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Luke 23:51
ESV who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God.
NIV who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.
NASB (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God—
CSB who had not agreed with their plan and action. He was from Arimathea, a Judean town, and was looking forward to the kingdom of God.
NLT but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.
KJV The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.
NKJV He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.

What does Luke 23:51 mean?

Jesus has died and Joseph of Arimathea wants to bury Him. Joseph is a respected member of the Sanhedrin. Luke describes him as "a good and righteous man" (Luke 23:50). When the council declared Jesus blasphemous and delivered him to Pilate as an enemy of Rome, Joseph didn't agree. He is a disciple of Jesus, but he is still afraid of his fellow Jewish leaders (John 19:38). It's possible he skipped the meeting of the Sanhedrin early that morning (Luke 22:66–71) as well as those before Pilate (Luke 23:1–5) so his devotion to Jesus wouldn't be discovered.

Earlier in Luke, Simeon was described as "righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Isarel" (Luke 2:25). When he saw the baby Jesus, Simeon immediately knew Him to be God's salvation (Luke 2:27–32). The character quality of "righteous" is related to Simeon's "waiting" and Joseph's "looking for." "The righteous shall live by faith," Paul says (Galatians 3:11; cf. Habakkuk 2:4). Both men wait for God's redemption of Israel.

Joseph has had the added benefit of hearing Jesus talk about how the kingdom of God is near. Even now, when the man he knows is the Christ hangs dead, he has faith. Requesting Jesus' body was bold. In doing so, Joseph identified himself with Jesus, whom the Sanhedrin clearly despised and who had been officially marked as a criminal by Rome, even if Pilate knew His innocence. Such a burial was unusual treatment for a man who had been condemned to the humiliation of crucifixion. But Joseph "[takes] courage" (Mark 15:43) and approaches Pilate (Luke 23:52). With Nicodemus, another covert disciple, he wraps Jesus' body in aromatics and lays Him in his own tomb (John 19:39–42).
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