Matthew 28:13 (DBY)

Passage

saying, Say that his disciples coming by night stole him [while] we [were] sleeping.

Nearby Context

Matthew 28:11 And as they went, behold, some of the watch went into the city, and brought word to the chief priests of all that had taken place.

Matthew 28:12 And having assembled with the elders, and having taken counsel, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

Matthew 28:13 saying, Say that his disciples coming by night stole him [while] we [were] sleeping.

Matthew 28:14 And if this should come to the hearing of the governor, *we* will persuade him, and save *you* from all anxiety.

Matthew 28:15 And they took the money and did as they had been taught. And this report is current among the Jews until this day.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "saying", "disciples", "coming", "night", "stole", and "sleeping". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "saying" and "disciples", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "And having assembled with the elders and..." into verse 14's "And if this should come to the...", so "saying" and "disciples" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "saying" and "disciples" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.