The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?
Parallel translations
- WEB Becoming terrified, they bowed their faces down to the earth. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?
- KJV And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
- BSB As the women bowed their faces to the ground in terror, the two men asked them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?
- NKJV Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?
- NASB and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why are you seeking the living One among the dead?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The terrified women bowed down, and the angels asked why they sought the living among the dead. The question announces that Jesus is alive.
Overview
Overcome with awe, the women bow as the angels pose a pointed question. By calling Jesus the living one, the messengers declare His resurrection. The words gently rebuke the assumption that He remains among the dead and redirect the women's grief toward the joyful reality that Christ has risen.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Mark 16:5–6Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed.
- Rev 1:18and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.
- Matt 28:3–5His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
- Luke 1:12–13Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
- Rev 2:8“To the angel of the assembly in Smyrna write: “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things:
- Dan 10:16Behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spoke and said to him who stood before me, my lord, by reason of the vision my sorrows are turned on me, and I retain no strength.
- Dan 10:19He said, “Greatly beloved man, don’t be afraid: peace be to you, be strong, yes, be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak; for you have strengthened me.”
- Dan 10:7–12I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; for the men who were with me didn’t see the vision; but a great quaking fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves.
- Dan 8:17–18So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was frightened, and fell on my face: but he said to me, Understand, son of man; for the vision belongs to the time of the end.
- Acts 10:3–4At about the ninth hour of the day, he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God coming to him, and saying to him, “Cornelius!”
- Heb 7:8Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives.
- Luke 1:29But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 24:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.