Bible Strands
Matthew 28:2
Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The event occurs at the tomb on the first day of the week at dawn, while Mary Magdalene and the other Mary are present after the Sabbath.
The words — σεισμὸς (seismos) literally denotes an earthquake, and ἄγγελος (angelos) identifies the divine agent who physically rolls the stone and sits upon it.
The thread — Luke 24:2 records the stone already rolled away, John 20:12 notes angels sitting at the burial place, and Mark 16:3 precedes the event by recording the women asking who will remove the stone before they arrive.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to observe that divine action, marked by seismic disturbance and angelic descent, initiates the resurrection narrative before any human investigation begins.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Mark 16:3 They were asking one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb?”
- Luke 24:2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
- John 20:12 and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and the other at the feet.
- Acts 16:26 Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.
- Matthew 27:51 At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, and the rocks were split.
- John 20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.
- 1 Timothy 3:16 By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the nations, was believed in throughout the world, was taken up in glory.
- 1 Peter 1:12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
- Revelation 11:19 Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.