Church Fathers Commentary Mark 16:1-8

"And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the [mother] of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, they come to the tomb when the sun was risen. And they were saying among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the tomb? and looking up, they see that the stone is rolled back: for it was exceeding great. And entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, arrayed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he saith unto them, Be not amazed: ye seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who hath been crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold, the place where they laid him! But go, tell his disciples and Peter, He goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. And they went out, and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them: and they said nothing to any one; for they were afraid." — Mark 16:1-8 (ASV)

Pseudo-Jerome: After the sadness of the Sabbath, a happy day dawns upon them. This day holds the chief place among all days, for on it the chief light shines forth, and the Lord rises in triumph.

Therefore, it is said, And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

Glossa Ordinaria: According to Luke, these devout women prepared ointment after the Lord's burial, working as long as it was lawful—that is, until sunset. Because they could not finish their work due to the shortness of time, they hurried to buy more spices as soon as the Sabbath was over at sunset and the time for working returned, just as Mark says. They intended to go in the morning to anoint the body of Jesus, but they could not come to the tomb on the evening of the Sabbath, for night prevented them.

Therefore, the text continues: And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came to the tomb at the rising of the sun.

Severianus, ap. Chrysologum, sermon 89: The women here act with womanly devotion, for they do not bring Him faith as if He were alive, but ointments as if He were dead. They prepare a service of grief for Him as one who is buried, not the joys of heavenly triumph for Him as one who has risen.

Theophylact of Ohrid: For they do not understand the greatness and dignity of the wisdom of Christ. Instead, they came according to the Jewish custom to anoint Christ's body so that it might remain sweet-smelling and not begin to decay. Spices have the property of drying and absorbing the body's moisture, which keeps the body from corruption.

St. Gregory the Great: But if we believe in Him who was dead, are filled with the sweet aroma of virtue, and seek the Lord with a reputation for good works, we come to His tomb with spices.¹

The text continues: And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came to the tomb at the rising of the sun.

St. Augustine of Hippo: What Luke expresses as "very early in the morning" and John as "early, when it was yet dark," must be understood in light of what Mark says: very early in the morning, at the rising of the sun. This means the time when the sky was growing bright in the east, as is usual in places near sunrise, for this is the light we call the dawn. Therefore, there is no discrepancy with the report that says, "while it was yet dark."²

As the day dawns, the remaining darkness lessens in proportion as the light grows brighter. We must not take the words very early in the morning, at the rising of the sun to mean that the sun itself was visible on the earth, but rather to express the sun's near approach to that region—that is, when its rising begins to light up the sky.

Pseudo-Jerome: By "very early in the morning," he means what another Evangelist expresses as "at the dawning" (Luke 24:1). The dawn is the time between the darkness of night and the brightness of day, in which humanity's salvation is joyfully drawing near, to be declared in the Church.

Just as the rising sun, when the light is near, sends the rosy dawn before it so that the eye may be prepared to bear the grace of its glorious brightness, so too has the time of our Lord's Resurrection dawned. Now the whole Church, following the example of the women, may sing the praises of Christ, for He has quickened the human race after the pattern of His Resurrection, given it life, and poured upon it the light of faith.

The Venerable Bede: Just as the women show the great fervency of their love by coming very early in the morning to the tomb, as the history relates, so too a mystical example is given to us. With a shining face, and shaking off the darkness of wickedness, we should be careful to offer the fragrance of good works and the sweetness of prayer to the Lord.³

Theophylact of Ohrid: He says, "on the first of the sabbaths," which means on the first day of the week. For the days of the week are called "sabbaths," and the word "una" means "prima" (first).

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, this phrase means the first day after the day of sabbaths, or rests, which was observed on the Sabbath.

The text continues: And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?"

Severianus, ap. Chrysologum, sermon 89: Your heart was darkened and your eyes were shut, and therefore you did not see the glory of the opened tomb before.

It continues: And when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away.

Matthew shows clearly enough that the stone was rolled away by an angel. Mystically, this rolling away of the stone signifies the opening of the Christian Sacraments, which were hidden under the veil of the letter of the law, for the law was written on stone.

The text continues: for it was very great.

Severianus, ap. Chrysologum, sermon 89: It was great indeed by its function rather than its size, for it could both shut in and reveal the body of the Lord.

St. Gregory the Great: The women who came with spices see the angels because those souls who come to the Lord with their virtues, through holy desires, also see the citizens of heaven.

Therefore, the text continues: And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white robe; and they were alarmed.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Although Matthew says that the angel was sitting on the stone, while Mark relates that the women, entering the tomb, saw a young man sitting inside, we need not be surprised. It is likely they afterward saw the same angel sitting inside the tomb who had previously been sitting outside on the stone.

St. Augustine of Hippo: We can resolve this in two ways. First, let us suppose that Matthew was silent about the angel whom they saw upon entering, while Mark said nothing of the one they saw sitting outside on the stone. In this case, they saw two angels and heard from each of them separately the things they said concerning Jesus. Alternatively, we must understand "entering into the tomb" to mean their coming within some enclosure that likely surrounded the place, a short distance from the stone. This space would have been created by the excavation of the burial place itself. In that case, they saw the one sitting on the right hand in that space, whom Matthew describes as sitting on the stone.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Some say the women mentioned by Matthew were different from those in Mark. However, Mary Magdalene was with all the groups of women, on account of her burning zeal and ardent love.

Severianus: The women, then, entered the tomb so that, being buried with Christ, they might rise again from the tomb with Christ. They see the young man, which means they see the era of the Resurrection. For the Resurrection has no old age; the state in which a person knows neither birth nor death admits no decay and requires no growth. Therefore, what they saw was a young man—not an old man, nor an infant—but the age of joy itself.

The Venerable Bede: They saw a young man sitting on the right side, that is, on the south side of the place where the body was laid. For the body, which was lying on its back with its head to the west, must have had its right side to the south.

St. Gregory the Great: What is meant by the left hand but this present life, and what by the right but everlasting life? Since our Redeemer had already passed through the decay of this present life, it was fitting that the angel who came to announce His everlasting life sat on the right hand.

Severianus, ap. Chrysologum, sermon 89: Again, they saw a young man sitting on the right because the Resurrection has nothing sinister in it. They also see him dressed in a long white robe. That robe is not made from mortal fleece but is of living virtue, blazing with heavenly light, not of an earthly dye. As the Prophet says, You cover yourself with light as with a garment (Psalm 104:2); and of the just it is said, Then the righteous will shine like the sun (Matthew 13:43).

Alternatively, he appeared covered with a white robe because he announced the joys of our festival, for the whiteness of the robe shows the splendor of our solemn occasion.

Pseudo-Jerome: The white robe also represents true joy, now that the enemy is driven away, the kingdom is won, and the King of Peace is sought, found, and never to be let go by us. This young man, then, shows an image of the Resurrection to those who feared death. But their being frightened shows that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).

The text continues: And he said to them, "Do not be alarmed."

St. Gregory the Great: It is as if he had said, "Let those fear who do not love the coming of the inhabitants of heaven. Let them fear who, weighed down with carnal desires, despair of ever being able to attain their company. But why should you fear, you who see your own fellow citizens?"

Pseudo-Jerome: For there is no fear in love. Why should they fear, when they had found Him whom they sought?

St. Gregory the Great: But let us hear what the angel adds: You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. "Jesus" means Savior, but at that time there may have been many men named Jesus. Therefore, the place "Nazareth" is added so that it would be clear which Jesus was being spoken of. And immediately he adds the reason: "who was crucified."

Theophylact of Ohrid: For he is not ashamed of the Cross, because in it is the salvation of humanity and the beginning of all who are blessed.

Pseudo-Jerome: But the bitter root of the Cross has disappeared. The flower of life has burst forth with its fruit; that is, He who lay in death has risen in glory.

Therefore, he adds, He has risen; He is not here.

St. Gregory the Great: The phrase He is not here is spoken of His physical presence, for He was not absent from any place regarding the presence of His majesty.

Theophylact of Ohrid: As if to say, "Do you wish to be certain of His Resurrection?" he adds, Behold the place where they laid Him. This was also the reason he had rolled away the stone: so that he might show them the place.

Pseudo-Jerome: But immortality is shown to mortals as a gift owed to thankfulness, so that we may understand what we were and know what we are to be.

The text continues: But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you into Galilee.

The women are ordered to tell the apostles, so that just as death was announced by a woman, so also might life-rising-again be announced. But he speaks specially to Peter, because Peter had shown himself unworthy of being a disciple by denying his Master three times. However, past sins cease to harm us when they cease to be pleasing to us.

St. Gregory the Great: If the angel had not expressly named him who had denied his Master, Peter would not have dared to come among the disciples. He is therefore called by name, so that he would not despair on account of his denial.

St. Augustine of Hippo: By saying, He will go before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you, the angel seems to imply that Jesus would not show Himself to His disciples after His Resurrection except in Galilee. Yet Mark himself does not mention this appearance. The appearances he does relate—Early on the first day of the week He appeared to Mary Magdalene, and after that to two of them as they walked and went into the country—we know took place in Jerusalem on the very day of the resurrection. Then he comes to His last appearance, which we know was on the Mount of Olives, not far from Jerusalem.⁴

Mark, therefore, never relates the fulfillment of what the angel foretold. Matthew, however, mentions no place at all where the disciples saw the Lord after He arose except Galilee, according to the angel's prophecy. But since it is not stated when this happened—whether it was first, before He was seen anywhere else—and since the passage where Matthew says He went to the mountain in Galilee does not specify the day or the order of the narrative, Matthew does not oppose the accounts of the other evangelists but rather helps in explaining and harmonizing them.

Nevertheless, since the Lord did not first show Himself there, but sent word that He was to be seen in Galilee (where He was indeed seen later), it causes every faithful Christian to be on the lookout to discover in what mysterious sense this should be understood.

St. Gregory the Great: For "Galilee" means "a passing over" (transmigratio). Our Redeemer had already passed from His Passion to His Resurrection, from death to life. We too will have joy in seeing the glory of His Resurrection, if only we pass over from vice to the heights of virtue. He who is announced at the tomb is shown in this "passing over," because He who is first known through the mortification of the flesh is seen in this passing over of the soul.

Pseudo-Jerome: This sentence is short in its number of syllables, but the promise is vast in its greatness. Here is the fountain of our joy, and the source of everlasting life is prepared. Here all who are scattered are brought together, and the contrite in heart are healed. There, he says, you shall see Him, but not as you have seen Him before.

St. Augustine of Hippo: It is also signified that the grace of Christ was about to pass over from the people of Israel to the Gentiles. The apostles would never have been received by the Gentiles when they preached if the Lord had not gone before them and prepared a way in their hearts. This is what is meant by, He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him—that is, there you will find His members.

The text continues: And they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.

Theophylact of Ohrid: That is, they trembled because of the vision of the angels and were amazed because of the Resurrection.

Severianus, ap. Chrysologum, sermon 89: The angel sits on the tomb, while the women flee from it. He, on account of his heavenly substance, is confident, whereas they are troubled because of their earthly frame. He who cannot die cannot fear the tomb, but the women, being mortals, fear both what had just happened and the tomb itself, as mortals are accustomed to do.

Pseudo-Jerome: This also speaks of the life to come, in which grief and groaning will flee away. For the women prefigure, before the Resurrection, all that is to happen to them after the Resurrection: namely, that they will flee from death and fear.

The text continues: Neither did they say anything to anyone, for they were afraid.

Theophylact of Ohrid: This was either on account of the Jews, or else they said nothing because the fear from the vision prevented them.

St. Augustine of Hippo: We may, however, inquire how Mark can say this when Matthew says, they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word (Matthew 28:8). We can understand this to mean that they did not dare to say a word to the angels themselves—that is, to answer what they had said to them—or perhaps to the guards whom they saw lying there. The joy of which Matthew speaks is not inconsistent with the fear that Mark mentions. We should have understood that both feelings were in their minds, even if Matthew had not mentioned the fear. But since he has, in fact, said that they came out "with fear and great joy," he leaves no room for any question to be raised.⁵

Severianus, ap. Chrysologum, sermon 89: It is also said in a marked way that they said nothing to anyone, because it is the role of women to hear and not to speak, to learn and not to teach.

1. Hom. in. Evan., 21
2. Con. Evang., iii, 24
3. in Marc., 4, 40
4. de. Con. Evan., iii, 25
5. de Con. Evan., iii, 24