Mark 16 3

Mark 16:3 kjv

And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

Mark 16:3 nkjv

And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"

Mark 16:3 niv

and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"

Mark 16:3 esv

And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?"

Mark 16:3 nlt

On the way they were asking each other, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?"

Mark 16 verses

Mark 16 3 Meaning

Mark 16:3 depicts the concern of Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome as they approach Jesus' tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. Their question, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" reveals their limited expectation, believing Jesus' body to still be inside and needing to overcome a significant physical barrier to anoint it. This human struggle highlights the seemingly insurmountable obstacle presented by the sealed tomb, setting the stage for the miraculous divine intervention that had already occurred.

Mark 16 3 Context

Mark 16:3 immediately follows the depiction of Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome heading to Jesus' tomb on the morning after the Sabbath, bringing spices to anoint Jesus' body, as per Jewish burial customs. Their intent underscores their profound grief and respect for Jesus, yet it also highlights their expectation that His body would still be in the tomb. This specific verse reveals their primary logistical concern upon approaching the tomb: how they would gain access, given the presence of the massive stone seal. It paints a picture of sincere but humanly limited faith, as they seemingly had not fully grasped or remembered Jesus' prophecies of His resurrection. This practical worry sets up a striking contrast with the miraculous reality that unfolds, emphasizing that God's power had already removed the obstacle they feared. The historical context includes the Roman custom of sealing tombs and the use of heavy stones to secure them, ensuring the dead would remain undisturbed.

Mark 16 3 Word analysis

• And they were saying (Greek: kai elegon - καὶ ἔλεγον): The verb elegon is in the imperfect tense, suggesting a continuous or repeated action. It portrays an ongoing conversation or a sustained expression of their worry as they approached the tomb, emphasizing their collective and persistent concern about the stone.
• to one another (Greek: pros heautas - πρὸς ἑαυτάς): This phrase denotes a self-directed or mutual conversation among the women themselves. It indicates they were discussing their shared predicament and not seeking outside help or remembering Jesus' prior resurrection claims, underscoring their human-centric approach to a seemingly impossible problem.
• Who (Greek: Tis - Τίς): An interrogative pronoun expressing a fundamental question about agency. It reveals their realization of their own physical limitations and the lack of an obvious human solution for moving such a large object. This "who" sets the stage for the answer being non-human or divine.
• will roll away (Greek: apokylisei - ἀποκυλίσει): A compound verb, future active indicative, implying a forceful and complete action of moving something heavy by rolling it away. The prefix "apo-" emphasizes separation, indicating the stone needs to be moved entirely away from the entrance. It speaks to the strenuous nature of the task.
• the stone (Greek: ton lithon - τὸν λίθον): This refers to the specific, massive stone mentioned in Mark 15:46, used to seal the tomb. Lithon highlights its considerable size and weight, rendering it impassable by mere women. Symbolically, it represents the physical, humanly insurmountable barrier to the women's desired act of anointing and to the resurrection truth itself in their minds.
• for us (Greek: hemin - ἡμῖν): A dative pronoun, signifying the personal beneficiaries of this action. It emphasizes their individual and collective need for assistance to accomplish their goal of attending to Jesus' body. This shows their practical concern for themselves in this challenging situation.
• from the entrance (Greek: ek tēs thyras - ἐκ τῆς θύρας): Thyras specifically means "door" or "gate," referring to the opening of the tomb. The preposition ek ("from") indicates removal from the place that secures the tomb, confirming their precise objective to gain access.
• of the tomb (Greek: tou mnēmeiou - τοῦ μνημείου): Mnēmeiou refers to a sepulchre, monument, or memorial. It indicates a place for remembering the dead. For the women, this was a final resting place, which further illustrates their assumption that Jesus' dead body was still contained within it, and they were approaching a place of memorial rather than one of triumph.

Words-group analysis:

• "And they were saying to one another, 'Who will roll away...'": This phrase underscores the human, self-contained aspect of their problem-solving. They converse among themselves, wrestling with a physical impossibility, illustrating a lack of spiritual insight or remembrance of Jesus' resurrection prophecies. Their concern is grounded in the material world, failing to consider divine intervention.
• "'the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?'": This collective query highlights the significant, singular barrier. The massive stone not only served as a physical obstruction but also symbolized the perceived finality of death in their minds, trapping Jesus' body inside. Their focus on the stone implies the real difficulty of entering and confirming their understanding that Jesus was indeed dead and buried.

Mark 16 3 Bonus section

The presence and magnitude of the stone, a topic of anxious discussion for the women, serve a crucial apologetic purpose. It powerfully counters any later fabricated narratives that Jesus' body was stolen by His disciples (cf. Mt 28:11-15). The very concern expressed by the women proves that the tomb was indeed sealed by a massive, immovable stone, making any human theft improbable without major difficulty. This logistical challenge authenticates the empty tomb, underscoring that its opening required a force far beyond human capability, pointing to the supernatural act of resurrection itself. Their question, therefore, unwittingly provides independent corroboration of the integrity of the sealed tomb before the resurrection event became known.

Mark 16 3 Commentary

Mark 16:3 captures a pivotal moment of human struggle and limited perception preceding a divine triumph. The women, driven by devotion, face a formidable physical barrier—a very large stone sealing Jesus' tomb. Their question, "Who will roll away the stone for us...?" reveals a profound gap between their genuine love and their inability to fully grasp or remember Jesus' predictions of His resurrection. This practical human worry underscores their assumption that death was final for Jesus, setting a stark contrast against the miraculous truth that would instantly be revealed: the stone was already rolled away, not by human effort but by divine power. The verse emphasizes that human limitations and anxieties are often superseded by God's sovereign plan, demonstrating that what seems an insurmountable obstacle to human effort is no barrier to God's purpose. It invites believers to trust God's ability to act beyond our expectations and overcome challenges far greater than we perceive.