The Meaning of Matthew 28:6 Explained

Matthew 28:6

KJV: He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

YLT: he is not here, for he rose, as he said; come, see the place where the Lord was lying;

Darby: He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

ASV: He is not here; for he is risen, even as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He is  not  here:  for  he is risen,  as  he said.  Come,  see  the place  where  the Lord  lay. 

What does Matthew 28:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 28:1-10 - The Open And Empty Tomb
Ere the sun had risen and while the glory of the dawn was faint in the Eastern sky, the women were well on their way. But He whom they sought had gone. How often we look down into the grave of the dead past, and into the vault where we have buried twin-souls; or we peer for help into the diaries, prayers and rites of departed saints or a moribund church-but we do not find the Lord. The divine Leader of souls is not behind us, but before; not in the grave of the dead past, but in the van of the world's march. Lo, he beckons us on to follow the Ascension mountain and the opened heaven!
The Lord engaged women as messengers of His resurrection. See Psalms 68:11. How eagerly they caught His idea, and with what alacrity they endeavored to fulfill it. And as they went He, for whom they went, met them! It is ever thus. We go on His errands, but we do not leave Him as we go. On the contrary, He meets us. See Isaiah 64:5. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 28

1  Christ's resurrection is declared by an angel to the women
9  He himself appears unto them
11  The chief priests pay the soldiers to say that he was stolen out of his tomb
16  Christ appears to his disciples,
18  and sends them to baptize and teach all nations

Greek Commentary for Matthew 28:6

Risen from the dead [ηγερτη απο των νεκρων]
(ηγερτη απο των νεκρων — ēgerthē apo tōn nekrōn). [source]
Jesus the Risen []
. This is the heart of the testimony of the angel to the women. It is what Paul wishes Timothy never to forget (2 Timothy 2:8), “Jesus Christ risen from the dead” They were afraid and dazzled by the glory of the scene, but the angel said, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay” Some MSS. do not have ο Κυριος — ho Kurios but he is the subject of εκειτο — ekeito His body was not there. It will not do to say that Jesus arose in spirit and appeared alive though his body remained in the tomb. The empty tomb is the first great fact confronting the women and later the men. Various theories were offered then as now. But none of them satisfy the evidence and explain the survival of faith and hope in the disciples that do not rest upon the fact of the Risen Christ whose body was no longer in the tomb. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 28:6

Matthew 21:3 The Lord [ὁ κύριος]
From κῦρος , supreme power, authority. Hence κύριος , one having authority, lord, owner, ruler. In classical Greek, used of the gods, and in inscriptions applied to different gods, as Hermes, Zeus, etc.; also of the head of the family, who is lord ( κύριος ) of the wife and children (1 Timothy 6:1, 1 Timothy 6:2; Titus 2:9; 1 Peter 2:18), and κύριος (Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1). In the Septuagint it is used by Sarah of her husband (Genesis 3:6). Joseph is called lord of the country (Genesis 18:27; Exodus 4:10). In the New Testament it is a name for God (Matthew 1:20, Matthew 1:22, Matthew 1:24; Matthew 2:15; Acts 11:16; Acts 12:11, Acts 12:17; Revelation 1:8). As applied to Christ, it does not express his divine nature and power. These are indicated by some accompanying word or phrase, as my God (John 20:28); of all (Acts 10:36); to the glory of God the Father (Philemon 2:11); of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8); so that, as a title of Christ, Lord is used in the sense of Master or Ruler, or in address, Sir (Matthew 22:43, Matthew 22:45; Luke 2:11; Luke 6:46; John 13:13, John 13:14; 1 Corinthians 8:6). Ὁ κύριος , the Lord, is used of Christ by Matthew only once (Matthew 21:3) until after the resurrection (Matthew 28:6). In the other gospels and in the Acts it occurs far oftener. Nevertheless, in the progress of Christian thought in the New Testament, the meaning develops toward a specific designation of the divine Saviour, as may be seen in the phrases Jesus, Christ our Lord, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Jesus our Lord. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

Matthew 21:3 The Lord [ο κυριος]
It is not clear how the word would be understood here by those who heard the message though it is plain that Jesus applies it to himself. The word is from κυρος — kuros power or authority. In the lxx it is common in a variety of uses which appear in the N.T. as master of the slave (Matthew 10:24), of the harvest (Matthew 9:38), of the vineyard (Matthew 20:8), of the emperor (Acts 13:27), of God (Matthew 1:20; Matthew 11:25), and often of Jesus as the Messiah (Acts 10:36). Note Matthew 8:25. This is the only time in Matthew where the words ο κυριος — ho kurios are applied to Jesus except the doubtful passage in Matthew 28:6. A similar usage is shown by Moulton and Milligan‘s Vocabulary and Deissmann‘s Light from the Ancient East. Particularly in Egypt it was applied to “the Lord Serapis” and Ptolemy and Cleopatra are called “the lords, the most great gods” Even Herod the Great and Herod Agrippa I are addressed as “Lord King.” In the west the Roman emperors are not so termed till the time of Domitian. But the Christians boldly claimed the word for Christ as Jesus is here represented as using it with reference to himself. It seems as if already the disciples were calling Jesus “Lord” and that he accepted the appellative and used it as here. [source]
Mark 16:6 The Nazarene [τον Ναζαρηνον]
Only in Mark, to identify “Jesus” to the women.The crucified one (τον εσταυρωμενον — ton estaurōmenon). This also in Matthew 28:5. This description of his shame has become his crown of glory, for Paul (Galatians 6:14), and for all who look to the Crucified and Risen Christ as Saviour and Lord. He is risen (ηγερτη — ēgerthē). First aorist passive indicative, the simple fact. In 1 Corinthians 15:4 Paul uses the perfect passive indicative εγηγερται — egēgertai to emphasize the permanent state that Jesus remains risen.Behold the place Here ιδε — ide is used as an interjection with no effect on the case (nominative). In Matthew 28:6 ιδετε — idete is the verb with the accusative. See Robertson, Grammar, p. 302. [source]
Mark 16:6 Behold the place [ιδε ο τοπος]
Here ιδε — ide is used as an interjection with no effect on the case (nominative). In Matthew 28:6 ιδετε — idete is the verb with the accusative. See Robertson, Grammar, p. 302. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 28:6 mean?

Not He is here He is risen for as He said Come see the place where He was lying
οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε ἠγέρθη γὰρ καθὼς εἶπεν δεῦτε ἴδετε τὸν τόπον ὅπου ἔκειτο

ἔστιν  He  is 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
ὧδε  here 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὧδε  
Sense: here, to this place, etc.
ἠγέρθη  He  is  risen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐγείρω  
Sense: to arouse, cause to rise.
εἶπεν  He  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
δεῦτε  Come 
Parse: Verb, Imperative, 2nd Person Plural
Root: δεῦτε  
Sense: come hither, come here, come.
ἴδετε  see 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
τόπον  place 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: τόπος 
Sense: place, any portion or space marked off, as it were from surrounding space.
ὅπου  where 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὅπου  
Sense: where, whereas.
ἔκειτο  He  was  lying 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κεῖμαι  
Sense: to lie.