus.
John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
John 7:50-52 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) …
Matthew 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
a.
John 12:7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
2 Chronicles 16:14 And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries' art: and they made a very great burning for him.
Song of Solomon 4:6,14 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense…
also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes
Myrrh and aloes were expensive spices used in Jewish burial customs to anoint the body and mask the odor of decay. Myrrh, a resin from certain trees, was also one of the gifts brought by the Magi to Jesus at His birth (Matthew 2:11), symbolizing His future suffering and death. Aloes, derived from a fragrant wood, were used for embalming. The use of these spices signifies honor and respect for Jesus, acknowledging His kingship and the sacredness of His body. This act of anointing is reminiscent of the anointing of kings and priests in the Old Testament, further emphasizing Jesus' role as the Anointed One.
about seventy-five pounds
The large quantity of spices indicates the high regard Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had for Jesus. This amount is far greater than what would typically be used for a common burial, suggesting a burial fit for royalty. The use of such a substantial amount of spices aligns with the burial customs of the wealthy and noble, as seen in the burial of kings in the Old Testament (2 Chronicles 16:14). This act fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 53:9, which states that the Messiah would be with the rich in His death, highlighting the honor and reverence given to Jesus even in His burial.
• “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews” (John 3:1).
• Member of the Sanhedrin, well-versed in Scripture, respected among the people—yet personally drawn to Jesus (John 7:50).
• His presence at the tomb shows a shift from cautious seeker to public supporter, willing to be counted with Jesus even as others desert Him (John 19:25-27).
• “He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God’ ” (John 3:2).
• The cover of darkness once provided safety; now daylight exposure reveals growth in courage (cf. Luke 12:8).
• Reflects the journey from secret curiosity to open confession, paralleling Jesus’ call to move from darkness to light (John 8:12).
• Nicodemus joins Joseph of Arimathea, who “was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews” (John 19:38).
• Together they fulfill Isaiah 53:9—“He was assigned a grave with the wicked, yet He was with a rich man in His death.”
• Their cooperative act models faithful partnership when others stand aloof (cf. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).
• Spices used to honor and preserve the body (Mark 16:1).
• Myrrh appears at Jesus’ birth (Matthew 2:11) and death, bracketing His earthly ministry with the aroma of sacrifice (Ephesians 5:2).
• Aloes, fragrant wood, evoke royal imagery (Psalm 45:8).
• Together they declare Jesus both Sacrifice and King.
• Roughly a talent in weight, far exceeding ordinary Jewish burial customs (cf. Acts 5:6).
• Comparable to the lavish spices used for King Asa (2 Chronicles 16:14), signaling royal homage.
• Financially costly, indicating wholehearted devotion (2 Samuel 24:24).
• Physically heavy, requiring effort—love expressed through costly, tangible service (James 2:17).
John 19:39 captures Nicodemus’ transformation from secret inquirer to bold benefactor. By bringing an extravagant amount of regal spices, he publicly honors Jesus’ kingship and sacrificial death, fulfilling prophecy and demonstrating that genuine faith moves from hidden belief to courageous, costly action.
(39) Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night.--He is mentioned only by St. John. (Comp. Notes on John 3:1-2; John 7:50.)A mixture of myrrh and aloes.--For "myrrh," comp. Note on Matthew 2:11. "Aloes" are not elsewhere mentioned in the New Testament, but they are joined with myrrh in the Messianic Psalm 45:8. The aloe is an Eastern odoriferous wood--to be distinguished from the aloes of commerce--and chips of the better kinds are now said to be worth their weight in gold. The myrrh and aloes were probably pulverised and mixed together, and then placed in the linen in which the body was wrapped.
About an hundred pound weight.--Comp. Notes on John 12:3 et seq. The quantity is clearly much more than could have been placed in the linen which surrounded the body; but the offering was one of love, and part of it may have been placed in the sepulchre. We read of the burial of Asa, that they "laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries' art" (2Chronicles 16:14). . . .
Verse 39. - But there came also Nicodemus who at the first came to him by night pointing back (as the evangelist also does at John 7:50) to the memorable converse with our Lord detailed in John 3:1-20, when Jesus made clear to his visitor that he would be lifted up, even as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness." There is no proof that this "ruler of the Jews" and "master in Israel" had been encouraged by the act of Joseph; but it might seem that these two between them had arranged the costly cerements. There is a world of suggestion lying in this quietly mentioned fact. Doubtless there were many others of timid disposition, who had received deeper convictions than the narrative of the Passion seems to suggest. Nicodemus had said, "We know that thou art a Teacher sent from God." By reason of their unacknowledged faith, the way was prepared for the marvelous conversions of Pentecost and later days. Nicodemus came to the cross, in all probability aided by the loving cares of the women and the disciple whom Jesus loved, bringing a mixture of myrrh, an odoriferous gum, and aloes, a fragrant wood, prepared for the embalming process, about an hundred pounds weight. This was a vast quantity. It reminds the reader of "the myrrh and aloes" of the royal Bridegroom of the Church (Psalm 45.); of the frankincense and myrrh brought by the Wise Men of the East; of the lavish gift of Mary the sister of Lazarus; of the outburst of boundless love which, spite of all the cruel persecution and rejection to which the Lord was exposed, at length was lavished upon him. The myrrh and aloes were pounded and mixed for the purposes of resisting the decomposition of death. The method was entirely to cover the ὀθονίαι, with its pungent and purifying powder, and then to swathe the whole body with the grave-clothes thus enriched.