Matthew 28:2

Matthew 28:2. A great earthquake. Probably witnessed by the women. They first questioned how the stone should be rolled away, so that they could embalm the body (Mark 16:3). The earthquake is connected with the sudden rolling away of the great stone by the angel.

For an angel of the Lord. The resurrection itself was not a matter of actual bodily vision, and seems to have taken place before the stone was rolled away (Matthew 28:6). The tomb was opened for the sake of the women and the disciples, not to allow the Lord to pass out. The stone could not have been a hindrance to Him (comp. John 20:19; John 20:26).

And sat upon it. This is to be distinguished from all the other angelic appearances. Mary Magdalene probably started back about this time, and left the other Mary and Salome to see and hear the angel. Some think the occurrences of this verse preceded the coming of the women and were witnessed by the soldiers only, and that the message of Matthew 28:5-7 was spoken by the angel inside the tomb, but this is grammatically less probable.