Mark 16:10-11 · Bible study
Mark 16:10-11 Commentary: Disciples' Mourning and Unbelief
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Mark highlight the disciples' mourning before their disbelief of the resurrection?
Research Summary
- Meaning: The disciples’ deep grief over Jesus’ death prevents them from believing the first report of his resurrection.
- Key words: Mourning (pentheō) and weeping (klaiō), present participles describing continuous sorrow; disbelieved (apisteō), a strong refusal to accept.
- Main debate: Whether the longer ending of Mark (including these verses) is original, and whether the disciples’ unbelief was culpable or understandable.
- Theological theme: The resurrection is so surprising that even the closest followers need direct encounter to believe, faith is gift, not deduction.
- Best use: A pastoral passage for those wrestling with doubt in seasons of grief; a text to strengthen confidence in the resurrection witnesses.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
10She went and told those who had been with Him, who were mourning and weeping.
11And when they heard that Jesus was alive and she had seen Him, they did not believe it.
WEB World English Bible 2000
10She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
11When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they disbelieved.
KJV King James Version 1769
10And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
11And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
10She went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
11And they, when they heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, disbelieved.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
10she having gone, told those who had been with him, mourning and weeping;
11and they, having heard that he is alive, and was seen by her, did not believe.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
10She went and brought word to those that had been with him, [who were] grieving and weeping.
11And when these heard that he was alive and had been seen of her, they disbelieved [it].
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
10She went and told them that had been with him, who were mourning and weeping.
11And they hearing that he was alive and had been seen by her, did not believe.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Mark 16:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Mark deliberately sets the disciples’ ongoing grief against the angel’s proclamation. The present participles penthousin (mourning) and klaiousin (weeping) describe continuous, active sorrow. Calvin notes this emotional state made the disciples ‘uncommonly stupid’ toward the resurrection report, not because they were gullible, but because grief had clouded their minds. Barnes observes that their disbelief ‘proves they did not expect his resurrection,’ strengthening the case that their later testimony came from genuine encounter, not wishful thinking. Gill adds that their mourning included remorse for having abandoned Jesus. The core agreement is that the disciples’ unbelief underscores the radical nature of the resurrection: those closest to Jesus resisted it until confronted by the risen Lord himself.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The disciples were mourning and weeping, and when they heard Mary’s report that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they did not believe.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Who are 'those who had been with him'? | They are the disciples and other followers who had accompanied Jesus during his ministry. | Some commentators (Clarke, Gill) include a wider circle beyond the Eleven; others restrict it to the apostles. The phrase is intentionally broad. |
| Origin of Mark 16:9, 20 | The passage is present in the vast majority of Greek manuscripts and has been received as canonical by most traditions. | A minority of early manuscripts (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus) end at 16:8, leading some scholars to argue the longer ending is a later addition. Other scholars defend its authenticity. |
| Reason for the unbelief | The disciples did not expect the resurrection and were emotionally overwhelmed by grief. | Calvin describes it as 'shameful indifference' and stupidity; others (e.g., Gill) emphasize the depth of their sorrow and psychological shock as mitigating factors. |
Historical & Cultural Context
These verses belong to the longer ending of Mark (16:9, 20), which most early manuscripts include, though it was absent from two of the oldest (Sinaiticus and Vaticanus). The setting is Jerusalem shortly after the crucifixion. The disciples had scattered in fear, Peter had denied Jesus, the others fled. Now they are gathered, grieving not only the loss of their Master but also their own failures (Clarke). In first-century Jewish mourning, weeping and loud lamentation were normal, but Mark’s double description, mourning and weeping, emphasizes a depth of sorrow that has blocked all hope.
Their disbelief also reflects cultural and religious expectations. Many Jews of the time did not expect a suffering Messiah or a resurrection that happened before the final day. Even Jesus’ own predictions (Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:34) had not registered. The women’s testimony, while legally less weighty in that society, is not rejected for that reason; the evangelists insist it was the sheer incredibility of the event (Luke 24:11). Mark’s literary pattern reinforces this: every resurrection appearance in chapter 16 is met with doubt, first Mary, then the two on the road, then the Eleven themselves (vv. 12, 14). The repeated disbelief builds tension, highlighting that faith in the resurrection required a direct encounter with the risen Christ.
Pastorally, the passage invites readers to see grief as a real barrier to receiving good news. The disciples were not hard-hearted skeptics; they were broken-hearted mourners. Their resurrection testimony would later cost them their lives (JFB), but at this moment they could not see past their tears.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note that Mark 16:9, 20, which includes verses 10, 11, is part of the so-called longer ending of Mark. This section is absent from the two oldest Greek codices (Sinaiticus and Vaticanus) but present in the majority of later manuscripts. Some scholars question whether it was part of the original Gospel; others (including many church traditions) accept it as canonical. The commentators cited above treat the passage as part of Mark’s text without raising the textual issue.
Reception History
Early church fathers such as Augustine and Jerome reflected on the disciples’ slowness to believe, seeing it as proof that the resurrection was not a fabricated story. In the medieval period, the passage was often read on Easter Monday in liturgical cycles. The reformers, especially Calvin, used the disciples’ unbelief to warn against the dullness of human understanding. Modern devotional readings commonly point to the passage as a comfort for those who struggle to trust God’s promises in times of grief. The tension between mourning and rejoicing continues to resonate in hymns and Easter sermons that trace the path from tears to faith.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Depth of Grief. The disciples are mourning and weeping. Their sorrow is raw and present. They have lost their Lord, and they have failed him.
- The Proclamation of Life. Mary Magdalene arrives with one message: “He is alive, and I have seen him.” The news is meant to turn mourning into joy (John 16:20).
- The Weight of Unbelief. They do not believe. Grief and fear have made the truth seem impossible. But this unbelief sets the stage for Jesus to come to them directly.
Five-point outline
- Who mourned? Those “who had been with him”, the inner circle, eyewitnesses, friends.
- Why did they mourn? Loss of Jesus, guilt over desertion, shattered hopes.
- Who brought the news? Mary Magdalene, the first witness, commissioned by the risen Lord.
- What did they hear? That Jesus was alive and had been seen. A claim too good to accept.
- Why does Mark tell us this? To show that the resurrection was not expected, not imagined, but confronted.
Illustration hooks
- A family grieving a sudden death receives a call saying the person is alive. The good news cannot cross the moat of mourning, they disbelieve until they see with their own eyes.
- A friend shares a story of unexpected hope, but you are too tired and sad to hear it. Grief has its own physics; joy feels weightless, even threatening.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why wouldn’t the disciples believe, didn’t they love Jesus enough?
- If they had been told so many times that Jesus would rise, why were they shocked?
- What does their unbelief say about my own doubts when I hear God’s promises?
Leading a Discussion
Most of us have known seasons when grief made good news feel unreal. In this passage, the disciples are weeping for Jesus while Mary arrives with the news that he is alive. Their disbelief is not a failure of love but a human response to a story too stunning to accept. As you discuss, consider how your own experiences of loss or disappointment have shaped your ability to hope.
Discussion questions
- Read Mark 16:10, 11. What details in the text describe the disciples’ emotional state? Why do you think Mark includes those details?
- What does it mean that Mary “went and told” the disciples? How does her action show faith?
- Compare the disciples’ reaction here with their response in John 20:19, 20. What changed?
- The disciples had heard Jesus predict his resurrection (Mark 8:31). Why did that not prepare them?
- Have you ever received news that seemed too good to be true? How did you respond?
- How can a community help people who are mourning to stay open to hope?
- What does this passage teach about the nature of faith? Is faith about never doubting, or about encountering the risen Christ in our doubt?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 9:15 | Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. |
| Matthew 24:30 | and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. |
| Mark 14:72 | The rooster crowed the second time. Peter remembered the words that Jesus said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” When he thought about that, he wept. |
| Luke 24:17 | He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk, and are sad?” |
| John 16:6 | But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart. |
| John 16:20 | Most certainly I tell you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. |
| John 16:22 | Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. |
| John 20:18 | Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke observes that the mourners included not only the eleven disciples but also others who had followed Christ occasionally. Their grief came from two sources: losing their Lord and Master, and the shame of having basely abandoned him precisely when he needed them most.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes sees the disciples' initial unbelief as strong evidence for the resurrection itself. Their reluctance to believe proves they were not gullible or easily deceived; only undeniable, overwhelming evidence could overturn their skepticism and convince them.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that the disciples had no excuse for their unbelief. They had heard Jesus repeatedly predict his own resurrection, so when the women reported it they should have believed immediately. Their refusal was not cautious skepticism but willful stupidity, a mind already darkened by yielding to temptation.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Mary Magdalene hurried back to the Eleven in full faith, but found them mourning and weeping, unable to accept her joyful news. The Greek word for "had been seen" is rare in Mark, and the story seemed so incredible to them that they simply did not believe.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that the disciples' weeping and refusal to believe Mary Magdalene's report proves the resurrection was not a product of wishful thinking. Their hard unbelief, not naive credulity, makes their later conviction all the more powerful as a testimony to the truth.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that the disciples were not only grieving Jesus' death but also weighed down by their own guilt over betraying, denying, and abandoning him. In that state of sorrow and self-reproach, Mary's report of the resurrection seemed too good to be true, so they dismissed it as a delusion.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights that the disciples' repeated refusal to believe the resurrection report actually strengthens their later testimony. Their initial skepticism shows they were not gullible, making their eventual willingness to risk their lives for this truth all the more powerful and credible.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that the angelic message to the women failed because fear and joy paralyzed them, preventing them from delivering it. He sees a deliberate progression: neither angel voices, nor the women, nor the Emmaus disciples could overcome the disciples’ unbelief. Only Jesus appearing personally in their midst finally created a believing church. The mention of “and Peter” is a special, gracious token to the fallen apostle.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that Mary Magdalene, once possessed by seven demons and forgiven much, was rewarded for her deep love by being the first to see the risen Christ. He also notes that the disciples, though mourning their loss sincerely, refused to believe her joyful report.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that the Greek pronoun for "she" is used in an absolute way found nowhere else in Mark, giving an unintended emphasis. The verb for "went" also appears only here in the Gospel. The phrase "those who had been with him" is a roundabout expression unusual for the Gospels.