Matthew 27 · Verse 52

Matthew 27:52

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Matthew 27:52, King James Version

Matthew 27:52 in other translations

BSBThe tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
WEBThe tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
ASVand the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised;
YLTand the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who have fallen asleep, arose,
DARBYand the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints fallen asleep arose,
BBEAnd the resting-places of the dead came open; and the bodies of a number of sleeping saints came to life;
WebsterAnd the graves were opened, and many bodies of saints who slept, arose,

What does Matthew 27:52 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
52. And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose--These sleeping saints (see on 1Th 4:14) were Old Testament believers, who--according to the usual punctuation in our version--were quickened into resurrection life at the moment of their Lord's death, but lay in their graves till His resurrection, when they came forth. But it is far more natural, as we think, and consonant with other Scriptures, to understand that only the graves were opened, probably by the earthquake, at our Lord's death, and this only in preparation for the subsequent exit of those who slept in them, when the Spirit of life should enter into them from their risen Lord, and along with Him they should come forth, trophies of His victory over the grave. Thus, in the opening of the graves at the moment of the Redeemer's expiring, there was a glorious symbolical proclamation that the death which had just taken place had "swallowed up death in victory"; and whereas the saints that slept in them were awakened only by their risen Lord, to accompany Him out of the tomb, it was fitting that "the Prince of Life ... should be the First that should rise from the dead" (Ac 26:23; 1Co 15:20, 23; Col 1:18; Re 1:5). and went into the holy city--that city where He, in virtue of whose resurrection they were now alive, had been condemned. and appeared unto many--that there might be undeniable evidence of their own resurrection first, and through it of their Lord's. Thus, while it was not deemed fitting that He Himself should appear again in Jerusalem, save to the disciples, provision was made that the fact of His resurrection should be left in no doubt. It must be observed, however, that the resurrection of these sleeping saints was not like those of the widow of Nain's son, of Jairus' daughter, of Lazarus, and of the man who "revived and stood upon his feet," on his dead body touching the bones of Elisha (2Ki 13:21)--which were mere temporary recallings of the departed spirit to the mortal body, to be followed by a final departure of it "till the trumpet shall sound." But this was a resurrection once for all, to life everlasting; and so there is no room to doubt that they went to glory with their Lord, as bright trophies of His victory over death. The Centurion's Testimony (Mt 27:54).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 52. And the graves were opened. Graves, or sepulchres, were most commonly made, among the Jews, in solid rocks, or in caves of rocks. The rending of the rocks, therefore, would lay them open. The graves were opened by this earthquake, but the dead in them did not rise till after his resurrection.

And many bodies of the saints--arose. Of course it is not known who these were, nor what became of them. It is probable that they were persons who had recently died, and they appear to have been known in Jerusalem. At least, had the ancient saints risen, they would not have been known, and would not so soon have been credited as those who had recently died.

Which slept. Which had died. The death of saints is often called sleep, Dan 12:2, 1Cor 15:18, 1Thes 4:15.

(r) "And the graves" Isa 25:8, 26:19, Hoss 13:14, Jn 5:25,28 (s) "which slept" Dan 12:2, 1Thes 4:14

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 52 And the graves were opened - By the earthquake; and many bodies of saints which slept, i.e. were dead, sleep being a common expression for death in the Scriptures.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 27:51-56

The rending of the veil signified that Christ, by his death, opened a way to God. We have an open way through Christ to the throne of grace, or mercy-seat now, and to the throne of glory hereafter. When we duly consider Christ's death, our hard and rocky hearts should be rent; the heart, and not the garments. That heart is harder than a rock that will not yield, that will not melt, where Jesus Christ is plainly set…

Read the full comment on Matthew 27:51-56 →

Matthew 27:52 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiandG2532
τὰtatheG3588
μνημεῖαmnēmeiatombsG3419
ἀνεῴχθησαν,aneōchthēsanwere opened,G455
καὶkaiandG2532
πολλὰpollamanyG4183
σώματαsōmatabodiesG4983
τῶνtōnof theG3588
κεκοιμημένωνkekoimēmenōnhaving fallen asleepG2837
ἁγίωνhagiōnsaintsG40
ἠγέρθησαν,ēgerthēsanwere raised,G1453

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 27:52

  • Isaiah 26:19

    Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:14

    For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:20

    But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

  • John 5:25-29

    Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, …

  • Daniel 12:2

    And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

  • Isaiah 25:8

    He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:10

    Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

  • Hosea 13:14

    I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:51

    Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

  • 1 Corinthians 11:30

    For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

  • Acts 7:60

    And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
many.
Isa 25:8; 26:19; Ho 13:14; Joh 5:25-29; 1Co 15:20
slept.
Da 12:2; 1Co 11:30; 15:51; 1Th 4:14; 5:10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 27:51

    And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

  • Matthew 27:52

    And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

  • Matthew 27:53

    And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Read all of Matthew 27

Matthew 27:52 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y abriéronse los sepulcros, y muchos cuerpos de santos que habían dormido, se levantaron;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et les sépulcres s’ouvrirent; et beaucoup de corps des saints endormis ressuscitèrent,
German
Elberfelder 1871		und die Grüfte taten sich auf, und viele Leiber der entschlafenen Heiligen wurden auferweckt;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et monumenta aperta sunt: et multa corpora sanctorum, qui dormierant, surrexerunt.