and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
Parallel translations
- WEB and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.
- KJV And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
- BSB After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people.
- NKJV and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
- NLT They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
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
After Jesus' resurrection these raised saints enter Jerusalem and appear to many. Their appearance witnesses to resurrection life.
Overview
Matthew notes that the raised saints came out of their tombs after Jesus' own resurrection and appeared in the holy city. Their public appearance bears witness to the life-giving power unleashed by Christ's victory over death. As the firstfruits, Jesus' resurrection assures that all who are His will likewise be raised.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Isa 48:2(for they call themselves citizens of the holy city, and rely on the God of Israel; Yahweh of Armies is his name):
- Rev 21:2I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
- Dan 9:24Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.
- Rev 11:2Leave out the court which is outside of the temple, and don’t measure it, for it has been given to the nations. They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months.
- Matt 4:5Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
- Rev 22:19If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, may God take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.
- Neh 11:1The princes of the people lived in Jerusalem. The rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts in the other cities.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 27:53 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.