Day 323 - Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24

One must not dismiss lightly the question concerning the exact hour at which the women came to the tomb. For if Matthew says, “In the evening of the sabbath, at the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Madgalene and other Mary came to see the tomb,” what then does it mean that Mark says, “And early in the morning on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb at the rising of the sun”? [Mrk 16:2.] The other two Gospels, Luke and John, do not disagree with Mark; Luke says “early in the morning,” [Luk 24:1.] and John says “in the morning when it was still dark.” [Jhn 20:1.] Both statements are consistent with Mark’s declaration that it was “early in the morning at the rising of the sun,” that is, when the heavens in the east were brightening. But this doesn’t occur except when the sun is very close to rising, a phenomenon which customarily is called the dawn. Therefore Mark does not oppose John, who says “when it was still dark,” for as day is breaking the remaining shadows of darkness diminish only in proportion to the sun’s rising. And Luke’s phrase, “early in the morning,” need not be understood to imply that the sun had already appeared above the horizon but rather is the kind of expression we normally use when we want to signify that something must be done earlier. For when we say “in the morning,” lest we are understood to mean that the sun is already visible, we usually add “very early,” so that we will be understood to refer to the dawn.Thus it is said “in the evening of the sabbath,” as if he had said “in the night of the sabbath,” that is, in the night which follows the day of the sabbath. Matthew’s words themselves, however, are sufficient, for he says, “In the evening of the sabbath, at the dawn on the first day of the week.” This would be impossible if we understood “in the evening” to signify only the first part of the night. For it is not the beginning of the night which “dawns on the first day of the week” but the night which begins to be terminated by the coming of the light. Now the end of the first part of the night is the beginning of the second part, but the end of the whole night is the light. Thus we cannot say that the evening is “at the dawn of the first day of the week” unless by “evening” we intend “night,” which the light brings to an end. In addition, it is divine Scripture’s customary way of distinguishing the whole from the part. Therefore by saying “evening” it signifies the whole night, the end of which is the dawn. Thus the women came to the tomb at dawn, and therefore they came at night, which is signified in Scripture by the designation of evening. For, as I have said, the whole night is included under that name. Therefore, in whatever part of the night they may have come, they came at night; even if they came at the very end of the night, the fact remains without a doubt that they came at night—St Augustine