SEV Biblia, Chapter 27:52
y se abrieron los sepulcros, y muchos cuerpos de santos que habían dormido, se levantaron;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 27:52
Verse 52. And the graves were opened] By the earthquake; and many bodies of saints which slept, i.e. were dead, sleep being a common expression for death in the Scriptures.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 52. And the graves were opened , etc.] Which were near the city of Jerusalem: this was a proof of Christs power over death and the grave, by dying; when he through death, destroyed him that had the power of it, and abolished death itself; and became the plague of death and the destruction of the grave, taking into his hands the keys of hell and death: and many bodies of saints which slept, arose : not that they arose at the time of Christs death: the graves were opened then, when the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent; but the bodies of the saints did not arise, till after Christ was risen, as appears from the following verse; but because the other event now happened, they are both recorded here: these were saints, and such as slept in Jesus; and of whom he is the first fruits that now rose; and not all, but many of them, as pledges of the future resurrection, and for the confirmation of Christs, and the accomplishment of a prophecy in ( Isaiah 26:19). And they rose in the same bodies in which they before lived, otherwise they could not be called their bodies, or known by those to whom they appeared: but who they were is not to be known; some have thought them to be the ancient patriarchs, as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc. In the Septuagint on ( Job 42:17), Job is said to be one of them, and a tradition is there recorded, which runs thus: it is written, that he rose with whom the Lord rose. But it should seem rather, that they were some later saints, such as Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, John the Baptist himself, good old Simeon, Joseph the husband of Mary, and others, well known to persons now alive. Some think they were such, as had been martyrs in the cause of religion; and so the Persic version renders the words, and the bodies of many saints who suffered martyrdom, rose out of the graves.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 51-56 - The rending of the veil signified that Christ, by his death, opened way to God. We have an open way through Christ to the throne of grace or mercy-seat now, and to the throne of glory hereafter. When we dul consider Christ's death, our hard and rocky hearts should be rent; the heart, and not the garments. That heart is harder than a rock that wil not yield, that will not melt, where Jesus Christ is plainly set fort crucified. The graves were opened, and many bodies of saints whic slept, arose. To whom they appeared, in what manner, and how the disappeared, we are not told; and we must not desire to be wise abov what is written. The dreadful appearances of God in his providence sometimes work strangely for the conviction and awakening of sinners This was expressed in the terror that fell upon the centurion and the Roman soldiers. We may reflect with comfort on the abundant testimonie given to the character of Jesus; and, seeking to give no just cause of offence, we may leave it to the Lord to clear our characters, if we live to Him. Let us, with an eye of faith, behold Christ and his crucified, and be affected with that great love wherewith he loved us But his friends could give no more than a look; they beheld him, but could not help him. Never were the horrid nature and effects of sin s tremendously displayed, as on that day when the beloved Son of the Father hung upon the cross, suffering for sin, the Just for the unjust that he might bring us to God. Let us yield ourselves willingly to his service.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ τα 3588 T-NPN μνημεια 3419 N-NPN ανεωχθησαν 455 5681 V-API-3P και 2532 CONJ πολλα 4183 A-NPN σωματα 4983 N-NPN των 3588 T-GPM κεκοιμημενων 2837 5772 V-RPP-GPM αγιων 40 A-GPM ηγερθη 1453 5681 V-API-3S
Robertson's NT Word Studies
27:52 {The tombs were opened} (ta mnemeia anewicqesan). First aorist passive indicative (double augment). The splitting of the rocks by the earthquake and the opening of tombs can be due to the earthquake. But the raising of the bodies of the dead after the resurrection of Jesus which appeared to many in the holy city puzzles many today who admit the actual bodily resurrection of Jesus. Some would brand all these portents as legends since they appear in Matthew alone. Others would say that "after his resurrection" should read "after their resurrection," but that would make it conflict with Paul's description of Christ as the first fruits of them that sleep (#1Co 15:20). Some say that Jesus released these spirits after his descent into Hades. So it goes. We come back to miracles connected with the birth of Jesus, God's Son coming into the world. If we grant the possibility of such manifestations of God's power, there is little to disturb one here in the story of the death of God's Son.
