Matthew 28:9 (KJV)

Passage

And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.

Nearby Context

Matthew 28:7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

Matthew 28:8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

Matthew 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.

Matthew 28:10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

Matthew 28:11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "went", "tell", "disciples", "behold", "jesus", "saying", "hail", and "came". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "went" and "tell", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "And they departed quickly from the sepulchre..." into verse 10's "Then said Jesus unto them Be not...", so "went" and "tell" 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 "went" and "tell" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.