And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
Parallel translations
- WEB For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men.
- KJV And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
- BSB The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men.
- NASB The guards shook from fear of him and became like dead men.
- NLT The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
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 Roman guards tremble in terror and become like dead men at the angel's appearance. The very men set to secure the tomb are overcome by God's power.
Overview
Ironically, the soldiers stationed to keep Jesus in the grave are themselves reduced to a death-like state, while the dead Christ has risen to life. Their fear stands in contrast to the comfort soon offered to the women. Human power and Roman authority are shown to be powerless before the acts of God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Rev 1:17When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last,
- Dan 10:7I, 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.
- Matt 27:65–66Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can.”
- Acts 16:29He called for lights, sprang in, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas,
- Matt 28:11Now while they were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city, and told the chief priests all the things that had happened.
- Ps 48:6Trembling took hold of them there, pain, as of a woman in travail.
- Acts 9:3–7As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him.
- Job 4:14fear came on me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake.
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 28:4 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.