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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

Matthew 28:3

His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Angel (a Spirit);   Colors;   Friendship;   Jesus, the Christ;   Lightning;   Love;   Thompson Chain Reference - Dead, the;   Face;   Light-Darkness;   Mortality-Immortality;   Resurrection;   Shining Faces;   White;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Garments;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Miracle;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Angels;   Mary;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Angel;   Appear, Appearance;   Burial;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Angel;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Resurrection of Christ;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - New Testament;   Seraphim;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Colors;   Mary;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Lightning;   Snow;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Angels;   Angels (2);   Dress (2);   Glory;   Israel, Israelite;   Lightning ;   Quotations (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Snow;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Angel;   Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Angels;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Countenance;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Mary;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Angel;   Bloody Sweat;   Color;   Ramah;   Snow;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for October 15;  

Parallel Translations

King James Version (1611)
His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snowe.
King James Version
His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
English Standard Version
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
New American Standard Bible
And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
New Century Version
He was shining as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
Amplified Bible
The angel's appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
Legacy Standard Bible
And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
Berean Standard Bible
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
Contemporary English Version
The angel looked as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
Complete Jewish Bible
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow.
Darby Translation
And his look was as lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
Easy-to-Read Version
The angel was shining as bright as lightning. His clothes were as white as snow.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And his countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snowe.
George Lamsa Translation
His appearance was like lightning, and his garments white as snow.
Good News Translation
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
Lexham English Bible
Now his appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow.
Literal Translation
And his face was as lightning and his clothing white as snow.
American Standard Version
His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
Bible in Basic English
His form was shining like the light, and his clothing was white as snow:
Hebrew Names Version
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
International Standard Version
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow.Daniel 10:6;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
His aspect was like lightning, and his raiment was white as the snow.
Murdock Translation
And his aspect was like the lightning; and his raiment white like snow:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
His countenaunce was lyke lyghtnyng, and his rayment white as snowe.
English Revised Version
His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
World English Bible
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.
Weymouth's New Testament
His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And his lokyng was as leit, and hise clothis as snowe;
Update Bible Version
His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
Webster's Bible Translation
His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.
New English Translation
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
New King James Version
His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
New Living Translation
His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.
New Life Bible
His face was bright like lightning. His clothes were white as snow.
New Revised Standard
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now his appearance, was, as lightning, and, his clothing, white as snow;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And his countenance was as lightning and his raiment as snow.
Revised Standard Version
His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
His countenaunce was lyke lyghtnynge and his raymet whyte as snowe.
Young's Literal Translation
and his countenance was as lightning, and his clothing white as snow,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And his countenaunce was as ye lightenynge, and his clothinge whyte as snowe.
Mace New Testament (1729)
his aspect was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.
Simplified Cowboy Version
This angel looked like he was made of livin' lightnin' and his trail gear was as white as snow.

Contextual Overview

1After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. 2There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men. 5The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.” 8So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news. 9Just then Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” 10Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

countenance: Matthew 17:2, Psalms 104:4, Ezekiel 1:4-14, Daniel 10:5, Daniel 10:6, Revelation 1:14-16, Revelation 10:1, Revelation 18:1

his raiment: Mark 9:3, Mark 16:5, Acts 1:10, Revelation 3:4, Revelation 3:5

Reciprocal: Judges 13:6 - countenance was Psalms 97:4 - the earth Song of Solomon 5:15 - his countenance Ezekiel 1:13 - General Luke 24:5 - they John 20:12 - seeth Acts 10:30 - behold Romans 6:4 - by the Revelation 19:14 - clothed

Cross-References

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”
Genesis 9:1
God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
Genesis 13:16
I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.
Genesis 24:60
They blessed Rebekah, saying to her:
Genesis 28:1
So Isaac summoned Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite girl.
Genesis 28:6
Esau noticed that Isaac blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to get a wife there. When he blessed him, Isaac commanded Jacob, “Do not marry a Canaanite girl.”
Genesis 28:17
He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven.”
Genesis 28:18
Early in the morning Jacob took the stone that was near his head and set it up as a marker. He poured oil on top of it
Genesis 35:11
God also said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation, indeed an assembly of nations, will come from you, and kings will descend from you.
Genesis 41:52
And the second son he named Ephraim and said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

Gill's Notes on the Bible

His countenance was like lightning,.... There was such a lustre and brightness in his face, that it glittered like lightning: such a description is in Daniel 10:6,

and his raiment white as snow: the word "white" is left out in the Vulgate Latin, and in Munster's Hebrew Gospel: the angel appeared clad in white, as a token of the purity and innocence of his nature; and because of the victory and triumph of Christ over death and the grave; and that he might be known and taken by the women for a good angel, it being a commonly received notion of the Jews, that ministering angels were clothed in white b.

"Said R. Ame to R. Levi, show me the Persians; he said to him, they are like to the mighty men of the house of David: show me the Chaberin, (another nation near the Persians,) they are like to destroying angels: show me the Ishmaelites, they are like to devils of the house of Hacsa: show me the disciples of the wise men in Babylon, they are like to the ministering angels.''

Upon which the gloss says,

""to the devils", because they are clothed in black, and are like to devils; to "the ministering angels", לבנים

לבושי, "they are clothed in white", and veiled like the ministering angels; as it is written in Ezekiel 9:2, "and the man was clothed with linen": and it is said c of R. Judah, that he was veiled, and sat in fine linen fringed, and was like to an angel of the Lord of hosts: and elsewhere d it is said, who are the ministering angels? the Rabbins: and why are they called ministering angels? because they are fringed, as the ministering angels, in beautiful garments.''

b T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 72. 1. c T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 25. 2. d T. Bab. Nedarim, fol. 20. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

His countenance - In our language the word “countenance” refers to the “face only;” in the original it refers to his “whole person.” His “general aspect, or the appearance of the angel himself,” was, etc.

Like lightning - Peculiarly bright and shining.

His raiment white as snow - Celestial beings are usually represented as clothed in white, Acts 1:10; Daniel 7:9; Revelation 3:4-5; Revelation 4:4; Revelation 7:13-14. White, among the Jews, was the symbol of “purity or innocence.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 28:3. His countenanceHis appearance, η ιδεα αυτου; or, his face, for so the word is used in some of the best Greek writers. It seems, from Mark 16:5, that this angel had assumed the appearance of a young man.

Like lightning — Coruscations of glory continually flaming from his face. This might produce the confusion mentioned Matthew 28:2.

His raiment white as snow — He was clothed in garments emblematical of the glad tidings which he came to announce. It would have been inconsistent with the message he brought, had the angel appeared in black robes, such as those preposterously wear who call themselves his successors in the ministry of a once suffering, but now risen and highly exalted, Saviour. But the world is as full of nonsense as of sin; and who can correct and bring it to reason and piety?


 
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