| Matthew 28:4 | |
|---|---|
← 28:3 28:5 → | |
 Johann Heinrich Schönfeld's depiction of the angel guiding the risen Jesus past the collapsed guards | |
| Book | Gospel of Matthew |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
Matthew 28:4 is the fourth verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse is part of the resurrection narrative; describing the reaction of the tomb guards after the arrival of the angel of the Lord and the occurrence of an earthquake that opened the tomb.
The original Koine Greek, according to Westcott and Hort, reads:
In the King James Version of the Bible it is translated as:
The modern World English Bible translates the passage as:
This verse returns to the guards, literally "those keeping [watch]" (Ancient Greek : οἱ τηροῦντες, hoi tērountes [1] ), who appeared throughout Matthew's crucifixion narrative, but not in the other gospels. The same words are used for the guards as those at the crucifixion introduced at Matthew 27:36. [2] Those guards are also frightened by an earthquake at Matthew 27:54, but in that instance the guards are converted, whereas here these guards are fearful, but give no indication of conversion. [3] In Mark it is the women who are afraid of the angel, but in Matthew, the women were bystanders and the line about fear was transferred from the women to the guards. [2]
For Robert Gundry, the weakness of the guards serves to contrast with the angel's power. That the guards are now as dead, while Jesus is alive, also serves as an ironic reversal. [4] It is also something of a pun to have the guards "shake" ("tremble" or "shaken", from Greek: ἐσείσθησαν, eseisthēsan ; [1] a plural equivalent of [the earth was] "shaken" from singular ἐσείσθη, eseisthē , in Matthew 27:51) when confronted with an earthquake, perhaps reflecting the author of Matthew's fondness for wordplay. [2]
Falling "like dead" occurs again in the New Testament at Revelation 1:17, where John did so when presented with his vision of 'the exalted Son of Man'. [2] Similar expressions are also used in contemporary Greco-Roman pagan literature when mortals are confronted by gods. [5] Fear is also the standard reaction in the Bible when confronted by the divine, and this verse is a variation on the expression "fear and trembling" that commonly describes such incidents. [6]
The collapse of the guards removes them from the rest of this section of the narrative. Eduard Schweizer notes that the fainting of the guards and the possible absence of the women at this point indicate that Jesus may have emerged physically from the tomb during the period when no witnesses could have seen him. [7]
Matthew 5:26 is the twenty-sixth verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has just warned that if you do not reconcile with your enemies a judge is likely to throw you in jail. In this verse Jesus mentions that your debts must be paid completely before one can leave.
Matthew 27:3 is the third verse of the twenty-seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse returns to the story of Judas Iscariot who, in the previous chapter, had accepted payment to betray Jesus to the Jewish authorities. This verse opens the story of Judas' remorse and death, interrupting the Gospel's narrative regarding the trials of Jesus.
Matthew 28:1 is the first verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse opens the resurrection narrative as Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" visit Jesus' tomb after the crucifixion.
Matthew 28:3 is the third verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse is part of the resurrection narrative and describes the angel who arrived at the tomb of Jesus in the previous verse.
Matthew 28:2 is the second verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse is part of the resurrection narrative. Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" were approaching Jesus' tomb after the crucifixion, when an earthquake occurred and an angel appeared.
Matthew 28:5–6 are the fifth and sixth verses of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Both verses form part of the resurrection narrative. An angel has appeared at the empty tomb and now gives instructions to Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary".
Matthew 28:7 is the seventh verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse is part of the resurrection narrative. An angel has appeared at the empty tomb and in this verse he continues his instructions to Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary".
Matthew 28:8 is the eighth verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse is part of the resurrection narrative. Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" had just encountered an angel who has appeared at the empty tomb of Jesus, and in this verse they leave to bear the angel's message.
Matthew 28:9 is the ninth verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse is part of the resurrection narrative. Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" are leaving the empty tomb of Jesus after encountering an angel, and in this verse they encounter the risen Jesus.
Matthew 28:10 is the tenth verse of the twenty-eighth chapter in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse is part of the resurrection narrative. Having left the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" are on their way to meet the other disciples, when Jesus meets with them. In this verse the risen Jesus speaks with them.
Matthew 28:11 is the eleventh verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse is part of the resurrection narrative. In this verse some of the guards at the tomb return to Jerusalem to report to the chief priests.
Matthew 28:12 is the twelfth verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse is part of the resurrection narrative. In this verse the guards of the tomb, after being present for an angel hearkening the resurrection, are bribed by the priests to lie about what they saw.
Matthew 28:13 is the thirteenth verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse is part of the resurrection narrative. In this verse the guards of the tomb, after being present for an angel hearkening the resurrection, were told what to say by the priests of Jerusalem after being bribed.
Matthew 27:61 is the sixty-first verse of the twenty-seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse describes two women waiting by the Tomb of Jesus after the crucifixion.
Matthew 27:60 is the sixtieth verse of the twenty-seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse describes the Entombment of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea after the crucifixion.
Matthew 27:57 is the fifty-seventh verse of the twenty-seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse begins a discussion of the burial of Jesus and introduces Joseph of Arimathea.
Matthew 27:11 is the eleventh verse of the twenty-seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse brings the narrative back to Pilate's Court, and the final trial of Jesus.
Matthew 27:5 is the fifth verse of the twenty-seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse continues the final story of Judas Iscariot. In the earlier verse Judas had regretted his decision to betray Jesus, but is met with disinterest from the Jewish leaders. In this verse his response is to return the blood money and then commit suicide.
Matthew 27:1 is the first verse of the twenty-seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse begins the chapter on the trial and crucifixion of Jesus.
Matthew 27:6 is the sixth verse of the twenty-seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse continues the final story of Judas Iscariot. In the previous verse Judas had cast into the temple the thirty pieces of silver he'd been paid for betraying Jesus. In this verse the priests discuss what to do with them.
| Preceded by Matthew 28:3 | Gospel of Matthew Chapter 28 | Succeeded by Matthew 28:5 |