Bible Strands
Matthew 28:4
The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator describes Roman guards stationed to secure the tomb reacting to the angel's descent and the stone's removal. They are not addressed directly in this verse but are the subject of the report on their physical state.
The words — The Greek verb ἐσείσθησαν (eseisthēsan) translates literally to "trembled" or "were violently shaken." The phrase φόβου αὐτοῦ (phobou autou) means "fear of him," identifying the angel as the direct cause of the guards' paralysis.
The thread — This immobilizing terror mirrors divine encounters in Revelation 1:17 and Daniel 10:7, where overwhelming presence produces physical collapse. The guards' presence directly fulfills Pilate's earlier command to make the tomb secure in Matthew 27:65.
Why it lands — The text states that human security measures are rendered powerless by divine intervention. It requires the reader to acknowledge that terror, not reasoned argument, is the immediate human response to holy manifestation.
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 for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
Cross-references
- Revelation 1:17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
- Daniel 10:7 Only I, Daniel, saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but a great terror fell upon them, and they ran and hid themselves.
- Matthew 27:65 “You have a guard,” Pilate said. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.”
- Matthew 28:11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.
- Acts 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
- Job 4:14 fear and trembling came over me and made all my bones shudder.
- Psalms 48:6 Trembling seized them there, anguish like a woman in labor.
- Acts 9:3 As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.