John 19:39 · Bible study
John 19:39 Commentary: Nicodemus's Lavish Gift of Myrrh and Aloes
Greek · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the significance of Nicodemus's 100-pound gift of myrrh and aloes in Jesus's burial, a public act of devotion from a secret disciple.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Nicodemus publicly honors Jesus’s body with a massive quantity of costly spices, marking his transformation from secret disciple to bold mourner.
- Key words: μίγμα (mixture, only here in NT), λίτρας (Roman pounds), σμύρνη and ἀλόη (myrrh and aloes, aromatic spices used in burial and royal perfumery).
- Main debate: Whether the 100 pounds (Roman) was literal or an approximation, and whether the text originally read μίγμα (mixture) or ἕλιγμα (roll).
- Theological theme: Costly devotion awakened by the cross; hidden discipleship brought into the open by Jesus’s death.
- Best use: A sermon on courageous love that acts when it seems too late, and the hope that no gift to Christ is wasted.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred Roman pounds.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And there came also Nicodemus, he who at the first came to him by night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and Nicodemus also came--who came unto Jesus by night at the first--bearing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, as it were, a hundred pounds.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Nicodemus also, who at first came to Jesus by night, came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds [weight].
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And Nicodemus also came (he who at the first came to Jesus by night), bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y vino también Nicodemo, el que antes había venido á Jesús de noche, trayendo un compuesto de mirra y de áloes, como cien libras.
E veio também Nicodemos, (aquele que antes de noite tinha vindo a Jesus) trazendo um composto de mirra e aloés, de quase cem arráteis.
Nicodème, qui auparavant était allé de nuit vers Jésus, vint aussi, apportant un mélange d’ environ cent livres de myrrhe et d’aloès.
Es kam aber auch Nikodemus, der vormals in der Nacht zu Jesus gekommen war, und brachte Myrrhe und Aloe untereinander bei hundert Pfunden.
En Nicodemus kwam ook (die des nachts tot Jezus eerst gekomen was), brengende een mengsel van mirre en aloe; omtrent honderd ponden gewichts.
E Nicodemo, che da prima era venuto a Gesù di notte, venne anche egli, portando una mistura di mirra e d’aloe di circa cento libbre.
Przyszedł też i Nikodem, (który był przedtem przyszedł w nocy do Jezusa), niosąc zmieszanej myrry i aloes, około sta funtów.
Пришел также и Никодим, — приходивший прежде к Иисусу ночью, — и принес состав из смирны и алоя, литр около ста.
又有 尼哥底母，就是 先前 夜裡 去 見 耶穌的，帶著 沒藥 和 沉香 約有 一百 斤 前來。
And Nicodemus came (he who had first come to Jesus by night) with a roll of myrrh and aloes mixed, about a hundred pounds.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · John 19:39
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin and secret disciple (John 3:1, 2), now acts boldly. He brings an enormous quantity of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred Roman pounds, roughly 75 modern pounds. The Cambridge Bible calls it “a rich man’s proof of devotion, and possibly of remorse for a timidity in the past which now seemed irremediable.” Adam Clarke notes that Jewish funerals of the wealthy could use large amounts of spices: five hundred servants carried aromatics at Herod’s funeral, and R. Gamaliel the elder had eighty pounds. The large amount shows extraordinary honor. Vincent's Word Studies observes that the Greek verb for Nicodemus’s coming (ἦλθεν) contrasts his first night visit with this public appearance. The mysterious phrase “who at the first came to Jesus by night” underlines the transformation: the same man who feared the dark now anoints the dead body of his Lord in broad daylight.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Practical burial: The huge quantity was needed to cover Jesus's entire body and the couch of the tomb, as in 2 Chronicles 16:14.
- Extravagant devotion: The cost and amount exceed practical need; they reflect Nicodemus's love and possibly remorse.
- Messianic royal anointing: Myrrh and aloes in the Old Testament (Psalm 45:8, Song of Solomon 4:14) are associated with kings and weddings, pointing to Jesus's kingship even in death.
What is clear: Nicodemus, a Sanhedrin member and secret disciple, publicly joined Joseph of Arimathea to honor Jesus's body with a very costly gift of aromatic spices.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity of spices | All commentators agree Nicodemus brought a very large amount (about 100 Roman pounds, roughly 75 modern pounds), indicating extraordinary honor. | Some critics (cited by Clarke) propose the text should read 'a mixture of about a pound each' instead of 'a hundred pounds,' but the manuscript evidence strongly supports the larger number. |
| Textual variant: μίγμα vs. ἕλιγμα | Both terms appear in manuscripts; μίγμα (mixture) is the majority reading, but ἕλιγμα (roll) is found in two early uncials. | The variant does not change the main point, spices were brought in large quantity, but affects how they were applied (loose mixture vs. rolled in cloth). |
| Nicodemus’s motivation | His gift shows love and respect for Jesus, and likely reflects a new boldness after Jesus’s death. | Some see remorse for his earlier timidity (Cambridge Bible, Meyer); others see the natural devotion of a disciple who finally acts publicly. The text does not assign a single motive. |
| Symbolic meaning of myrrh and aloes | These spices were associated with royal burial (2 Chronicles 16:14) and with love poetry (Psalm 45:8, Song of Solomon 4:14). | Interpreters differ on whether the primary reference is to a king’s funeral (messianic honor) or to the practical purpose of covering the body and the couch in the tomb (Meyer). Both layers may be present. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Nicodemus first appeared in John 3, by night, cautious and questioning. Now he walks in the open, after the crucifixion. John recalls that earlier visit with the phrase “who at the first came to Jesus by night”, literally “the one having come to him by night at the first” (τὸ πρῶτον). The word order emphasizes the contrast: the same person, the same verb (ἔρχομαι), but a radically different setting.
Jewish burial customs called for wrapping the body in linen with aromatic spices to slow decay and honor the dead. Myrrh was a resin used in embalming and perfume; aloe-wood was pounded for its fragrance. The mixture (μίγμα, a word used only here in the New Testament) was likely a powdered blend. A hundred Roman pounds (roughly 1200 ounces) was not unheard of for a rich man’s funeral. Clarke cites Josephus: at the funeral of Herod, five hundred servants carried spices. The Hebrew Bible also links myrrh and aloes with royalty and love (Psalm 45:8; Song of Solomon 4:14). Some manuscripts read “roll” (ἕλιγμα) rather than “mixture,” suggesting the spices were wrapped in a cloth or rolled into the linen.
The phrase “a hundred pounds” stands without a definite article, it means “about a hundred pounds,” generous but inexact. The cost would have been staggering: myrrh alone was worth gold. Nicodemus, a wealthy member of the council (Matthew Henry notes his riches), spared no expense. The gift prepared Jesus’s body for burial in a new tomb nearby, fitting the urgency of the coming Sabbath.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note two minor textual variants. First, the word for “mixture” (μίγμα) appears in most manuscripts, but the two best early uncials (Sinaiticus and Vaticanus) read ἕλιγμα, meaning “a roll” or “a bundle”, perhaps the spices were rolled into the linen. Second, some later witnesses attempt to clarify the weight, but “about a hundred pounds” is well established. The variant does not affect the overall sense: Nicodemus brought a very large quantity of aromatic spices.
Reception History
Throughout church history, John 19:39 has been prized for showing how the cross draws hidden disciples into the open. Early Christian writers such as Cyril of Alexandria saw in Nicodemus a model of the secret believer who is finally emboldened by Christ’s sacrifice. Medieval art often paired Nicodemus with Joseph of Arimathea, depicting them lowering Jesus’s body into the tomb. In the Reformation, commentators like Matthew Henry emphasized that costly burial spices were an act of worship, not waste. The large quantity has also been read as a fulfillment of the royal imagery in Psalm 45:8, connecting Jesus’s burial to the coronation of a king. Modern preachers frequently use the verse to invite those who have remained quiet about their faith to step forward, even when it feels late.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The quiet follower steps into the light. Nicodemus came by night; now he comes at the brink of Sabbath, in plain sight of his Sanhedrin colleagues. What made the difference? The cross.
- Lavish love is never wasted. A hundred pounds of spices for a body that would rise in three days, and yet Jesus accepted this gift as the honor it was (cf. Mark 14:3, 9). Extravagant devotion does not calculate return.
- Burial spices become resurrection fragrance. The spices that anoint a corpse point to the burial of our old selves and the hope that death is not the end.
Five-point outline
- Nicodemus’s two comings. Night (fear) → day (courage). The same verb (ἦλθεν) brackets his story.
- The cost of true discipleship. Myrrh and aloes were luxury goods. This gift cost a fortune.
- A silent witness. Joseph begged the body; Nicodemus brought the spices. No words recorded, action speaks.
- Contrast with the disciples. They had fled. Nicodemus and Joseph step in where the Twelve failed.
- The provisional burial. Because of Sabbath, the anointing was incomplete, leading to the women’s visit on Easter morning (Mark 16:1).
Illustration hooks
- Funeral honor. In many cultures, the family pays for an elaborate funeral as a final expression of love, even when the deceased would have wanted something simpler. That impulse is not wasted; it is reverence.
- A public apology. Someone who hurt a friend and hid in silence, then stands up at that friend’s memorial to speak the truth. That is Nicodemus: his courage came “too late” for a living Jesus, but not too late for honor.
- Expensive perfume. Recall the woman who poured alabaster on Jesus’s feet (John 12:3). Judas called it waste. Jesus called it a beautiful thing. Nicodemus’s spices belong to that same tradition.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Was Nicodemus saved all along, or did the cross finally bring him to faith?
- Is it okay to spend lavishly on things that honor God even when they seem impractical?
- What do I do if I feel I have come to faith “too late” to serve Jesus in his lifetime?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows how the death of Jesus draws out hidden believers. Nicodemus had come by night, full of questions (John 3). Now he brings 75 pounds of precious spices to anoint a corpse, a risk that could cost him his seat in the Sanhedrin. The group can explore what changed him, and whether we share his caution or his courage.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think John reminds us that Nicodemus “at the first came to Jesus by night”? What contrast is he drawing?
- What does the quantity of spices (about 75 modern pounds) tell you about Nicodemus? Was it love, remorse, or something else?
- Joseph of Arimathea asked for the body; Nicodemus brought the spices. How did they work together? What does that say about the body of Christ today?
- If you had been a secret disciple before the crucifixion, would the cross make you bolder or more afraid? Why?
- Read Psalm 45:8 and Song of Solomon 4:14. Myrrh and aloes appear in royal and romantic contexts. Does that change how you read Nicodemus’s gift?
- Nicodemus’s gift was used for a body that would soon rise. Did God “waste” that devotion? How should we think about acts of love that seem to go unused?
- How can your small group show costly, tangible honor to Jesus today, not in his physical body, but in his people and his mission?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Chronicles 16:14 | They buried him in his own tomb, which he had dug out for himself in David’s city, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odors and various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumers’ art; and they made a very great fire for him. |
| Psalms 45:8 | All your garments smell like myrrh, aloes, and cassia. Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made you glad. |
| Proverbs 7:17 | I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. |
| Song of Solomon 4:6 | Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away, I will go to the mountain of myrrh, to the hill of frankincense. |
| Song of Solomon 4:14 | spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree; myrrh and aloes, with all the best spices, |
| Matthew 12:20 | He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory. |
| Matthew 19:30 | But many will be last who are first, and first who are last. |
| Mark 16:1 | When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke defends the hundred-pound quantity of myrrh and aloes as historically plausible, noting that lavish use of spices was a standard honor for important burials. He cites Jewish funeral practices using similarly large amounts and clarifies that the aloes mentioned was a fragrant tree resin, not the modern bitter aloe plant.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary highlights the dramatic contrasts John loves to draw, especially between the four enemies at the cross and the four friends who care for Jesus' body. Nicodemus's huge gift of myrrh and aloes is seen as a rich man's act of devotion, possibly driven by regret for his earlier timidity.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And there came also Nicodemus (which first came to Iesus by night) and brought of myrrhe and aloes mingled together about an hundreth pound.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that the lavish amount of myrrh and aloes Nicodemus brought was not for embalming or preserving Christ's body but as a costly tribute of honor and respect. He also defends the account against a Jewish objection about the impractical quantity, noting it was carried by servants, not Nicodemus alone.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws attention to how Nicodemus’s lavish gift of a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes mirrors Joseph’s formerly secret discipleship. Both men had been cautious followers, but this extravagant offering now openly declares their transformed devotion to Jesus.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry finds it remarkable that Christ's burial, performed by a secret disciple, was no ordinary funeral but one that conquered the grave and softened it for every believer. Joseph's hidden faith, Henry notes, was both his honor as a disciple and his weakness in not confessing Christ openly.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights the unique Greek word for "mixture" that appears only here in the New Testament. He explains the large quantity of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred Roman pounds, as a deliberate act of extraordinary reverence that the mourners' sorrowful excitement could not easily satisfy.