Matthew 28:2 (GNV)

Passage

And behold, there was a great earthquake: for the Angel of the Lord descended from heauen, and came and rolled backe the stone from the doore, and sate vpon it.

Nearby Context

Matthew 28:1 Now in the end of the Sabbath, when the first day of ye weeke began to dawne, Marie Magdalene, and the other Marie came to see the sepulchre,

Matthew 28:2 And behold, there was a great earthquake: for the Angel of the Lord descended from heauen, and came and rolled backe the stone from the doore, and sate vpon it.

Matthew 28:3 And his countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snowe.

Matthew 28:4 And for feare of him, the keepers were astonied, and became as dead men.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "great", "earthquake", "angel", "lord", "descended", "heauen", and "came". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "great", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Now in the end of the Sabbath..." into verse 3's "And his countenance was like lightning and...", so "behold" and "great" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "behold" and "great" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.