The Meaning of Matthew 28:4 Explained

Matthew 28:4

KJV: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

YLT: and from the fear of him did the keepers shake, and they became as dead men.

Darby: And for fear of him the guards trembled and became as dead men.

ASV: and for fear of him the watchers did quake, and became as dead men.

Discover Matthew 28:4

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Matthew 28:4?

MEANING: What does Matthew 28:4 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Matthew 28:4 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Matthew 28:4?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  for  fear  of him  the keepers  did shake,  and  became  as  dead  [men]. 

What does Matthew 28:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 28:1-10 - The Open And Empty Tomb
Ere the sun had risen and while the glory of the dawn was faint in the Eastern sky, the women were well on their way. But He whom they sought had gone. How often we look down into the grave of the dead past, and into the vault where we have buried twin-souls; or we peer for help into the diaries, prayers and rites of departed saints or a moribund church-but we do not find the Lord. The divine Leader of souls is not behind us, but before; not in the grave of the dead past, but in the van of the world's march. Lo, he beckons us on to follow the Ascension mountain and the opened heaven!
The Lord engaged women as messengers of His resurrection. See Psalms 68:11. How eagerly they caught His idea, and with what alacrity they endeavored to fulfill it. And as they went He, for whom they went, met them! It is ever thus. We go on His errands, but we do not leave Him as we go. On the contrary, He meets us. See Isaiah 64:5. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 28

1  Christ's resurrection is declared by an angel to the women
9  He himself appears unto them
11  The chief priests pay the soldiers to say that he was stolen out of his tomb
16  Christ appears to his disciples,
18  and sends them to baptize and teach all nations

Greek Commentary for Matthew 28:4

The watchers did quake [εσειστησαν οι τηρουντες]
And no wonder that they became as dead men and fled before the women came. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 28:4 mean?

From now the fear of him trembled those keeping guard and became as dead [men]
ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ φόβου αὐτοῦ ἐσείσθησαν οἱ τηροῦντες καὶ ἐγενήθησαν ὡς νεκροί

δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
φόβου  fear 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: φόβος  
Sense: fear, dread, terror.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἐσείσθησαν  trembled 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: σείω  
Sense: to shake, agitate, cause to tremble.
οἱ  those 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ὁ  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
τηροῦντες  keeping  guard 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: τηρέω  
Sense: to attend to carefully, take care of.
ἐγενήθησαν  became 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
νεκροί  dead  [men] 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: νεκρός  
Sense: properly.

What are the major concepts related to Matthew 28:4?

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Similar Scriptures for Matthew 28:4

Revelation 1:17 [3]
Matthew 27:65-66 [2]
Psalms 48:6 [2]
Daniel 10:7 [2]
Job 4:14 [2]
Acts 9:3-7 [2]
Acts 16:29 [2]
Matthew 28:11 [2]