Mark 16:4

Mar 16:4. Γὰρ, for) The particle intimates both the reason why the women were in anxiety [Mar 16:3], and the reason why they perceived that the stone must have been rolled away with an unusually great power.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mar 16:4 . ἀναβλέψασαι , looking up , as they approached the tomb; suggestive of heavy hearts and downcast eyes, on the way thither. ἦν γὰρ μέγας σφόδρα : this clause seems out of place here, and it has been suggested that it should be inserted after μνημείου in Mar 16:3 , as explaining the women’s solicitude about the removal of the stone. As it stands, the clause explains how the women could see, even at a distance, that the stone had already been removed. It was a sufficiently large object. How the stone was rolled away is not said.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When they cast their eyes toward the sepulchre.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 4. For it was very great] This clause should be read immediately after the third verse, according to D, three copies of the Itala, Syriac, Hier., and Eusebius. "Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? for it was very great. And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away." They knew that the stone was too heavy for them to roll away; and, unless they got access to the body, they could not apply the aromatics which they had brought to finish the embalming.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(4) For it was very great.—The words have been explained as giving the reason for their previous question, but it seems more natural to see in them St. Mark’s explanation of his having used the word “rolled away” instead of saying, simply, “taken away” or “removed.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. And when they looked] But as they drew nearer amidst the glimmering light, the earth quaked beneath their feet (Mat_28:2), and looking up they saw that all cause of anxiety was removed, for the stone was already rolled away. Observe the force of the expression “when they looked”. It means when they “looked up;” an accurate and graphic detail.

for it was very great] About this fact there could be no doubt. The stone which had closed the entrance was “very great,” and even at a distance on looking up to the height, on which the rock-tomb lay, they could see it was not in its place, but had changed its position.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when they looked,.... Towards the sepulchre, as they came near it:

they saw that the stone was rolled away; they perceived it lay at some distance from the door of the sepulchre, which doubtless was very grateful, and matter of rejoicing to them:

for it was very great; these words are to be read, in connection with the preceding verse; for they are not a reason, why when they looked towards the sepulchre, they saw the stone rolled, because it was a very large one, and so easily to be seen at a distance; but a reason why they were so thoughtful and concerned, who should roll it away for them, it being so big, that they could not think that they were able to do it themselves.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

Ver. 4. And when they looked] Or, as some read it, when they looked up; for till now they may seem either to have gone plodding on with their eyes downward, or else to have looked on one another, as people use to do when they are conferring.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. For it was very great — This clause seems to render a reason for the query of the women, and would, therefore, be naturally appended to the preceding verse.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And looking up (anableqasai) they see (yewrousin) that the stone is rolled back (apokekulistai): for it was exceeding great (megav sfodra). At this point we learn from St. John that Mary Magdalene ran away to tell Peter and John. (Joh_20:2)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. Looked. Rather, looking up. They may have been looking down before, absorbed in the conversation. The tomb was probably above them, cut horizontally in the face of the rock at a slight elevation.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

4. ἀνακεκύλισται. ([3558][3559][3560] rather than ἀποκεκύλισται ([3561][3562][3563][3564][3565][3566]).

[3558] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[3559] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[3560] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mar 1:1 to Mar 10:15; Mar 10:30 to Mar 15:1; Mar 15:20 to Mar 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mar 16:8 and Mar 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[3561] Codex Alexandrinus. 5th cent. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to King Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. The whole Gospel. Photographic facsimile, 1879.

[3562] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mar 1:17 to Mar 6:31, Mar 8:5 to Mar 12:29, Mar 13:19 to Mar 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[3563] Codex Monacensis. 10th cent. Contains Mar 6:47 to Mar 16:20. Many verses in 14, 15, 16 are defective.

[3564] Codex Oxoniensis. 9th cent. Contains Mark, except Mar 3:35 to Mar 6:20.

[3565] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.

[3566] Codex Petropolitanus. 9th cent. Gospels almost complete. Mar 16:18-20 is in a later hand.

4. ἀνακεκύλισται. Is rolled back (R.V.), has been rolled back and remains so. Rolled back ἐκ τῆς θύρας, as Mk accurately says, rather than ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου (Lk.). It was probably rolled sideways and was leaning against the rock. The ἀνα- implies that it had gone back to the place whence Joseph and Nicodemus had moved it. See crit. note. Mk may have believed that the risen Christ had moved the stone, but he gives no hint of this belief. He states what those who were there reported; ἀνακεκύλισται is their exclamation.

ἦν γὰρ μέγας σφόδρα. It was so large that they could see at a distance that it had been rolled back. But the words may be a belated remark to explain why they were anxious about the matter; and [3588] with other authorities have the remark at the end of Mar 16:3. All four Evangelists state that the stone had been removed. Mt., as at the Crucifixion, mentions an earthquake about which the other three say nothing; also that an Angel rolled away the stone and sat on it. This looks like conjectural explanation of a well-known fact. In Mk the Angel is found inside the tomb. Lk. and Jn mention two Angels. What is said about Angels is in harmony with Jewish modes of thought, but it may also be substantially in harmony with fact. We cannot safely attribute all the details of the narrative to Jewish ideas of what would be likely to happen rather than to experience of what did happen. We know so little about the nature of Angels that it is rash to be peremptory as to what is credible or not. On the whole subject see Swete, The Appearances of our Lord after the Passion; also the introductory note to John 20. Jn mentions only one of the women mentioned here, and his narrative about her is quite different.

[3588] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mar 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4.] It had been rolled away by an angel, Matt.

ἦν γὰρ μέγ. σφ. is stated as a reason why they could see that it was rolled away on looking up, possibly at some distance. This explanation is according to Mark’s manner of describing minute circumstantial incidents; but to refer this clause back as the reason why they questioned who should remove the stone, is not only harsh, but inconsistent with the usage of this Gospel.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. ἀνακεκύλισται ὁ λίθος· ἦν γὰρ μέγας σφόδρα—the stone has been rolled back; for it was very great. The greatness of the stone is really the reason of their question, but he adds to the question the way that it turned out, as a part of the one event, before he introduces the explanation.

ἀνακεκύλισται, instead of ἀποκεκύλισται, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. and practically all sources.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.