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Thursday, August 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Matthew 28:4

and, for fear of him, they who were keeping watch were thrown into a commotion, and became as dead men.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Angel (a Spirit);   Cowardice;   Fear of God;   Friendship;   Jesus, the Christ;   Love;   Thompson Chain Reference - Dead, the;   Mortality-Immortality;   Resurrection;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Dead, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Miracle;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Mary;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Appear, Appearance;   Burial;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Angel;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Resurrection of Christ;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - New Testament;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Fear;   Mary;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Angels;   Fear ;   Keeping;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Angel;   Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Angels;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Mary;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Angel;   Fear;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for October 15;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men.
King James Version (1611)
And for feare of him, the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
King James Version
And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
English Standard Version
And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
New American Standard Bible
The guards shook from fear of him and became like dead men.
New Century Version
The soldiers guarding the tomb shook with fear because of the angel, and they became like dead men.
Amplified Bible
The guards shook, paralyzed with fear [at the sight] of him and became like dead men [pale and immobile].
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the guards quaked from fear of him and became like dead men.
Berean Standard Bible
The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men.
Contemporary English Version
The guards shook from fear and fell down, as though they were dead.
Complete Jewish Bible
The guards were so terrified at him that they trembled and became like dead men.
Darby Translation
And for fear of him the guards trembled and became as dead men.
Easy-to-Read Version
The soldiers guarding the tomb were very afraid of the angel. They shook with fear and then became like dead men.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And for feare of him, the keepers were astonied, and became as dead men.
George Lamsa Translation
And for fear of him the guards who were watching trembled, and became as if they were dead.
Good News Translation
The guards were so afraid that they trembled and became like dead men.
Lexham English Bible
And the guards trembled from the fear of him and became like dead men.
Literal Translation
And those keeping guard were shaken from the fear of him, and they became as dead.
American Standard Version
and for fear of him the watchers did quake, and became as dead men.
Bible in Basic English
And for fear of him the watchmen were shaking, and became as dead men.
Hebrew Names Version
For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men.
International Standard Version
Because they were so afraid of him, the guards shook and became like dead men.
Etheridge Translation
And with fear of him they who were watching were shaken, and became as the dead.
Murdock Translation
and from fear of him the keepers were astounded, and became as dead men.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And for feare of him, the kepers were astonyed, and became as dead men.
English Revised Version
and for fear of him the watchers did quake, and became as dead men.
World English Bible
For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And for fear of him the guards trembled, and became as dead men.
Weymouth's New Testament
For fear of him the guards trembled violently, and became like dead men.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and for drede of hym the keperis weren afeerd, and thei weren maad as deede men.
Update Bible Version
and for fear of him the watchers quaked, and became as dead men.
Webster's Bible Translation
And for fear of him the keepers trembled and became as dead [men].
New English Translation
The guards were shaken and became like dead men because they were so afraid of him.
New King James Version
And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
New Living Translation
The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
New Life Bible
The soldiers were shaking with fear and became as dead men.
New Revised Standard
For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And for fear of him, the guards were struck with terror and became as dead men.
Revised Standard Version
And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And for feare of him the kepers were astunnyed and became as deed men.
Young's Literal Translation
and from the fear of him did the keepers shake, and they became as dead men.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But ye watch me were troubled for feare of him, and became as though they were deed.
Mace New Testament (1729)
for fear of whom the keepers shook, and were almost struck dead.
Simplified Cowboy Version
The deputies saw him and got so dad-gummed scared that they fell down like dead men.

Contextual Overview

1 And, late in the week, when it was on the point of dawning into the first of the week, came Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, to view the sepulchre. 2 And lo! a great commotion occurred, - for, a messenger of the Lord, descending out of heaven, and coming near, had rolled away the stone, and was sitting upon it. 3 Now his appearance, was, as lightning, and, his clothing, white as snow; 4 and, for fear of him, they who were keeping watch were thrown into a commotion, and became as dead men. 5 But the messenger, answering, said unto the women - Be not, ye, afraid! For I know that, Jesus the crucified, ye are seeking: 6 He is not here, for he hath arisen, as he said. Come! see the place where he lay; 7 And, quickly going, tell his disciples - He hath arisen from the dead, and lo! he is going before you into Galilee; - There, shall ye yourselves see him: Lo! I have told you. 8 And, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to bring tidings unto his disciples. 9 And lo! Jesus, met them, saying - Joy to you! And, they, going forward, held his feet, and worshipped him. 10 Then, Jesus saith unto them - Be not afraid! Go your way, bear tidings unto my brethren, that they may depart into Galilee; and, there, shall they themselves see me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the: Matthew 28:11, Matthew 27:65, Matthew 27:66

shake: Job 4:14, Psalms 48:6, Daniel 10:7, Acts 9:3-7, Acts 16:29, Revelation 1:17

Reciprocal: Judges 13:6 - terrible Mark 16:6 - Be not Acts 12:6 - and the

Cross-References

Genesis 12:7
And Yahweh appeared unto Abram, and said: To thy seed, will I give this land, - And he built there an altar, unto Yahweh who appeared unto him.
Genesis 28:1
Then Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, - and commanded him and said to him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
Genesis 28:3
And, GOD Almighty, bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, so shalt thou become a multitude of peoples.
Genesis 28:5
So Isaac sent away Jacob, and he took his journey to Padan-aram, - unto Laban son of Bethuel, the Syrian, brother of Rebekah, mother of Jacob and Esau.
Genesis 28:6
And Esau beheld that Isaac, when he blessed Jacob, and sent him to Padan-aram, to take to himself from thence a wife, that in blessing him, he laid command upon him, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;
Genesis 28:7
And that Jacob hearkened unto his father and unto his mother, - and took his journey to Padan-aram.
Genesis 28:8
So then Esau beheld that displeasing, were the daughters of Caanan, - in the eyes of Isaac his father:
Genesis 28:9
Esau therefore went unto Ishmael, - and took Mahalath daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham sister of Nebaioth, to himself to wife, in addition to the wives that he had.
Genesis 28:12
And he dreamed, and lo! a stairway, planted earthwards, with, its top, reaching towards the heavens, - and lo! messengers of God, ascending and descending thereon;
Genesis 28:13
and lo! Yahweh, standing by him, - and he said, I, am Yahweh, God of Abraham thy father and God of Isaac, - The land whereon, thou, art lying, to thee, will I give it and to thy seed;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And for fear of him the keepers did shake,.... Though they were soldiers, Roman soldiers and veterans, who had been used to terrible sights in the field of battle; were men of courage, and fearless of danger; and yet were seized with a panic, and every limb of them shook and trembled at the sight of the angel, for fear he was come as an executioner of divine vengeance upon them; who had been concerned in the crucifixion of Christ, had watched him as he hung upon the cross, and now his body in the sepulchre: and even supposing no consciousness of guilt in them, or dread of punishment from him; yet such was the glory and majesty in which he appeared, of which they had never seen the like before, that it had this effect upon them:

and became as dead men: they turned pale, as dead men, and had scarce any life, or spirit, left in them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The keepers did shake - It was night. The appearance was sudden and unexpected, and to them terrific. The stone was probably suddenly removed. At the noise, the light, the suddenness of the appearance, they were affrighted.

And became as dead men - Probably by terror they fainted, or were thrown into a swoon. At this time it is probable that the Lord Jesus arose, and hence he was not seen by them when he came forth. At what precise time of the night this was we are not certainly informed. The narrative, however, leads us to suppose that it was not long before the women came to the sepulchre, or near the break of day.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 28:4. The keepers - became as dead men.] God can, by one and the same means, comfort his servants, and terrify his enemies. The resurrection of Christ is a subject of terror to the servants of sin, and a subject of consolation to the sons of God; because it is a proof of the resurrection of both, the one to shame and everlasting contempt-the other to eternal glory and joy.


 
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