Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
World English Bible
Matthew 28:1
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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When did the women (or woman) arrive at the sepulchre?
John 20:1 has Mary Magdalene arrive at the tomb 'early, when it was yet dark' — before sunrise. Matthew 28:1 has the women come 'as it began to dawn.'
Critical scholarship: Leans toward reconciliation.
Chronology
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The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.
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To whom did Jesus make his first post-resurrection appearance?
Matthew 28:9 says the first appearance was to the two Marys together. Mark 16:9 and John 20:14-17 say it was Mary Magdalene alone.
Critical scholarship: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction.
Parallel accounts (distinct sources)
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The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.
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Matt 28:1 — “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb” / Mark 16:1 — “Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome” / Luke 24:10 — “Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. The other women with them” / John 20:1 — “Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb”
How many women came to the sepulchre?John 20:1 says one — Mary Magdalene. Matthew 28:1 says two — Mary Magdalene and 'the other Mary.'
Critical scholarship: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction.
Numbers
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Read as a real contradiction:
Thomas Paine (d. 1809)
The tension: Paine reads Luke as naming several women at the tomb where John names Mary Magdalene alone.
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Read as reconcilable:
John W. Haley (d. 1927), Albert Barnes (d. 1870)
Harmonization: Barnes reads each evangelist as naming only some of the women present, none denying that others were there.
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Read as a real contradiction:
Thomas Paine (d. 1809)
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Was Mary Magdalene happy or sad when she saw the risen Jesus?
Matthew 28:1-9 has the women — including Mary Magdalene — leave the empty tomb with "fear and great joy," meet Jesus on the way, grab his feet, and worship. John 20:11-15 has Mary Magdalene weeping at the tomb, talking to angels through tears, and failing even to recognize Jesus when he stands in front of her, mistaking him for the gardener.
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.
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 →
Other verses examined for the same kind of question or claim
Within each section, grouped by shared field or question type — not a cross-section comparison.
One of these tensions involves a difference in wording across manuscripts or translations. Examine the original language on Lemma →
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.
"Matthew 28:1 — Scripture Analysis" GEBible, https://gebible.app/analysis/verse/matthew/28/1?version=WEB (retrieved 27 August 2026).