Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 19:39

"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." — John 19:39 (ASV)

Nicodemus, another distinguished member of the Jewish aristocracy, shared the responsibility for receiving Jesus’ body with Joseph. This marks his third appearance in the gospel (7:45–52). Like Joseph, Nicodemus was a secret disciple whose faith grew slowly. As a member of the Sanhedrin, he had more at stake than the Galilean fishermen who had become followers of Jesus early in his career. His cooperation with Joseph in the burial shows that his faith had finally matured. Neither of these men appears in the Jewish records or traditions of the time, presumably because as traitors to Judaism, their names were erased from the records.

The mixture of spices that Nicodemus provided was a large quantity. Spices were generally imported and were very expensive. Myrrh is a gum exuded by a tree that grows in Arabia and is prized for its perfume. It was one of the gifts of the wise men to Jesus (Matthew 2:11). Aloes are derived from the pulp in the leaves of a plant that belongs to the lily family. This spice is fragrant and bitter to the taste. Used with myrrh, it acts as a drying agent; and the fragrance would counteract the odor of decaying flesh. The quantity of one hundred Roman pounds (about 75 lbs.) reveals both Nicodemus’s wealth and his appreciation of Jesus.