Matthew 28:10

10 . go tell my brethren that they go ] i. e. tell my brethren (of my Resurrection), in order that they may go. my brethren ] The disciples; “He named them brethren, as being Himself a man and their kinsman according to man’s nature” (Euthymius quoted by Ellicott, Life of our Lord ); comp. Hebrews 2:11 , “He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Now that Christ had clearly manifested the power of the Godhead, there was special need of reminding His disciples that He was still man, and that they were brethren.

Matthew 28:10 . μὴ φοβεῖσθε : kindly in word and tone, meant to remove the embarrassment visible in their manner.— ὑπάγετε ἀπαγγείλατε , another asyndeton as in Matthew 27:65 . The instructions to the women simply repeat, in much the same words, those given by the angel ( Matthew 28:7 ), with the exception that the disciples are spoken of by the kindly name of “brethren”. The similarity of Matthew 28:9-10 to John 20:14-18 has been remarked on ( vide Weiss, Meyer, on Matthew 28:9 ). It has been lately commented on in connection with the theory of a “four-gospel Canon” prepared by the Presbyters of Asia Minor in the beginning of the second century. Vide Der Schlnss des Marcus-Evangeliums der Vier-Evangelien-Kanon und die Kleinasiatischen Presbyter , by Dr. Paul Rohrbach. Rohrbach’s idea is that when this Canon was prepared the editors altered more or less the statements of the Synoptists as to the visions of the Risen Christ so as to bring them somewhat into harmony with those of the fourth Gospel. For this purpose Mark’s original ending was cancelled and the present one, Matthew 28:9-20 , put in its place. The editorial procedure in the case of Matthew consisted in inserting Matthew 28:9-10 in the narrative, thus providing for at least one vision in Jerusalem, and making room for more, and so cancelling the impression otherwise produced that Jesus was seen only in Galilee.

In support of the view that Matthew 28:9-10 are an editorial addition at a later date Rohrbach adduces the fact that the narrative has an appearance of continuity when they are omitted, and also that the instructions of Jesus to the women are a mere echo of those given by the angel.

10. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid—What dear associations would these familiar words—now uttered in a higher style, but by the same Lips—bring rushing back to their recollection! go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me—The brethren here meant must have been His brethren after the flesh (compare Mt 13:55); for His brethren in the higher sense (see on [1391]Joh 20:17) had several meetings with Him at Jerusalem before He went to Galilee, which they would have missed if they had been the persons ordered to Galilee to meet Him. The Guards Bribed (Mt 28:11-15). The whole of this important portion is peculiar to Matthew.

Matthew 28:10 . Μὴ φοβεῖσθε · ὑπάγετε , ἀπαγγ .] Asyndeton, the matter being pressing, urgent. τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου ] He thus designates His disciples (comp. on John 20:17 ; Justin, c. Tr. 106), not πρὸς τιμὴν αὐτῶν (Euthymius Zigabenus), for which there was no occasion, but in view of that conception of Him as a superhuman being which had so profoundly impressed the women prostrate at His feet. ἵνα ] does not state the purport of the order involved in ἀπαγγ . (de Wette; there is nothing whatever of the nature of an order about ἀπαγ .), but the idea is: take word to my brethren (namely, about my resurrection, about your having seen me, about my having spoken to you, and what I said), in order that (as soon as they receive these tidings from you) they may proceed to Galilee, Matthew 26:32 . κἀκεῖ με ὄψονται ] is not to be regarded as dependent on ἵνα , but: and there they shall see me . This repetition of the directions about going to Galilee ( Matthew 28:7 ), to which latter our evangelist gives considerable prominence as the scene of the new reunion ( Matthew 28:16 ff.), cannot be characterized as superfluous (de Wette, Bruno Bauer), or even as poor and meaningless (Keim), betraying the hand of a later editor, but is intended to be express and emphatic ; comp. Steinmeyer.

With the exception of John 21, the other canonical Gospels, in which, however, we cannot include the spurious conclusion of Mark, make no mention of any appearance of the risen Lord in Galilee; according to John 20, Jesus remained at least eight days in Jerusalem, as did also His disciples, to whom He there manifested Himself on two occasions, though it would appear from John 21 that the third manifestation took place in Galilee, while Luke, on the other hand ( Matthew 24:49 ; Acts 1:4 ; Acts 13:31 ), excludes Galilee altogether, just as Matthew excludes Judaea. To harmonize these divergent accounts is impossible (Strauss, II. p. 558 ff.; Holtzmann, p. 500 f.; Keim); and, with regard to the account of Matthew in particular, it may be observed that it is so far from assuming the manifestations to the disciples in Judaea as having previously occurred (in opposition to Augustine, Olshausen, Krabbe, Ebrard, Lange), that it clearly intends the meeting with the eleven, Matthew 28:16 ff., as the first appearance to those latter, and as the one that had been promised by the angel, Matthew 28:7 , and by Jesus Himself, Matthew 28:10 .