Matthew Poole and continuators on John 20:13

13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him .

The other Evangelists differing in their accounts of this part of the History, have raised some questions here not easily to be resolved; Matthew reports thus, Matthew 28.2, 3, 4, 5, 6. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Iesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said: come, and see the place where the Lord lay. 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. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Iesus met them, &c. Mark saith, Chap. 16. ver 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, &c. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. (Where by the rising of the Sun, must not be understood its rising above the Horizon; but after midnight (as the Learned Causebon hath noted) when the Sun, and Stars begin to ascend.) 3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 4 (And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away) for it was very great. 5 And entring into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment, and they were affrighted. 6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted; ye seek Iesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is ris[illegible: 1 letter]n, he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. 8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled, and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid. Luke reports this part of the History thus, Chap 24. ver. 1st. to the 13th. 1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entred in, and found not the body of the Lord Iesus. 4 And it c[illegible: 1 letter]me to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, the Son of man must delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembred his words, 9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Ioanna, and Mary the mother of Iames, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. 12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre, and stooping down, he beheld the linnen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondring in himself at that which was come to pass. Concerning the persons that went to the Sepulchre, and the time of their going, there is (as we have shewed) little difficulty in reconciling the Evangelists. The greatest difference seemeth to be about the Angels that Mary saw; whether she saw two apparitions of Angels, or but one; and one Angel, or two, and concerning the time when she saw them, whether before or after that Peter and Iohn had been in the sepulchre. Matthew saith, the stone was rolled away, and the Angel sate upon the stone; (this must be without the Sepulchre.) Mark saith, they entring into the Sepulcre, they saw (an Angel in the shape of) a young man sitting, &c. Luke and Iohn speak of two Angels, but seen in the Sepulchre, not without it. There is no doubt, but the apparition was of two Angels; one of which might be seen without first, sitting upon the stone, to let the women know that he had rolled it away: Both of them within, sitting one at the head, the other at the feet of the place, where the body of Jesus lay. But the greatest question is, Whether the women [illegible: 1 letter]aw the Angels, before that Peter and Iohn had been at the Sepulchre, or after? Some think that it was before, but it is no way probable; for it can hardly be thought, but that if they had seen the Angel at the first, they would have told the eleven of it, or Peter and Iohn at least; nor would Mary have told Peter and Iohn, (as ver. 2) They had taken away her Lord, &c. for the Angels told them, He was risen. So, that altho by some of the others relation, who say nothing of Peter and Iohns coming to the Sepulchre, it seems as if the women saw the Angel before their coming to satisfie themselves, yet indeed it was after. The women first came, saw the door open, the stone rolled away, &c. In a fright they run back, and told it the Disciples; Peter and Iohn came to see, and being satisfied return, leaving Mary still standing at the Sepulchre weeping; then she stooping down and looking into the Sepulchre, both saw the Angel sitting on the stone, and also the two Angels within the Sepulchre, who fully revealed the Resurrection to her.