Mark 16:5
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The alarm experienced by the women wasn't just fear; it was a profound astonishment. The Scriptures describe a "young man" in a white robe, a detail that highlights how angelic appearances were often perceived as strikingly human, yet overwhelmingly divine, causing a mixture of awe and terror that left them utterly shaken.
The women, seeking to anoint Jesus' body, arrive at the tomb only to find the stone already rolled away, a perplexing sight that immediately alarms them. Upon entering, they encounter a radiant angelic figure, described as a young man in white, who causes them to be overcome with fear and astonishment at this unexpected heavenly visitor.
The women rushed to the tomb with spices and love, but what they found sent them reeling. What could cause such a strong reaction?
As the women entered the tomb, they encountered a "young man" described as being clothed in a "white robe." This wasn't just any person; the context points to a divine messenger.
An Angel's Appearance
They expected an empty tomb, perhaps to mourn. Instead, they found an angel. What does this placement tell us?
The angel's position, "sitting on the right side," is more than just a detail; it's significant within the context of ancient tombs and their arrangements.
Strategic Seating
Understand the original words
ekthambeomai · Greek Verb
A state of intense fear, agitation, or being deeply troubled. It often describes the human reaction to the intrusion of the divine or supernatural into the mundane world.
The alarm of the women upon seeing the angel highlights the sheer unexpectedness of the resurrection, a pivotal event that marked a radical shift from despair to hope for Jesus's followers.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus Crucified and Buried
After Jesus's crucifixion, his body is placed in a tomb by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.
Early Sunday Morning, c. AD 30
Women Visit the Empty Tomb
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome arrive at Jesus's tomb to anoint his body, finding the stone rolled away.
Early Sunday Morning, c. AD 30
Angel Appears at the Tomb
The women enter the tomb and see a young man (an angel) in a white robe, who tells them Jesus has risen.
Sunday, c. AD 30
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
The angel instructs the women to tell Jesus's disciples, and Jesus himself then appears to Mary Magdalene.
Sunday, c. AD 30
This passage describes a similar celestial encounter at the tomb, featuring an angel whose appearance caused fear and alarm in the guards, highlighting the awe-inspiring nature of divine messengers.
Luke 24:4-5Luke's account also mentions the women seeing two men in dazzling apparel inside the tomb, who then address them, showing a parallel to the divine announcement and the women's reaction of fear.
John 20:11-13John focuses on Mary Magdalene's encounter with two angels at the tomb, detailing her distress and their questioning, which provides a different perspective on the immediate aftermath of discovering the empty tomb.
Acts 1:10This verse describes two men in white robes appearing to the disciples after Jesus' ascension, mirroring the 'young man' in Mark's Gospel and reinforcing the symbolism of white garments as a sign of heavenly beings.
cambridgeMark 16:5: "And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted."
5 . And entering into the sepulchre ] This emboldened them all to enter into the tomb, except Mary of Magdala, who, seeing in the rolling away of the stone the confirmation of her worst fears, fled away to the Apostles Peter and John; and there they saw a young man ] or as some of them may have specified, two ( Luke 24:4 ), sitting on the right…
barnesMark 16:5: "And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted."
Sitting on the right side - As they entered. The sepulchre was large enough to admit persons to go into it; not unlike, in that respect, our vaults.
The alarm experienced by the women wasn't just fear; it was a profound astonishment. The Scriptures describe a "young man" in a white robe, a detail that highlights how angelic appearances were often perceived as strikingly human, yet overwhelmingly divine, causing a mixture of awe and terror that left them utterly shaken.
The women, seeking to anoint Jesus' body, arrive at the tomb only to find the stone already rolled away, a perplexing sight that immediately alarms them. Upon entering, they encounter a radiant angelic figure, described as a young man in white, who causes them to be overcome with fear and astonishment at this unexpected heavenly visitor.
The women, seeking to anoint Jesus' body, arrive at the tomb only to find the stone already rolled away, a perplexing sight that immediately alarms them. Upon entering, they encounter a radiant angelic figure, described as a young man in white, who causes them to be overcome with fear and astonishment at this unexpected heavenly visitor.
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Jesus Appears to Disciples
Jesus later appears to his disciples, commissioning them to spread the Gospel throughout the world.
"And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed." — The alarm experienced by the women wasn't just fear; it was a profound astonishment. The Scriptures describe a "young man" in a white robe, a detail that highlights how angelic appearances were often…
