Matthew 28:2

Matthew 28:2

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.

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

b. YLT: And lo, there came a great earthquake, for a messenger of the Lord, having come down out of heaven, having come, did roll away the stone from the door, and was sitting upon it,

c. Classic Amplified: And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled the boulder back and sat upon it.

1. “And, behold, there was a great earthquake…”

a. And [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. behold [Strong: 2400. idou id-oo' second person singular imperative middle voice of 1492; used as imperative lo!; --behold, lo, see.]

c. [there] was [Strong: 1096. ginomai ghin'-om-ahee a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.):--arise, be assembled, be(-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.]

d. [a] great [Strong: 3173. megas meg'-as (including the prolonged forms, feminine megale, plural megaloi, etc.; compare also 3176, 3187); big (literally or figuratively, in a very wide application):--(+ fear) exceedingly, great(-est), high, large, loud, mighty, + (be) sore (afraid), strong, X to years.]

e. earthquake [Strong: 4578. seismos sice-mos' from 4579; a commotion, i.e. (of the air) a gale, (of the ground) an earthquake:--earthquake, tempest.]

2. “...for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.”

a. for [Strong: 1063. gar gar a primary particle; properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles):--and, as, because (that), but, even, for, indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet.]

b. [the] angel [Strong: 32. aggelos ang'-el-os from aggello (probably derived from 71; compare 34) (to bring tidings); a messenger; especially an "angel"; by implication, a pastor:--angel, messenger.]

c. [of the] Lord [Strong: 2962. kurios koo'-ree-os from kuros (supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title):-- God, Lord, master, Sir.]

d. descended [Strong: 2597. katabaino kat-ab-ah'-ee-no from 2596 and the base of 939; to descend (literally or figuratively):--come (get, go, step) down, fall (down).]

e. from [Strong: 1537. ek ek or ex ex a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote):--after, among, X are, at, betwixt(-yond), by (the means of), exceedingly, (+ abundantly above), for(- th), from (among, forth, up), + grudgingly, + heartily, X heavenly, X hereby, + very highly, in, ...ly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), on, out among (from, of), over, since, X thenceforth, through, X unto, X vehemently, with(-out). Often used in composition, with the same general import; often of completion.]

f. heaven [Strong: 3772. ouranos oo-ran-os' perhaps from the same as 3735 (through the idea of elevation); the sky; by extension, heaven (as the abode of God); by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel (Christianity):--air, heaven(-ly), sky.]

g. and [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

h. came [Strong: 4334. proserchomai pros-er'-khom-ahee from 4314 and 2064 (including its alternate); to approach, i.e. (literally) come near, visit, or (figuratively) worship, assent to:--(as soon as he) come (unto), come thereunto, consent, draw near, go (near, to, unto).]

i. [and] rolled back [Strong: 617. apokulio ap-ok-oo-lee'-o from 575 and 2947; to roll away:--roll away (back).

j. the  [Strong: 3588. [ton] ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ton] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.]

k. stone [Strong: 3037. lithos lee'-thos apparently a primary word; a stone (literally or figuratively):--(mill-, stumbling-)stone.]

l. from [Strong: 575. apo apo' a primary particle; "off," i.e. away (from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative):--(X here-)after, ago, at, because of, before, by (the space of), for(-th), from, in, (out) of, off, (up-)on(-ce), since, with. In composition (as a prefix) it usually denotes separation, departure, cessation, completion, reversal, etc.]

m. [the] door [Strong: 2374. thura thoo'-rah apparently a primary word (compare "door"); a portal or entrance (the opening or the closure, literally or figuratively):--door, gate.]

n. and [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

o. sat [Strong: 2521. kathemai kath'-ay-mahee from 2596; and hemai (to sit; akin to the base of 1476); to sit down; figuratively, to remain, reside:--dwell, sit (by, down).]

p. upon [Strong: 1883. epano ep-an'-o from 1909 and 507; up above, i.e. over or on (of place, amount, rank, etc.):--above, more than, (up-)on, over.

q. it [Strong: 846. autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

1). The day after Jesus was crucified and died the Jewish leaders went to Pilate and warned him of the saying that Jesus said he would rise from the dead the third day and said that his disciples would steal the body and declare that see he had arisen from the dead. So Pilate granted them their desire and sealed the tomb and posted a contingent of soldiers to prevent looters.

a).  Matthew 27:62-66 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

27:63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

27:64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

27:65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

27:66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

b).  Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers: The opening of the tomb had been already closed by the stone which had been rolled so as to fill, or nearly fill, it. The sealing was probably effected by drawing one or more ropes across the stone and fastening either end to the rock with wax or cement of some kind.

c). The soldiers were there from the day after Jesus was crucified until the resurrection. A Roman watch consisted of three hour periods, so that every three hours the guards changed. Dake teaches it was a guard of four soldiers changed every three hours.