Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed.
World English Bible
Mark 16:5
This verse is examined in more than one Scripture Analysis section. Each lens is shown on its own terms, in the section's own words; GEBible reaches no verdict of its own.
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WEB World English Bible Public Domain ✓ - Modern English
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Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (4)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
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Who did the women see at the tomb?
Matthew 28:2 has an angel of the Lord descend from heaven, roll back the stone, and sit on it — a single angelic figure. Mark 16:5 has a young man (*neaniskos*) sitting inside the tomb in a long white garment — one figure, not explicitly an angel.
Critical scholarship: Leans toward a genuine contradiction.
Parallel accounts (distinct sources)
More on this question
The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.
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When did the women discover that Jesus's body was missing?
Luke 24:2-4 and John 20:1-2 have the women (or Mary Magdalene) discover the body is missing *before* they encounter any angelic figure — they enter, find the body gone, and only then do the angels appear (Luke) or Mary runs to tell Peter (John). Matthew 28:5-6 and Mark 16:5-6 have the women see the angel/young man *first*, and only learn from him that the body is gone.
Critical scholarship: Leans toward a genuine contradiction.
Chronology
More on this question
The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.
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Were the men or angels sitting or standing?
Mark 16:5 has the women enter the tomb and find 'a young man sitting on the right side.' John 20:12 has Mary Magdalene see 'two angels in white sitting' — one at the head and one at the feet of where Jesus had lain.
Critical scholarship: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction.
Parallel accounts (distinct sources)
More on this question
The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.
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Were the men or angels inside or outside the tomb when the women arrived?
Matthew 28:2 places the angel outside the tomb, having descended from heaven, rolled the stone back, and seated himself upon it. Mark 16:5 has the women enter the tomb and find a young man sitting inside on the right side.
Critical scholarship: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction.
Parallel accounts (distinct sources)
More on this question
The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.
Each section sets the viewpoints side by side; you weigh the evidence. Here, "critical scholarship" means academic study, not a value judgment. How this is built →
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Cite this page
This citation refers to this GEBible page — the verse and the analysis gathered here. To cite the underlying scholarship, cite those sources directly.
"Mark 16:5 — Scripture Analysis" GEBible, https://gebible.app/analysis/verse/mark/16/5?version=WEB (retrieved 27 August 2026).