Luke 24:5 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

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? Why seek ye the living among the dead? - This was a common form of speech among the Jews, and seems to be applied to those who were foolishly, impertinently, or absurdly employed. As places of burial were unclean, it was not reasonable to suppose that the living should frequent them; or that if any was missing he was likely to be found in such places.