Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 28:10
Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
10. go tell my brethren that they go ] i. e. tell my brethren (of my Resurrection), in order that they may go.
my brethren ] The disciples; “He named them brethren, as being Himself a man and their kinsman according to man’s nature” (Euthymius quoted by Ellicott, Life of our Lord); comp. Heb 2:11, “He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Now that Christ had clearly manifested the power of the Godhead, there was special need of reminding His disciples that He was still man, and that they were brethren.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Be not afraid – The ancients, when in the presence of a heavenly being – an angel, or one who was supposed to be possessed of divine power were commonly struck with great fear, as well as a great sense of their unworthiness. See Luk 5:8; Jdg 6:22-23; Jdg 13:21-22. These women were in like manner alarmed when they saw Jesus, believing him now especially to be a Divine Being; seeing him returning from the regions of the dead, and doubtless impressed with a new consciousness that they were unworthy of being in his presence. Jesus comforted them. He was the same Jesus with whom they had been before his death, and they had no reason now to fear him.
Go tell my brethren – There is something exceedingly tender in the appellation used here – my brethren. Though he was risen from the dead, though about to be exalted to heaven, yet he did not disdain to call his disciples his brethren. This was calculated still further to silence the fears of the women and to inspire them with confidence.
Into Galilee – Galilee was the northern part of the land. There the Saviour commenced his ministry; and there, away from the noise and confusion of the city, he purposed again to meet them, in retirement and quietness, to satisfy them of his resurrection, and to commission them to go forth and preach the everlasting gospel.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 10. Be not afraid] They were seized with fear at the sight of the angel; and this was now renewed by this unexpected appearance of Christ. See Clarke on Mt 28:8.
Go, tell my brethren] This is the first time our Lord called his disciples by this endearing name: they no doubt thought that their Lord would reproach them with their past cowardice and infidelity; but, in speaking thus, he gives them a full assurance, in the most tender terms, that all that was passed was as buried for ever.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
10. Then said Jesus unto them, Benot afraidWhat dear associations would these familiarwordsnow uttered in a higher style, but by the same Lipsbringrushing back to their recollection!
go tell my brethren that theygo into Galilee, and there shall they see meThe brethren heremeant must have been His brethren after the flesh (compare Mt13:55); for His brethren in the higher sense (see on Joh20:17) had several meetings with Him at Jerusalem beforeHe went to Galilee, which they would have missed if they had been thepersons ordered to Galilee to meet Him.
The Guards Bribed (Mt28:11-15).
The whole of this importantportion is peculiar to Matthew.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then said Jesus unto them, be not afraid,…. Of me, or what you have seen; or lest there should be any deception in the case. In other respects the saints are subject to fears; as lest they should have no share in the love of God, nor interest in Christ, or the work of God is not begun in their hearts; and by reason of sin, lest that should get the ascendant over them, and they perish by it, and so fall short of eternal glory; when it is the will of Christ to have these fears removed, by shedding abroad his love in their hearts, by affording his gracious presence, views of interest in him, and promises of his grace, by sending his Spirit, word, and ministers to comfort them, by discovering and applying pardoning grace to them, and showing his power to keep them.
Go tell my brethren; meaning not his kinsmen according to the flesh, but his disciples, who were in this relation to him, as all the elect of God are; not only through his incarnation, he being their “Goel”, their near kinsman, and Redeemer, and of the same nature, flesh, and blood with them, and like unto them in all things, excepting sin; but on account of their divine adoption, to which they were predestinated, and which they received through his redemption, and under the witnessings of the Spirit: he that is his God being theirs; and he that is his Father being theirs also: and which was made manifest in their regeneration, by their faith in him; and obedience to him, and his Father; see Mt 12:49. A very considerable relation this is, that the disciples stood in to Christ, who is the eternal Son of God, and heir of all things; and wonderful grace and condescension it was in Christ to own the relation, when they had so lately forsaken him; and now he was raised from the dead, and had glory given him:
that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me: he does not say they should not see him before: for they saw him, all but Thomas, that very evening, and all of them eight days after; and both times were before they went into Galilee: but this he said, to put them in mind of what he had promised them, Mt 26:32, and to confirm the words of the angel; and which might serve for a confirmation of the truth of these things, both to the women, and to the disciples, when they observed the exact agreement between the words of Christ, and of the angel. Moreover, it may be remarked, that wherever Christ has appointed to meet his people, they may expect, and be sure to see him at one time or another; as in his house and ordinances, where they are sometimes indulged with a sight of him by faith, which is an appropriating, assimilating, soul rejoicing, and satisfying one; when with pleasure they behold the glory of his divine person, and of his offices, the transcendent excellencies and perfections of his nature, his love and his loveliness, the beauty and amiableness of him, the fulness of grace, life, and righteousness in him, and so the suitableness of him as their Saviour and Redeemer; and when they are favoured with communion with him, and the joys of his salvation.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Fear not ( ). They were still afraid for joy and embarrassment. Jesus calms their excitement by the repetition of the charge from the angel for the disciples to meet him in Galilee. There is no special mention of Peter (“and Peter”) as in Mr 16:7, but we may be sure that the special message to Peter was delivered.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
10. Then Jesus saith to them. We conclude, that it was an improper fear, from which Christ again delivers them; for though it arose out of admiration, still it was opposed to the tranquillity of faith. That they may raise themselves to Christ, the Conqueror of death, they are commanded to be cheerful. (308) But by those words we are taught that we never know aright our Lord’s resurrection, until, through the firm assurance which we have conceived in our hearts, we venture to rejoice that we have been made partakers of the same life. Our faith ought, at least, to proceed so far that fear shall not predominate.
Go, tell my brethren. When Christ ordered them to tell this to the disciples, by this message he again collected and raised up the Church, which was scattered and fallen down. For as it is chiefly by the faith of the resurrection that we are now quickened, so at that time it was proper that the disciples should have that life restored to them from which they had fallen. Here, to it is proper to remark the astonishing kindness of Christ, in deigning to bestow the name of brethren on deserters who had basely forsaken him. Nor can it be doubted that he intentionally employed so kind an appellation, for the purpose of soothing the grief by which he knew that they were grievously tormented. But as the Apostles were not the only persons who were acknowledged by him as brethren, let us know that this message was conveyed by the recommend of Christ, in order that it might afterwards come to us. And, therefore, we ought not to listen with indifference to the narrative of the resurrection, when Christ, with his own mouth, kindly invites us to receive the fruit of it on the ground of our being related to him as brethren. As to the interpretation which some have given to the word brethren, as denoting the cousins and other relatives of Christ, (309) their mistake is abundantly refuted by the context; for John expressly says that Mary came and told the disciples, (Joh 20:18😉 and Luke immediately adds, that the women told these things to the apostles. Mark also agrees with them; for he says that Mary came and told it to the apostles, while they were mourning and weeping.
(308) “ De se resjouir, et ouster toute tristesse;” — “to be glad, and to lay aside all sadness.”
(309) “ Les cousins et autres parens de Christ.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(10) Go, tell my brethren.The words are clearly used of those who were brethren by spiritual relationship, as in Mat. 12:49, and have their counterpart in Joh. 20:17, I ascend to My Father and your Father.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘Then says Jesus to them, Do not be afraid. Go, tell my brethren that they depart into Galilee, and there will they see me.”
Jesus then repeats the message of the angel. They are to tell the disciples and all who are believers (my brethren, compare Mat 12:48) to leave Jerusalem and go to Galilee, where they too will see Him. At this stage Jesus is still looking to the disciples to obey Him. It is difficult to believe that at this point (from a human point of view) He is intending to appear to His Apostles that very night. The alteration in plan took place because of their steadfast unbelief. That is not, of course, to deny that in His sovereignty He knew what was going to happen, simply to indicate that that was how He wanted it to be seen.
‘Do not be afraid.’ What the women were experiencing was undoubtedly awesome in the fullest sense of the word. First a glorious angel and an empty tomb, then a message that Jesus would soon appear to all His disciples, and now the actual appearance of the One Whom they had watched die on a cross. No wonder that there was a kind of fear and awe gripping them in the midst of their joyfulness.
‘Depart into Galilee, there will they see Me.’ Men must no longer look to Jerusalem but to Him, and He is not bound up in Jerusalem. The importance of Galilee came out from the start. It was in Galilee that Jesus took refuge on His return from exile (Mat 2:22). It was in Galilee that the people who sat in darkness would see a great light (Mat 4:16). It was in Galilee that He carried out His main ministry (Mat 4:23) and established a large band of disciples. At the crisis point of His life Jesus was declared to be a Galilean (Mat 26:69). Thus Matthew saw Galilee, ‘Galilee of the Gentiles’, as the starting point of the future. And he did it on Jesus’ authority. That was where Jesus was really to be seen.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 28:10 . , .] Asyndeton, the matter being pressing, urgent.
] He thus designates His disciples (comp. on Joh 20:17 ; Justin, c. Tr. 106), not (Euthymius Zigabenus), for which there was no occasion, but in view of that conception of Him as a superhuman being which had so profoundly impressed the women prostrate at His feet.
] does not state the purport of the order involved in . (de Wette; there is nothing whatever of the nature of an order about .), but the idea is: take word to my brethren (namely, about my resurrection, about your having seen me, about my having spoken to you, and what I said), in order that (as soon as they receive these tidings from you) they may proceed to Galilee, Mat 26:32 .
] is not to be regarded as dependent on , but: and there they shall see me . This repetition of the directions about going to Galilee (Mat 28:7 ), to which latter our evangelist gives considerable prominence as the scene of the new reunion (Mat 28:16 ff.), cannot be characterized as superfluous (de Wette, Bruno Bauer), or even as poor and meaningless (Keim), betraying the hand of a later editor, but is intended to be express and emphatic ; comp. Steinmeyer. With the exception of Joh 21 , the other canonical Gospels, in which, however, we cannot include the spurious conclusion of Mark, make no mention of any appearance of the risen Lord in Galilee; according to Joh 20 , Jesus remained at least eight days in Jerusalem, as did also His disciples, to whom He there manifested Himself on two occasions, though it would appear from Joh 21 that the third manifestation took place in Galilee, while Luke, on the other hand (Mat 24:49 ; Act 1:4 ; Act 13:31 ), excludes Galilee altogether, just as Matthew excludes Judaea. To harmonize these divergent accounts is impossible (Strauss, II. p. 558 ff.; Holtzmann, p. 500 f.; Keim); and, with regard to the account of Matthew in particular, it may be observed that it is so far from assuming the manifestations to the disciples in Judaea as having previously occurred (in opposition to Augustine, Olshausen, Krabbe, Ebrard, Lange), that it clearly intends the meeting with the eleven, Mat 28:16 ff., as the first appearance to those latter, and as the one that had been promised by the angel, Mat 28:7 , and by Jesus Himself, Mat 28:10 . From those divergent accounts, however, it may be fairly inferred that the tradition regarding the appearances of the risen Lord to His disciples assumed a threefold shape: (1) the purely Galilaean , which is that adopted by Matthew; (2) the purely Judaean , which is that of Luke, and also of John with the supplementary ch. 21 left out ; (3) the combined form in which the appearances both in Galilee and Judaea are embraced, which is that of John with the supplementary chapter in question included . That Jesus appeared to the disciples both in Jerusalem and in Galilee as well might be already deduced as a legitimate historical inference from the fact of a distinct Judaean and Galilaean tradition having been current; but the matter is placed beyond a doubt by John, if, as we are entitled to assume, the apostle is to be regarded as the author of ch. 21. The next step, of course, is to regard it as an ascertained historical fact that the appearances in Judaea preceded those in Galilee; though, at the same time, it should not be forgotten that Matthew’s account is not merely vague and concise (Bleek), but that it, in fact, ignores the appearances in Judaea altogether , [40] entirely excludes them as being unsuited to the connection; comp. Schleiermacher, L. J. p. 465 f. Now, as this is inconceivable in the case of Matthew the apostle , we are bound to infer from our narrative that this is another of those passages in our Gospel which show traces of other than apostolic authorship. See Introd. 2.
[40] Rud. Hofmann ( de Berg Galila , 1856), following certain early expositors, has attempted to explain the discrepancies between the various narratives by maintaining that , Mat 28 , is not the country , but a mountain of this name, namely, the northmost of the three peaks of the Mount of Olives. But nowhere in the New Testament do we find such a designation applied to any locality but the well-known province of that name; nor, if we interpret fairly the passages quoted by Hofmann from Tertullian (Rev 21Rev 21 ), Lactantius (iv. 19), and Chrysostom, are we able to find in them any allusion to a mountain called Galilee; and surely it is not to be presumed that anything of a trustworthy nature can be learnt as to the existence of such a mountain from the confusions of a certain corrupt part of the text in the Evang, Nicod . 14; see already, Thilo, ad Cod, Apocr . I. p. 620 f.
REMARK.
It is evident from 1Co 15:5 ff. that, even taking the narratives of all the evangelists together, we would have but an imperfect enumeration of the appearances of Jesus subsequent to His resurrection, Matthew’s account being the most deficient of any. With regard to the appearances themselves, modern criticism, discarding the idea that the death was only apparent (see on Mat 27:50 ), has treated them partly as subjective creations , either of the intellect (Strauss, Scholten), in its efforts to reconcile the Messianic prophecies and the belief in the Messiah with the fact of His death, or of ecstatic vision (Baur, Strauss, 1864; Holsten, Ewald), and therefore as mere mental phenomena which came to be embodied in certain objective incidents. There are those again who, attributing the appearances in question to some objective influence emanating from Christ Himself , have felt constrained to regard them as real manifestations of His person in the glorified form (Schenkel) in which it emerged from out of death (not from the grave), a view in which Weisse, Keim, Schweizer substantially concur, inasmuch as Keim, in particular, lays stress on the necessity of “such a telegram from heaven” after the extinction of Christ’s earthly nature, though he considers the question as to whether our Lord also communicated the form of the vision directly or only indirectly, as of but secondary consequence. But all these attempts to treat what has been recorded as an actual fact as though it were based merely on mental phenomena are in opposition in general to the explicit and unhesitating view of all the evangelists and apostles as well as in particular to the uniform reference to the empty grave , and no less uniform use of the expression third day , all classical testimonies which can never be silenced. If, in addition to all this, it be borne in mind that the apostles found in the resurrection of their Lord a living and unfailing source of courage and hope, and of that cheerfulness with which they bore suffering and death, that the apostolic church generally saw in it the foundation on which its own existence was based, that Paul, in particular, insists upon it as incontrovertible evidence for, and as an of the resurrection of the body (1Co 15:23 ; Rom 8:11 ), and as constituting an essential factor in man’s justification (Rom 4:25 ; Phi 3:10 ), though he is fond of speaking of being buried and raised up with Christ as descriptive of what is essential to the moral standing of the Christian (Rom 6:4 ; Col 2:12 ), and can only conceive of the glorified body of the Lord, to which those of believers will one day be conformed (Phi 3:21 ), as no other than that which came forth from the grave and was taken up to heaven, if, we say, this be borne in mind, not the shadow of an exegetical pretext will be left for construing the resurrection from the grave of one whose body was exempted from corruption (Act 2:31 ; Act 10:41 ) into something or other which might be more appropriately described as a resurrection from the cross , and which would therefore require us to suppose that all the apostles and the whole church from the very beginning had been the victims of a delusion. See, in answer to Keim, Schmidt in the Jahrb. f. D. Theol . 1872, p. 413 ff. If this view of the resurrection were adopted, then, in opposition once more to New Testament authority, we should have to identify it with the ascension (comp. on Luk 24:51 , Remark); while, on the other hand, it would be necessary to give up the Descensus Christi ad inferos as a second error arising out of that which has just been referred to.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
Ver. 10. Go tell my brethren ] Brethren still, though foully fallen, Jer 3:1 . Infirmities discard us not, if bewailed, disclaimed, set against.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
10. . ] so also to Mary Magdalene, Joh 20:17 . The repetition of this injunction by the Lord has been thought to indicate that this is a portion of another narrative inwoven here, and may possibly belong to the same incident as that in Mat 28:7 . But all probability is against this: the passages are distinctly consecutive, and moreover both are in the well-known style of Matthew (e.g. in both). There is perhaps more probability that this may be the same appearance as that in Joh 20:11-18 , on account of there and . , but in our present imperfect state of information, this must remain a mere probability.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 28:10 . : kindly in word and tone, meant to remove the embarrassment visible in their manner. , another asyndeton as in Mat 27:65 . The instructions to the women simply repeat, in much the same words, those given by the angel (Mat 28:7 ), with the exception that the disciples are spoken of by the kindly name of “brethren”.
The similarity of Mat 28:9-10 to Joh 20:14-18 has been remarked on ( vide Weiss, Meyer, on Mat 28:9 ). It has been lately commented on in connection with the theory of a “four-gospel Canon” prepared by the Presbyters of Asia Minor in the beginning of the second century. Vide Der Schlnss des Marcus-Evangeliums der Vier-Evangelien-Kanon und die Kleinasiatischen Presbyter , by Dr. Paul Rohrbach. Rohrbach’s idea is that when this Canon was prepared the editors altered more or less the statements of the Synoptists as to the visions of the Risen Christ so as to bring them somewhat into harmony with those of the fourth Gospel. For this purpose Mark’s original ending was cancelled and the present one, Mat 28:9-20 , put in its place. The editorial procedure in the case of Matthew consisted in inserting Mat 28:9-10 in the narrative, thus providing for at least one vision in Jerusalem, and making room for more, and so cancelling the impression otherwise produced that Jesus was seen only in Galilee. In support of the view that Mat 28:9-10 are an editorial addition at a later date Rohrbach adduces the fact that the narrative has an appearance of continuity when they are omitted, and also that the instructions of Jesus to the women are a mere echo of those given by the angel.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
10. .] so also to Mary Magdalene, Joh 20:17. The repetition of this injunction by the Lord has been thought to indicate that this is a portion of another narrative inwoven here, and may possibly belong to the same incident as that in Mat 28:7. But all probability is against this: the passages are distinctly consecutive, and moreover both are in the well-known style of Matthew (e.g. in both). There is perhaps more probability that this may be the same appearance as that in Joh 20:11-18, on account of there and . ,-but in our present imperfect state of information, this must remain a mere probability.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 28:10. , to My brethren) See Gnomon on Joh 20:17.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Be: Mat 28:5, Mat 14:27, Luk 24:36-38, Joh 6:20
go: Mat 28:7, Jdg 10:16, Psa 103:8-13, Mar 16:7
my: Mat 12:48-50, Mat 25:40, Mat 25:45, Mar 3:33-35, Joh 20:17, Rom 8:29, Heb 2:11-18
Reciprocal: Psa 22:22 – my brethren Dan 10:12 – Fear not Mat 12:50 – the same Mat 26:32 – I will Mat 28:16 – went Mar 3:34 – Behold Mar 14:28 – General Luk 8:21 – My mother Joh 20:18 – came 1Co 15:6 – he was
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8:10
This is the same message the angel gave the women at the tomb. Christ’s brethren means his disciples (Joh 20:17-18), and they were promised to be met by him in his home country of Galilee.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 28:10. Fear not. This injunction was called for by the mingled emotions of those addressed. The language has also the vivacious form of joyous feeling.
Go, tell my brethren. A touching term coming from the Risen One, and applied to those who had forsaken Him. It indicates His continued affection and their fellowship with. Him in His glory.
That they depart into Galilee. In the excited, half doubting, half rejoicing mood which characterized all the believers, male and female, there was a necessity for a repetition of this command (see Mat 28:7). Frequent appearances, repeated commands were called for; the first to convince them, the second to direct them. (According to our view of the harmony, this message had been given twice already by the angels: once without and again within the sepulchre.) Our own experience shows the same need. Hence we are prepared to expect that there were other appearances than those recorded here. Matthew passes over most of them, mentioning, probably, only those which impressed his own mind most, or seemed best adapted for his purpose.
And there shall they see me. This seems to refer, as in Mat 28:7. to the whole body of the disciples, who under the leadership of the eleven returned to Galilee about nine days afterwards, many of whom came to Jerusalem again before the Ascension (Act 1:13-15). Matthew is silent about the subsequent appearances to the Apostles in Jerusalem (Mar 16:14; Luk 24:36; Joh 20:19; Joh 20:26), though present on these occasions. As he wrote for Jewish Christians he may have wished to emphasize the appearances in Galilee, in order to lead their minds away from Jerusalem, to which their education would still make them cling. All theories of different traditions (Judean and Galilean) about the resurrection, are unsupported by the contents of the several Gospels.
All attempts to deny the historical character of the resurrection and the subsequent manifestations of Christ have failed. To suppose that the Apostles lied, as did the Sanhedrin (chap. Mat 28:13), is a moral impossibility; that the resurrection was a mere reviving from apparent death is a physical impossibility; that the appearances were mere visions, ecstasies, having no reality outside the minds of the persons, is psychologically impossible; such visions are not so often repeated nor to so many persons. Phantoms, visions, the result of too lively imaginations (!) do not revolutionize the world. Consistency requires that those who deny the reality of the resurrection, deny the Apostolic history also; and what is then left to account for Christianity, a fact which must be accounted for?
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Jesus calmed the women’s fears as the angel had done, and He repeated the instructions that the angel had given them. Jesus’ brethren were His disciples (Mat 12:48-50; Mat 18:15; Mat 23:8; Mat 25:40; cf. Mat 5:22-24; Mat 7:3-5; Mat 18:21; Mat 18:35).
"Why, then, Matthew’s record of a resurrection appearance in Galilee? The answer surely lies in the combination of two themes that have permeated the entire Gospel. First, the Messiah emerges from a despised area . . . and first sheds his light on a despised people . . .; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit (Mat 5:3). For this reason, too, the risen Jesus first appears to women whose value as witnesses among Jews is worthless . . . Second, ’Galilee of the Gentiles’ (Mat 4:15) is compatible with the growing theme of Gentile mission in this Gospel . . . and prepares for the Great Commission (Mat 28:18-20)." [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 590. See Zane C. Hodges, "Form-Criticism and the Resurrection Accounts," Bibliotheca Sacra 124:496 (October-December 1967):339-48.]