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Lexham English Bible

Matthew 28:3

Now his appearance was like lightning and his clothing 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

Christian Standard Bible®
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.
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.
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

1 Now after the Sabbath, at the dawning on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to view the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came up and rolled away the stone and sat down on it. 3 Now his appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. 4 And the guards trembled from the fear of him and became like dead men. 5 But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said. Come, see the place where he was lying. 7 And go quickly, tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and behold, he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there.' Behold, I have told you." 8 And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid! Go tell my brothers that they should go to Galilee, and there they will see me."

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
And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of heaven, and over every animal that moves upon the earth."
Genesis 9:1
And 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 descendants like the dust of the earth which, if anyone were able to count the dust of the earth, your descendants would be so counted.
Genesis 24:60
And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, "You are our sister; may you become countless thousands; and may your offspring take possession of the gate of his enemies."
Genesis 28:1
Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him. And he instructed him and said to him, "You must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.
Genesis 28:6
Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-Aram, to take for himself a wife from there, and he blessed him and instructed him, saying, "You must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,"
Genesis 28:17
Then he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is nothing else than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!"
Genesis 28:18
And Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a stone pillar, and poured oil on top of it.
Genesis 35:11
And God said to him, "I am El-Shaddai. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and an assemblage of nations shall be from you, and kings shall go out from your loins.
Genesis 41:52
And the name of the second he called Ephraim, for he said, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortune."

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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