Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 16:8

"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 16:8 (ASV)

The confrontation with the angel proved to be too much for the women. They fled “trembling and bewildered”—a natural and to-be-expected reaction. They were so frightened and confused that they were at first silent. After they had collected their wits, they did a lot of talking (cf. Matthew 28:8).

If the gospel of Mark ends with 16:8, as some believe, Mark intentionally emphasizes the mystery and awesomeness of the Resurrection. The women were afraid because God’s eschatological action in the resurrection of his Son had been revealed to them, an event Mark understood to be the climax of all God’s saving acts and the inauguration of the time of the End.