What did the women do after the tomb-tell or not tell?

from the old testament

• The women telling or not telling after the resurrection is not mentioned in the Old Testament.

from the new testament

• Matthew, Luke, and John all record the women reporting what happened at the tomb. Matthew said, “they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples” (Matthew 28:8). Luke said, “returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles” (Luke 24:9–10). John recorded, “[Mary Magdalene] ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him’” (John 20:2).
• Therefore, we can be confident that the women, with perhaps Mary Magdalene as the primary speaker, relayed the news about the tomb. Mark’s account alone stands in contrast. It reads, “And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (Mark 16:8).
• It’s important to note that while Mark 16:9–10 does say that Mary Magdalene told the disciples, aligning it with Luke and John’s accounts, scholars don’t believe Mark 16:9–20 was part of Mark’s original letter. This is because that ending is not found in any of the oldest recovered manuscripts. Therefore, Mark 16:9–10 likely contains additions added by the earlier church to reconcile Mark’s account with the other three Gospels. They, too, were surprised by Mark’s ending.
• Besides the other Gospels saying so, the immediate context indicates that the women would likely have said something eventually (not permanently afraid). Mark 16:6–7 records the angel saying, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
• How then can the ending of Mark be explained? There are two plausible explanations. The first is that Mark’s ending has been lost. Those proposing that suggest that Mark’s excitement at the start (Mark 1:1–3) and frequent references to Jesus’ resurrection throughout (e.g., Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34) make the ending unexpectedly negative. They also note that the Greek ends with “gar” (a word translated as “for”), which is highly unusual at the end of a discourse and is more often found introducing a section. It’s also noted that the ending feels abrupt and incomplete. While inconclusive, this is perhaps the more likely explanation.
• A second explanation is that the abrupt ending was intentional, with Mark adding to the mystery of the resurrection with an emotional punchline to prompt readers to reflect on what the resurrection meant to them. This is plausible because Mark is largely written as an evangelistic tract. Also, scholars point out the unlikelihood of an ending being lost, given the importance of the Gospels and, specifically, the resurrection.
• In the end, we may never be certain why Mark ends 16 on a “downbeat.” However, we do know that all of Scripture is true and trustworthy (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16–17). So, whether this ending was for rhetorical effect or we lost the ending, we know from the other Gospels and the spread of the church in Acts that the women did tell the disciples.

implications for today

Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3) and written through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21), so it never contradicts itself. Thus, we approach difficult passages humbly, trying to understand how they fit.

In the case of Mark, since the other three Gospels say they did tell the disciples, we must figure out why Mark is different rather than a contradiction. As this article has explained, the two reasonable answers are that Mark’s abrupt ending means either that his ending was lost or that he intended the reader to grapple with the mystery of Jesus’ resurrection with fear and trembling.

Imagine you lived at that time, and you witnessed Jesus’ bloody death and saw Him carried off the cross and buried. Then imagine coming sorrowfully on Sunday to find the tomb empty and an angel proclaiming He was alive. Your despair and fright might also have caused you to run away. But as you considered what happened, how would that have changed you?

How does that change you today? Because Jesus is alive, death is no longer final (1 Corinthians 15:54–57). Because Jesus is alive, escape from God’s wrath is possible (Romans 5:9). Because Jesus is alive, He is coming back to destroy sinners (Revelation 19:11–21) and to save His people (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). How does knowing that change you?

Jesus’s death and resurrection provide one way of salvation (John 14:6). God commands everyone to repent (Acts 17:30) and confess Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9–10) before it is too late (2 Corinthians 6:2). We, therefore, pray that you too will be stopped in your tracks by the truth of His resurrection, repent, and tell others that He is alive!