Thank you for the interpretative question on Mark 16:8 and the other gospels, “How can you reconcile the ending of Mark’s gospel (vs8) where the women did not tell anyone about the empty tomb with the accounts in the other three gospels all have the women telling the disciple about finding the empty tomb?”
The reconciliation of Mark 16:8 with the other gospels comes when one reads the broader context of Mark 16.
I cite the broader verses, “But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid” (NIV).
Here are some thoughts for one’s consideration:
A. If the women didn’t tell anyone, it would mean that they would disobey the angel.
The angel commanded the women that Jesus is risen and that he is going ahead of them into Galilee. They will see him there.
I believe the women would obey the angel’s command to tell Peter and disciples. They would not be disobedient. Although it is possible that they ignored the angel’s command, it is unlikely that the women would be silent.
B. If the women remained silent, then the Gospel of Mark would not record the words spoken by the angel to them.
It would seem logical that if the women kept silent about their experience at the tomb, their encounter with the angel would not be part of the account! We would not know what the angel said to them but since it is recorded then it is more likely that they shared their account. How else will the writer of Mark know about the women’s experience!
C. The women’s encounter with the angel led them not to say anything to anyone until they gave the message to Peter and the disciples.
The angel told the women to tell Peter and the disciples. They obeyed that command and didn’t stop on the way back to the house to tell other people of what they encounter. Peter and the disciples were the first to hear of the women’s encounter with the angel.
D. The women fleeing and running back to the home would cause the disciples to question their demeanor.
Is it possible for the women to have such an angelic encounter and not say anything at all? The disciples would see their demeanor and questioned what happened to them. They may ask, “Why are you so upset? or “Why are you out of breath?” Is it likely that the women would say, “Nothing at all.”
As human beings, if we had a divine or angelic encounter, could we be silent and not tell anyone at all? It would be nearly impossible for anyone of us not to share one’s experience with anyone.
E. The women may have been fearful if they told anyone other than Peter and the disciples that their testimony would be discredited.
In other words, Peter and the disciples must be the first to hear of the women’s testimony for the testimony of men were considered less credible. If Peter and the disciples attested to the women’s testimony, it would give greater credence.
One must keep in mind that the persons at the tomb were women. It is plural in form. It wasn’t just one woman’s testimony but the other women’s testimony as well.
F. Lastly, the women’s testimony of the angel’s words was affirming what the disciples already knew but may have forgotten of Jesus said to them.
The message of the women is in accordance with what Jesus told the disciples that he would meet them in Galilee. The message was not totally foreign or fantastic. It was a confirming message for the disciples. Thus, the disciples’ memory was jogged to remember the words of Jesus.
Summary: The women didn’t speak to anyone of their encounter with the angel until they told it to Peter and the other disciples back at the house.
I trust my explanation is a reasonable one that helps us understand the context and content of the women’s words.
-Kingston