Bible Strands
Mark 16:13
And they went back and reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records two disciples returning from a countryside walk after encountering the risen Jesus in a different form, and their subsequent report to the remaining followers. This event occurs chronologically between the appearance to the two walkers and the later appearance to the Eleven.
The words — The Greek ἀπῄγγειλαν (apēngeilan) literally means "they reported," while ἐπίστευσαν (episteusan) translates to "they believed." The text states that the messengers returned to share what they had seen, but the recipients did not accept their account.
The thread — The dismissal of resurrection testimony recurs in John 20:25, where Thomas rejects the disciples' claim until he sees physical marks, and Luke 16:31, where Abraham declares that even a risen witness cannot persuade those who reject Scripture. This initial unbelief directly precipitates Jesus's rebuke in Mark 16:14.
Why it lands — The verse requires a reader to recognize that firsthand resurrection accounts initially failed to convince the core group. It establishes that belief in the risen Christ depends on divine confirmation rather than human testimony.
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The Greek words
King James Version
And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
Cross-references
- John 20:25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger where the nails have been, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe.”
- Luke 24:33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, gathered together
- Luke 16:31 Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
- John 20:8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in. And he saw and believed.