Luke 24:23

23 and [when they] did not find his body, they came back saying [they] had seen even a vision of angels, who said [that] he was alive!

Luke 24:23 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 24:23

And when they found not his body
In the sepulchre, as they expected, and so could not do what they intended: they came;
they returned from the sepulchre with great haste, and in a very great fright, and came to the disciples, where they were assembled; saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels.
The Syriac and Persic versions add, "there"; at the sepulchre, for there were two of them at least, if not three; see ( Luke 24:4 ) ( John 20:12 ) ( Matthew 28:2 ) . They not only reported, that they could not find the body of Jesus, but also that they had seen some angels: or the sense may be, that they told them, that though they could not find the dead body of their Lord, yet they had seen him alive, as they did by the way, as they were returning, ( Matthew 28:9 Matthew 28:10 ) and also that a vision of angels had appeared to them: which said that he was alive;
see ( Luke 24:5 Luke 24:6 ) . So that it was not a deception of their sight, they certainly saw both Christ and the angels; and were assured from their testimony, as well as by their own eyes and ears, that he was certainly risen: now, though this was so clear a point, and so well attested, the disciples knew not how to believe it; they were perplexed about it; they could neither receive it, nor discredit it; they hoped it might be so, but feared it was not.

Luke 24:23 In-Context

21 But we were hoping that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. But in addition to all these [things], this [is] the third day {since} these [things] took place.
22 But also some women from among us astonished us, who were at the tomb early in the morning,
23 and [when they] did not find his body, they came back saying [they] had seen even a vision of angels, who said [that] he was alive!
24 And some of those with us went out to the tomb and found [it] like this, just as the women had also said, but him they did not see."
25 And he said to them, "O foolish and slow in heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("find") which is understood as temporal
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.