Mark 16:1-8

Context

The Resurrection

16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought aromatic spices¹ so that they might go and anoint him. 16:2 And very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 16:3 They had been asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 16:4 But² when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled back. 16:5 Then³ as they went into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe⁴ sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 16:6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.⁵ He has been raised!⁶ He is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid him. 16:7 But go, tell his disciples, even Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” 16:8 Then⁷ they went out and ran from the tomb, for terror and bewilderment had seized them.⁸ And they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

[16:1] ¹tn On this term see BDAG 140 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these materials were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition.

[16:4] ²tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[16:5] ³tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[16:5] ⁴sn Mark does not explicitly identify the young man dressed in a white robe as an angel (though the white robe suggests this), but Matthew does (Matt 28:2).

[16:6] ⁵sn See the note on Crucify in 15:13.

[16:6] ⁶tn The verb here is passive (ἠγέρθη, hgerqh). This “divine passive” (see ExSyn 437-38) points to the fact that Jesus was raised by God.

[16:8] ⁷tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[16:8] ⁸tn Grk “they began to have trembling and bewilderment.”