Matthew 28 2

Matthew 28:2 kjv

And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

Matthew 28:2 nkjv

And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

Matthew 28:2 niv

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.

Matthew 28:2 esv

And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

Matthew 28:2 nlt

Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it.

Matthew 28 verses

Matthew 28 2 Meaning

Matthew 28:2 details the dramatic, divinely orchestrated removal of the stone sealing Jesus' tomb. It describes a momentous event initiated by God, not by human effort, confirming the miraculous nature of the resurrection. The earthquake, the descending angel, and the authoritative act of rolling back the stone and sitting upon it serve as irrefutable physical proof of God's power and Christ's triumph over death, meant to confront doubt and affirm faith for the witnesses.

Matthew 28 2 Context

Matthew 28:2 occurs immediately following the arrival of Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" at Jesus' tomb on the first day of the week, Sunday morning, just after the Sabbath. The preceding verses in Matthew (27:62-66) recount how the chief priests and Pharisees requested Pilate to secure the tomb by sealing the stone and setting a guard, fearing the disciples might steal Jesus' body and claim a resurrection. This elaborate human effort to prevent the resurrection serves as a powerful backdrop for the sudden, dramatic, and divinely orchestrated events of verse 2. The verse thus sets the scene for the discovery of the empty tomb and the angel's proclamation of Christ's resurrection to the women, ushering in the culmination of God's plan of redemption. Historically, tombs like this would have a very heavy circular stone, needing significant effort to move, highlighting the supernatural nature of its removal.

Matthew 28 2 Word analysis

• And (Καὶ, Kai): A common conjunction linking the women's arrival with the astonishing event. It connects the expectation of sorrow with the reality of divine power.
• behold (ἰδοὺ, idou): An exclamatory interjection, akin to "Lo!" or "Look!" It serves to draw the reader's attention to a sudden, striking, and significant event. It highlights the unexpectedness and importance of what follows.
• there was (ἐγένετο, egeneto): Literally "happened" or "occurred." It signifies an event taking place, emphasizing the reality and impact of the earthquake.
• a great (μέγας, megas): Conveys magnitude and intensity. This was no minor tremor but a significant, divinely orchestrated seismic event. It underscores the power behind the intervention.
• earthquake (σεισμὸς, seismos): This Greek term literally means a "shaking" or "quake." In the Bible, earthquakes frequently accompany powerful divine manifestations (theophanies) or acts of judgment and deliverance. Its occurrence here signifies God's direct, unmistakable involvement, mirroring the earthquake at Jesus' death (Mt 27:51).
• for (γὰρ, gar): A conjunction meaning "because" or "for." It explicitly states the reason for the earthquake, connecting it directly to the angel's descent. The earthquake wasn't random but a direct result of divine presence and action.
• an angel (ἄγγελος, angelos): A divine messenger or agent. This word emphasizes their role as God's representatives. Angels often announce significant divine acts or intervene on God's behalf, always subject to God's will.
• of the Lord (Κυρίου, Kyriou): Signifies that this angel is directly under the authority of God. It highlights divine commission and power, linking the angelic action directly to God's sovereignty. This specific phrasing often denotes a unique representative of God.
• descended (καταβὰς, katabas): Means "coming down" or "having descended." This emphasizes the heavenly origin of the angel and, by extension, the divine source of the power manifest in the resurrection event.
• from heaven (ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, ex ouranou): Reinforces the angel's divine origin and authority. This underscores that the event at the tomb was entirely super-natural and beyond human capacity.
• and came and rolled back (καὶ προσελθὼν ἀπεκύλισεν, kai proselthōn apekylisen): Proselthōn (having approached) signifies the angel's purposeful arrival at the stone. Apekylisen (rolled back) describes the specific physical action, powerfully and effortlessly accomplished by the angel. This action directly confronts the human attempts to seal the tomb.
• the stone (τὸν λίθον, ton lithon): The heavy stone that had been placed to seal the tomb's entrance, securing it with Roman authority (Mt 27:60, 66). Its removal signifies the overturning of all human efforts to contain the power of God.
• from the door (ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας, apo tēs thyras): Specifies the precise location of the stone's removal – from the tomb's opening. This prepares for the verification of the empty tomb.
• and sat on it (καὶ ἐκάθητο ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ, kai ekathēto epano autou): Ekathēto (was sitting) indicates a posture of calm authority, completion, and victory. The angel isn't merely moving the stone; by sitting on it, he claims ownership and announces triumph over death, turning an obstacle into a seat of proclamation. It demonstrates effortless power and disdain for the previously impenetrable seal.

Matthew 28 2 Bonus section

• Contrast with other Gospel accounts: Matthew uniquely highlights the dramatic earthquake and the single, powerful angel rolling back the stone. Mark (16:4) and Luke (24:2) describe the stone already rolled away when the women arrive, emphasizing the discovery of the empty tomb. John (20:1) also states the stone was "taken away." Matthew's account specifically details how the stone was moved, foregrounding the divine action that guaranteed the empty tomb.
• The Guard's Response (next verse): The magnitude of this divine intervention is immediately evidenced by the guards' reaction in Matthew 28:4, where they shake and become like dead men, demonstrating the awe-inspiring and terrifying nature of God's power to those who would oppose or guard against His purposes.
• The Stone's Purpose: The stone's primary function after Jesus' death was to validate the resurrection, not merely to provide an exit for Jesus. Its specific removal by divine power, witnessed by both Roman guards and believing women, provided clear and undeniable evidence that no human agency was involved in the tomb becoming empty. It was a sign of God's explicit victory over death, sealed and confirmed by an act of cosmic significance.

Matthew 28 2 Commentary

Matthew 28:2 paints a vivid picture of divine intervention that punctuates the most pivotal moment in salvation history: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The sequence of events — the great earthquake, the celestial messenger, and the effortless removal of the colossal stone — is not merely descriptive; it's profoundly theological. The earthquake (σεισμὸς μέγας, seismos megas) echoes God's dramatic appearances in the Old Testament, signifying the powerful arrival of His presence, shaking not only the ground but the very foundations of human attempts to confine His power. It emphasizes that this was not a quiet, unseen resurrection, but a declared act of God, felt by the earth itself.

The "angel of the Lord" (ἄγγελος Κυρίου, angelos Kyriou), descending with divine authority, is the direct agent of this earthquake and the stone's removal. Crucially, the angel does not roll back the stone for Jesus to exit the tomb – Jesus, having a glorified body, had already transcended such physical barriers (John 20:19, 26). Rather, the stone is removed to allow witnesses to enter and confirm the empty tomb, providing irrefutable proof against the narrative of a stolen body that the chief priests would later fabricate (Matthew 28:11-15).

The angel's final act of sitting triumphantly "on it" (ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ, epano autou) — on the very stone that symbolized the sealed, guarded prison of death — is a powerful symbolic gesture. It is a declaration of victory and established authority. The stone, intended to be an insurmountable obstacle to human deception and divine power, becomes a mere pedestal for the angelic herald of the King of Glory. This calm, authoritative posture demonstrates complete dominion over death, the tomb, and all the forces of human and demonic opposition. The events described here serve to overwhelm doubt, terrorize the human guards (as seen in verse 4), and reassure the women that the Lord's victory is absolute.

This powerful narrative has practical implications: For believers, it signifies that no obstacle, however great or secured, can thwart God's sovereign plan. What human efforts seal shut, divine power can effortlessly roll away.