Mark 16:5 Meaning and Explanation
“And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Entering the tomb, the women find not a body but a young man clothed in white seated inside, and they are filled with alarm.
What Does Mark 16:5 Mean?
The women step into the burial chamber braced for the work of mourning. Instead they find a young man in a long white robe seated on the right side — a heavenly messenger (compare Matthew 28:2-5) — and the body of Jesus nowhere to be seen.
Their terror is the usual human response in Scripture when heaven breaks in unannounced (Daniel 10:7-8; Luke 1:12, 29). Before a single word is spoken, the empty shelf and the seated messenger already declare that something has happened here beyond all human planning. God has met their grief not with what they came for, but with what they could never have imagined. Holy fear is often the threshold of holy joy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 16:5
What does Mark 16:5 mean?
Entering the tomb, the women find not a body but a young man clothed in white seated inside, and they are filled with alarm.