Mark 16:2

The original content contained personal names and emails which have been removed in accordance with the specified rules. All Greek terms are enclosed in bold tags, and explanatory emphases are in italics.

An Exegetical Analysis of Constituent Order in Mark 16:2

This exegetical study of Mk 16:2 Constituent Order is based on a b-greek discussion from Tue Jun 26 14:57:36 EDT 2001. The initial query centered on the syntactical placement of the genitive absolute phrase ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου at the end of the clause in Mark 16:2, despite the preceding temporal adverbial λίαν πρωΐ. An additional question concerned the punctuation following τοῦ ἡλίου, specifically whether a full stop is appropriate or if the phrase should semantically connect more closely with the subsequent narrative.

The main exegetical issue in Mark 16:2 revolves around the apparent temporal tension between the adverbial phrase λίαν πρωΐ (“very early”) and the genitive absolute ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου (“the sun having risen”), which appears clause-finally. This juxtaposition has led to various interpretations regarding the precise timing of the women’s arrival at the tomb and the rhetorical intent behind Mark’s constituent order. The discussion explores whether these temporal indicators are contradictory, sequential, or simply elaborative, and what pragmatic significance, if any, the final position of the genitive absolute conveys in Mark’s narrative style.

καὶ λίαν πρωῒ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων ἔρχονται ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου.

(Nestle 1904)

Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):
• The main text of Mark 16:2 in Nestle 1904 and SBLGNT (2010) is identical. Both read καὶ λίαν πρωῒ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων ἔρχονται ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου.

Textual Criticism (NA28), Lexical Notes (KITTEL, BDAG):

In terms of textual criticism, the reading ἀνατείλαντος (aorist participle) is overwhelmingly supported by major manuscripts including P⁷⁵, א, B, C, D, L, W, Δ, Θ, Ψ, f¹, f¹³, and the Majuscule tradition. The NA28 critical edition, reflecting this consensus, retains ἀνατείλαντος. A significant Western textual variant, found in D* and some Old Latin manuscripts (e.g., it^b, it^c), reads ἀνατέλλοντος (present participle). This variant, meaning “as the sun was rising” or “the sun being about to rise,” appears to be a scribal harmonization attempting to mitigate the perceived temporal incongruity between “very early” and “the sun having risen,” aligning more closely with accounts in Matthew 28:1, Luke 24:1, and John 20:1. However, due to its limited manuscript support, ἀνατέλλοντος is rejected by critical editions in favor of the more robustly attested ἀνατείλαντος.

Lexically, πρωΐ (BDAG: “early in the morning, at dawn”; KITTEL, TDNT VI, 856: “the early part of the day, dawn”) typically refers to the very beginning of the day, often before or just at sunrise. The intensifier λίαν (“very much, greatly”; BDAG) emphasizes this early timing. The verb ἀνατέλλω (BDAG: “to rise, come up, appear” of celestial bodies; KITTEL, TDNT I, 351: “to come up, rise”), from which ἀνατείλαντος is derived, specifically denotes the action of the sun rising. The aorist participle ἀνατείλαντος describes a completed action: “the sun having risen.” The combination of “very early” and “the sun having risen” therefore presents a precise temporal sequence where the journey began very early, and their arrival at the tomb coincided with or immediately followed sunrise.

Translation Variants

The grammatical structure of Mark 16:2 presents two distinct temporal markers: the adverbial phrase καὶ λίαν πρωῒ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων (“And very early on the first day of the week”) and the genitive absolute ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου (“the sun having risen”). The rhetorical analysis centers on the pragmatic significance of the clause-final position of the genitive absolute. While some interpreters have perceived a contradiction, suggesting that “very early” implies pre-dawn while “sun having risen” implies post-dawn, others argue for a sequential or specifying interpretation. The Western textual variant ἀνατέλλοντος (present participle, “as the sun was rising”) directly reflects an ancient attempt to resolve this perceived tension by suggesting the sun was *in the process* of rising, rather than having *already* risen.

However, retaining ἀνατείλαντος, as supported by the best manuscript evidence, forces us to consider how Mark intends these two temporal phrases to relate. One view suggests a “motion picture sequence,” where the women set out “very early” (beginning of the scene), and their arrival at the tomb coincides with “the sun having risen” (end of the scene). This interpretation understands the two phrases as marking points in a brief narrative progression rather than strict simultaneity. Another perspective suggests that λίαν πρωΐ establishes the general timeframe (“very early in the morning”), and ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου provides a more precise specification of that “very early” time, clarifying that it was just after sunrise. This avoids a contradiction by seeing the genitive absolute as narrowing the scope of “very early” to *after* dawn, emphasizing the immediacy of the resurrection event occurring at the first possible light of the new day. The clause-final position of the genitive absolute can be rhetorically effective, serving as a climactic or summarizing temporal detail that rounds off the main clause’s action.

Conclusions and Translation Suggestions

The exegetical analysis of Mark 16:2 suggests that the apparent tension between “very early” and “the sun having risen” is best understood not as a contradiction, but as a deliberate temporal specification within Mark’s brisk narrative style. The genitive absolute ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου functions to precisely locate the women’s arrival at the tomb at or just after sunrise, refining the broader “very early” description. Mark’s placement of this phrase at the end of the clause could serve to underscore the moment of arrival, drawing attention to the specific time when the pivotal discovery would be made. This dramatic placement aligns with Mark’s reputation for vivid, action-oriented reporting.

1. On the first day of the week, they came to the tomb very early in the morning, just as the sun had risen.
   This translation emphasizes the sequence, with “very early” describing the general timing of their departure/journey, and “just as the sun had risen” specifying the precise moment of their arrival at the tomb.
2. And very early on the first day of the week they arrived at the tomb, after the sun had risen.
   This rendering stresses the completed action of the sun’s rising prior to or coinciding with their arrival, clearly stating that their visit was post-dawn, even if still “very early.”
3. And on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb very early, at sunrise.
   This option attempts to harmonize the two temporal markers by equating “very early” with the exact moment of “sunrise,” suggesting a close proximity between the two.