1750. eneileó
Lexical Summary
eneileó: To wrap, to enclose, to envelop

Original Word: ἐνειλέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: eneileó
Pronunciation: en-i-leh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (en-i-leh'-o)
KJV: wrap in
NASB: wrapped
Word Origin: [from G1772 (ἔννομος - lawful) and the base of G1507 (εἱλίσσω - To roll up)]

1. to enwrap

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
wrap in.

From ennomos and the base of heilisso; to enwrap -- wrap in.

see GREEK ennomos

see GREEK heilisso

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from en and eileó (to wind)
Definition
to roll in, to wind in
NASB Translation
wrapped (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1750: ἐνειλέω

ἐνειλέω, ἐνείλω: 1 aorist ἐνείλησα; to roll in, wind in: τινα τίνι, one in anything, Mark 15:46. (1 Samuel 21:9; (Aristotle, mund. 4, p. 396a, 14; Philo), Plutarch, Artemidorus Daldianus, Philostr., others.)

Topical Lexicon
Burial Preparations in First-Century Judaism

Jewish burial practice called for the body to be washed, anointed with spices, and wrapped in clean linen before sundown (Genesis 50:2-3; John 19:40). Linen symbolized purity and honor, setting a sharp contrast with the shame of crucifixion. The single New Testament occurrence of Strong’s 1750, found in Mark 15:46, captures this critical moment: “Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a tomb cut out of the rock”. The verb underscores deliberate, reverent care for the Lord’s body in accord with Jewish custom and Mosaic law regarding the treatment of the dead (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).

Joseph of Arimathea’s Act of Devotion

Joseph’s bold request of Pilate (Mark 15:43) and his personal handling of the corpse involved ceremonial defilement on the eve of Passover, yet he prioritized honoring Jesus. By wrapping the body himself, Joseph identified with the crucified Messiah, fulfilling Proverbs 10:12’s call that “love covers all transgressions.” His act also publicly certified Jesus’ death; a living victim would not have been entrusted to a respected council member nor sealed in a prominent garden tomb.

Prophetic Resonances

The righteous burial foretold in Isaiah 53:9—“He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but He was with a rich man in His death”—finds tangible expression in the linen shroud obtained by a “prominent member of the Council.” The careful wrapping links the Passion narratives to Psalm 16:10, “You will not abandon My soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay,” for the cloth would preserve the body from immediate decomposition until resurrection dawn.

Witness to the Reality of Death and Resurrection

The existence of the linens became evidentiary proof at the empty tomb. John 20:5-7 records that Peter “saw the linen cloths lying there” and “the cloth that had been around Jesus’ head, folded up by itself”. The body had been wrapped; now only the wrappings remained, contradicting any claim of grave robbery and underscoring bodily resurrection. Likewise Acts 13:29 testifies, “When they had carried out all that was written about Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb,” echoing Mark’s wording and confirming apostolic proclamation of Christ’s literal death and burial.

Pastoral and Theological Reflections

1. Christ’s burial validates His true humanity; He did not merely appear to die.
2. The respectful wrapping exemplifies Christian compassion toward the dead, anticipating the final victory when mortal bodies are “sown in dishonor, raised in glory” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).
3. The linen points to clothing imagery throughout Scripture—garments of salvation (Isaiah 61:10) replacing the shroud of death (Isaiah 25:7-8).
4. Joseph’s courage calls believers to identify with Christ publicly, even when it carries social or religious cost.

Related Scriptural Texts

Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53; John 19:40; John 20:5-7; Acts 13:29; Isaiah 53:9; Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 25:7-8; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44; Deuteronomy 21:22-23.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Funerary care: Christians imitate Joseph’s dignified treatment of the deceased, affirming the body’s future resurrection.
• Holy Week observance: Meditation on the wrapping enriches Good Friday vigils and Holy Saturday silence, highlighting the cost of redemption.
• Evangelism: The historical details of Jesus’ burial provide concrete evidence of the gospel’s factual basis (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Hymnody and Liturgical Echoes

Traditional hymns such as “Man of Sorrows, What a Name” and “Were You There When They Laid Him in the Tomb” draw on the imagery of the linen shroud. Liturgically, the placement of a white pall over a casket echoes the wrapping in Mark 15:46, visually proclaiming hope in the resurrection of the body.

Forms and Transliterations
ενειλημμένη ενείλησε ενειλησεν ἐνείλησεν eneilesen eneilēsen eneílesen eneílēsen
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Mark 15:46 V-AIA-3S
GRK: καθελὼν αὐτὸν ἐνείλησεν τῇ σινδόνι
NAS: took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth
KJV: took him down, and wrapped him
INT: having taken down him he wrapped [him] in the linen cloth

Strong's Greek 1750
1 Occurrence


ἐνείλησεν — 1 Occ.

1749
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