Markus 16:1-4

The Resurrection

16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought aromatic spices ¹  so that they might go and anoint him. 16:2 And very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 16:3 They had been asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 16:4 But ²  when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled back.

[16:1]  ¹ tn On this term see BDAG 140 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these materials were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition.

[16:1]  sn Spices were used not to preserve the body, but as an act of love, and to mask the growing stench of a corpse.

[16:4]  ² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.