And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
the.
Matthew 28:11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
Matthew 27:65,66 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can…
shake.
Job 4:14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.
Psalm 48:6 Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
Daniel 10:7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
and became like dead men
This phrase suggests that the guards were so overwhelmed by fear that they were immobilized, possibly fainting or being paralyzed. This reaction highlights the supernatural aspect of the resurrection event, as the guards were unable to perform their duty of securing the tomb. The imagery of becoming "like dead men" contrasts with the resurrection of Jesus, who conquered death. This moment fulfills the prophecy of the Messiah's victory over death and foreshadows the ultimate defeat of death and sin. The guards' inability to respond also emphasizes the futility of human efforts against God's sovereign plan.
- These were Roman soldiers, hand-picked to keep Jesus’ tomb secure (Matthew 27:65-66).
- Men accustomed to battle, discipline, and death now stand witness to God’s power.
- Similar elite guards appear elsewhere—Herod’s quaternion in Acts 12:4 and the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:23-27—showing how God repeatedly overrules even the mightiest earthly security.
- The angel’s arrival shakes their courage: “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow” (Matthew 28:3).
- Terror before heavenly glory is a common biblical pattern:
• Shepherds at the Nativity “were terrified” when God’s glory shone (Luke 2:9).
• Israel trembled at Sinai when God descended in fire (Exodus 19:16-18).
• Daniel’s companions fled in trembling at a vision of an angelic being (Daniel 10:7-8).
- Their fear exposes the frailty of human strength before the presence of the Lord.
- The focus of their dread is the angel, God’s commissioned messenger.
- Angels are never cute or harmless in Scripture; they carry divine authority (Psalm 103:20).
- In Revelation 18:1 an angel “illuminated the earth with his glory,” underscoring why mortals recoil in awe.
- The guards’ fear is ultimately fear of God, because the angel represents Him (Luke 1:19).
- The phrase paints a picture of total paralysis—muscles locked, voices silenced, possibly fainting.
- Daniel “fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground” when addressed by Gabriel (Daniel 8:17-18).
- John “fell at His feet as though dead” when he saw the glorified Christ (Revelation 1:17).
- A striking irony unfolds: the living guards look dead, while the One they presumed dead is about to walk out alive (Romans 6:9).
- Their helpless state prevents any interference with the resurrection, underscoring that salvation is God’s work alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Matthew 28:4 highlights the incomparable power of God breaking into a guarded, sealed tomb. Battle-hardened soldiers collapse under angelic glory, proving no human force can restrain the risen Christ. Their terror and paralysis spotlight the contrast between fragile earthly authority and God’s unstoppable redemption plan, setting the stage for the triumphant announcement, “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said” (Matthew 28:6).
(4) The keepers did shake.--The words imply that the two Maries when they reached the sepulchre saw the soldiers prostrate in their panic terror.Verse 4. - And for fear of him; but from the fear of him. From the fear inspired by this awful angel. It would seem, from this expression, that the soldiers were sensible, not only of the earthquake and the movement of the stone, but also of the presence of the heavenly messenger, in this respect differing from the companions of Daniel and St. Paul, who were only partially conscious of the visions beheld by the two saints (see Daniel 10:7; Acts 22:9). Did shake. The verb is cognate with the noun "earthquake;" they were shaken, convulsed with terror. If these were some of the company that had watched the Crucifixion, they were already possessed of some feeling respecting the unearthly nature of the Occupant of the tomb which they were guarding, and had a vague expectation of something that might happen. At any rate, they must have heard the late events discussed by their comrades, and were not without apprehension of a catastrophe. Became as dead men. They fell to the ground in deathlike faintness, and, when they recovered from the trance, fled in terror from the tomb into the city (ver. 11).