THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW - Chapter 28 - Verse 8

Verse 8. And they departed quickly. Joyful at the news, and wishing to impart it to all, they fled to find the disciples, and tell them that the Lord was risen.

With fear and great joy. Fear

(1) at the wonderful scenes which they had witnessed—the stone rolled away, and the presence of an angel;

(2) a confused state of mind, apprehensive, perhaps, that it might not after all be true. The news was too good to be credited at once. Yet they had sufficient belief in it to fill them with great and unexpected joy. Perhaps no language could better express the state of their minds—the mingled awe and rejoicing—than that which is here used.

And did run, etc. They ran to announce what they had seen to the disciples. The city, where the disciples were, was half a mile or more from the place.