Mark 16: The empty tomb, and what follows
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Greek. How to read a study
What happens?
After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome go to the tomb with spices. They find the stone rolled back and a young man in a white robe, who tells them Jesus has risen and that he goes before the disciples into Galilee. The women flee in fear and say nothing to anyone, and verses 9 to 20 tell of Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene, to two on the road and to the eleven, of his words to them, and of him being received up into heaven.
Who is speaking?
No verse is in gold. The narrator tells the story. The women speak among themselves in verse 3. The young man in the tomb speaks in verses 6 and 7. In verses 15 to 18 Jesus speaks to the eleven. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint him.
In plain English: When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they could go and anoint him.
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2Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.
In plain English: Very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they came to the tomb.
The Greek words: "The first day of the week" is tes mias sabbaton, word for word "the one of sabbaths". The dictionary gives sabbaton as "the Sabbath ... or day of weekly repose ... by extension, a se'nnight, i.e. the interval between two Sabbaths".
How it is translated: In Mark this word is in 11 verses. The World English Bible has "Sabbath" in 9 of them and "week" in 2, here and in .
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3They were saying among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”
In plain English: They were saying to one another, "Who will roll the stone away from the door of the tomb for us?"
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4for it was very big. Looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back.
In plain English: They looked up and saw that the stone had been rolled away, for it was very large.
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5Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed.
In plain English: They went into the tomb and saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe. They were greatly amazed.
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6He said to them, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him!
In plain English: He said to them, "Do not be amazed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen (or: has been raised). He is not here. Look, this is the place where they laid him.
The Greek word: "He has risen" is one word, egerthe, from egeiro, which the dictionary gives as "to waken ... i.e. rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death ...)".
How it is translated: In Mark this word is in 18 verses. The World English Bible has "risen" in 4 of them and "raised" in 4, and other words in the rest.
What changes: Read as "has risen", Jesus got up himself. Read as "has been raised", someone raised him. The plain line gives both.
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7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.’”
In plain English: But go and tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.'"
Good to know: The words "as he said to you" look back to what Jesus said earlier, in : "after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee."
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8They went out, and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come on them. They said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid.
In plain English: They went out and ran from the tomb, for trembling and amazement had taken hold of them. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Good to know: The Greek of this verse ends with the word gar, "for": "they were afraid, for". The World English Bible puts it earlier in the sentence, "for they were afraid".
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9Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.
In plain English: Early on the first day of the week, after he had risen, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons.
Good to know: The two oldest complete Greek Bibles, Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, end Mark at . Some manuscripts have a shorter ending, and others have other endings. The Byzantine manuscripts and the World English Bible print verses 9 to 20, and so does this study.
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10She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
In plain English: She went and told those who had been with him, as they were mourning and weeping.
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11When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they disbelieved.
In plain English: When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it.
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12After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them as they walked, on their way into the country.
In plain English: After these things he appeared in a different form to two of them as they were walking, on their way into the country.
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13They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t believe them, either.
In plain English: They went and told the rest. They did not believe those two either.
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14Afterward he was revealed to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table; and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they didn’t believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
In plain English: Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table. He rebuked them for their lack of belief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen him after he had risen.
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15He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to the whole creation.
In plain English: He said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News to the whole creation.
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16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned.
In plain English: The one who believes and is baptized (or: immersed) will be saved. The one who does not believe will be condemned.
The Greek word: "Baptized" is baptizo, which the dictionary gives as "to immerse, submerge; to make whelmed (i.e. fully wet)".
How it is translated: In Mark this word is in 9 verses. The World English Bible has a form of "baptize" in 8 of them and "bathe" in 1, in .
What changes: Read as "baptized", it is the ceremony of baptism. Read as "immersed", it is a person being put under water. The plain line gives both.
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17These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages;
In plain English: These signs will go along with those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak with new languages (or: tongues),
The Greek word: "Languages" is glossa, which the dictionary gives as "the tongue; by implication, a language".
How it is translated: In Mark this word is in 3 verses. The World English Bible has "tongue" in 2 and "language" in 1, here. In the whole New Testament it is in 47 verses, with "language" in 30 and "tongue" in 17.
What changes: Read as "languages", the new speech is in languages. Read as "tongues", it is the same word that means the tongue in the mouth. The plain line gives both.
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18they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
In plain English: they will pick up snakes, and if they drink anything deadly it will not hurt them at all. They will lay hands on the sick, and the sick will get well."
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19So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
In plain English: So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
Good to know: The words "at the right hand" are also in ("sitting at the right hand of Power") and in , which quotes : "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet."
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20They went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.
In plain English: They went out and proclaimed everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the signs that went along with it. Amen.
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