The Meaning of Matthew 27:52 Explained

Matthew 27:52

KJV: And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

YLT: and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who have fallen asleep, arose,

Darby: and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints fallen asleep arose,

ASV: and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised;

What is the context of Matthew 27:52?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the graves  were opened;  and  many  bodies  of the saints  which  slept  arose, 

What does Matthew 27:52 Mean?

Study Notes

graves
That these bodies returned to their graves is not said and may not be inferred. The wave-sheaf Leviticus 23:10-12 typifies the resurrection of Christ, but a sheaf implies plurality. It was a single "corn of wheat" that fell into the ground in the crucifixion and entombment of Christ John 12:24 , it was a sheaf which came forth in resurrection. The inference is that these saints, with the spirits of "just men made perfect" Hebrews 12:23 from Paradise, went with Jesus Ephesians 4:8-10 into heaven.

Context Summary

Matthew 27:45-56 - The Broken Heart And The Rent Veil
With hushed hearts we stand in the presence of "that sight." It is the tragedy of time; the one supreme act of self-surrender; the unique unapproachable sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. It is here that myriads of sin-sick, terror-stricken souls, in every century, have found refuge. It is here that martyrs have been made strong to endure. It is here that Jacob's ladder rested, in the lower places of the earth, for He that ascended is the same also that first "descended into the lower parts of the earth." He became "obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Wherefore"¦." See Philippians 2:8.
The centurion had seen other crucified ones die, but never one like this. He recognized the superhuman elements of the scene. But for us, the emotions of this hour are not those of wonder, but of loving gratitude and faith. He "loved me" He "gave Himself up for me," Galatians 2:20. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 27

1  Jesus is delivered bound to Pilate
3  Judas hangs himself
19  Pilate, admonished of his wife,
20  and being urged by the multitude, washes his hands, and releases Barabbas
27  Jesus is mocked and crowned with thorns;
33  crucified;
39  reviled;
50  dies, and is buried;
62  his tomb is sealed and watched

Greek Commentary for Matthew 27:52

The tombs were opened [τα μνημεια ανεωιχτησαν]
First aorist passive indicative (double augment). The splitting of the rocks by the earthquake and the opening of tombs can be due to the earthquake. But the raising of the bodies of the dead after the resurrection of Jesus which appeared to many in the holy city puzzles many today who admit the actual bodily resurrection of Jesus. Some would brand all these portents as legends since they appear in Matthew alone. Others would say that “after his resurrection” should read “after their resurrection,” but that would make it conflict with Paul‘s description of Christ as the first fruits of them that sleep (1 Corinthians 15:20). Some say that Jesus released these spirits after his descent into Hades. So it goes. We come back to miracles connected with the birth of Jesus, God‘s Son coming into the world. If we grant the possibility of such manifestations of God‘s power, there is little to disturb one here in the story of the death of God‘s Son. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 27:52

1 Corinthians 15:20 The first-fruits [απαρχη]
Old word from απαρχομαι — aparchomai to offer firstlings or first-fruits. In lxx for first-fruits. In papyri for legacy-duty, entrance-fee, and also first-fruits as here. See also 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Corinthians 16:15; Romans 8:23, etc. Christ is “first-born from the dead” (Colossians 1:18). Others raised from the dead died again, but not so Jesus. That sleep (των κεκοιμημενων — tōn kekoimēmenōn). Perfect middle participle as in Matthew 27:52 which see. Beautiful picture of death from which word (κοιμαομαι — koimaomai) comes our χεμετερψ — cemetery f0). [source]
1 Corinthians 15:20 That sleep [των κεκοιμημενων]
Perfect middle participle as in Matthew 27:52 which see. Beautiful picture of death from which word (κοιμαομαι — koimaomai) comes our χεμετερψ — cemetery f0). [source]
1 Timothy 5:10 Of the saints [ἁγίων]
Ἅγιος is rare in Class. In lxx, the standard word for holy. Its fundamental idea is setting apart, as in Class., devoted to the gods. In O.T., set apart to God, as priests; as the Israelites consecrated to God. In N.T., applied to Christians. Ideally, it implies personal holiness. It is used of God, Christ, John the Baptist, God's law, the Spirit of God. Paul often uses οἱ ἅγιοι as a common designation of Christians belonging to a certain region or community, as Philemon 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Colossians 1:2. In such cases it does not imply actual holiness, but holiness obligatory upon those addressed, as consecrated persons, and appropriate to them. What ought to be is assumed as being. In this sense not in the Gospels (unless, possibly, Matthew 27:52) or in the Epistles of Peter and John. Rare in Acts. [source]
1 Peter 3:19 In which also [εν ωι και]
That is, in spirit (relative referring to πνευματι — pneumati). But, a number of modern scholars have followed Griesbach‘s conjecture that the original text was either Νωε και — Nōe kai (Noah also), or Ενωχ και — Enōch kai (Enoch also), or εν ωι και Ενωχ — en hōi kai Enōch (in which Enoch also) which an early scribe misunderstood or omitted Ενωχ και — Enōch kai in copying It is allowed in Stier and Theile‘s Polyglott. It is advocated by J. Cramer in 1891, by J. Rendel Harris in The Expositor (1901), and Sidelights on N.T. Research (p. 208), by Nestle in 1902, by Moffatt‘s New Translation of the New Testament. Windisch rejects it as inconsistent with the context. There is no manuscript for the conjecture, though it would relieve the difficulty greatly. Luther admits that he does not know what Peter means. Bigg has no doubt that the event recorded took place between Christ‘s death and his resurrection and holds that Peter is alluding to Christ‘s Descensus ad Inferos in Acts 2:27 (with which he compares Matthew 27:52.; Luke 23:34; Ephesians 4:9). With this Windisch agrees. But Wohlenberg holds that Peter means that Christ in his preexistent state preached to those who rejected the preaching of Noah who are now in prison. Augustine held that Christ was in Noah when he preached. Bigg argues strongly that Christ during the time between his death and resurrection preached to those who once heard Noah (but are now in prison) and offered them another chance and not mere condemnation. If so, why did Jesus confine his preaching to this one group? So the theories run on about this passage. One can only say that it is a slim hope for those who neglect or reject Christ in this life to gamble with a possible second chance after death which rests on very precarious exegesis of a most difficult passage in Peter‘s Epistle. Accepting the text as we have, what can we make of it? [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 27:52 mean?

and the tombs were opened many bodies of the having fallen asleep saints arose
καὶ τὰ μνημεῖα ἀνεῴχθησαν πολλὰ σώματα τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἁγίων ἠγέρθησαν

μνημεῖα  tombs 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: μνημεῖον  
Sense: any visible object for preserving or recalling the memory of any person or thing.
ἀνεῴχθησαν  were  opened 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀνοίγω 
Sense: to open.
πολλὰ  many 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
σώματα  bodies 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: σῶμα  
Sense: the body both of men or animals.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
κεκοιμημένων  having  fallen  asleep 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: κοιμάω  
Sense: to cause to sleep, put to sleep.
ἁγίων  saints 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἅγιος  
Sense: most holy thing, a saint.
ἠγέρθησαν  arose 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐγείρω  
Sense: to arouse, cause to rise.