NOW ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK (τη δε μια των σαββατων). Locative case of time when. Both Mark (Mark 16:2) and Luke (Luke 24:1) have this very idiom of the cardinal τη μια, instead of the usual ordinal τη πρωτη (first), an idiom common in the papyri and in the modern Greek (Robertson, _Grammar_... [ Continue Reading ]
RUNNETH (τρεχε). Vivid dramatic present indicative of τρεχω. John deals only with Mary Magdalene. She left the tomb at once before the rest and without seeing the angels as told in the Synoptics (Mark 16:2-8; Matthew 28:5-8; Luke 24:1-8). Luke (Luke 24:9-12) does not distinguish between the separ... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WENT (ηρχοντο). Imperfect middle picturing the scene, "they were going." The two started instantly (εξηλθεν, aorist active indicative).... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY BOTH (ο δυο). "The two" (Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved).RAN TOGETHER (ετρεχον ομου). Imperfect active of τρεχω. It was a race in eagerness to reach the tomb of Jesus.OUTRAN PETER (προεδραμεν ταχειον του Πετρου). Second aorist active indicative of προτρεχω, old verb, in N.... [ Continue Reading ]
STOOPING AND LOOKING IN (παρακυψας). Originally to stoop and look, but in the LXX (Genesis 26:8; Judges 5:28; 1 Kings 6:4, etc.) and the papyri rather just to peep in and so Field (_Ot. Norv_.) urges here. See also verse John 20:11; Luke 24:12 (the verse bracketed by Westcott and Hort). For οθονι... [ Continue Reading ]
ENTERED AND BEHOLDETH (εισηλθεν κα θεωρε). Aorist active and present active indicative. Peter impulsively went on in and beholds (θεωρε, vivid term again, but of careful notice, θεωρεω, not a mere glance βλεπω such as John gave in verse John 20:5).... [ Continue Reading ]
THE NAPKIN (το σουδαριον). Already in John 11:44 which see. This napkin for the head was in a separate place.ROLLED UP (εντετυλιγμενον). Perfect passive participle, predicate accusative like κειμενον, from εντυλισσω, late verb, to wrap in, to roll up, already in Matthew 27:59; Luke 23:53. It wa... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THEREFORE (τοτε ουν). After Peter in time and influenced by the boldness of Peter.AND HE SAW AND BELIEVED (κα ειδεν κα επιστευσεν). Both aorist active indicative (second and first). Peter saw more after he entered than John did in his first glance, but John saw into the meaning of it all b... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR (γαρ). Explanatory use of γαρ.THE SCRIPTURE (την γραφην). Probably Psalms 16:10. Jesus had repeatedly foretold his resurrection, but that was all forgotten in the great sorrow on their hearts. Only the chief priests and Pharisees recalled the words of Jesus (Matthew 27:62).MUST (δε). For t... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO THEIR OWN HOME (προς αυτους). "To themselves." Luke (Luke 24:12) has προς αυτον about Peter ("to his home"). This use of the reflective pronoun for home (literally, "to themselves"), like the French _chez eux_, occurs in Josephus (_Ant_. VII. 4, 6). John had taken the mother of Jesus to his... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS STANDING (ιστηκε). Past perfect of ιστημ as imperfect as in John 19:25.AT THE TOMB (προς τω μνημειω). Προς (in front of) with locative while παρα (by the side of) with locative in John 19:25. Pathetic and common picture of a woman weeping by the tomb. See John 11:31.AS SHE WEPT (ως εκλαιε... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLDETH (θεωρε). Vivid historical present again as in verses John 20:6; John 20:14. Peter and John had not seen the two angels. Westcott suggests an "economy" in such manifestations as the explanations. Better our own ignorance as to the reason why only the women saw them. Angels were commonly b... [ Continue Reading ]
I DO NOT KNOW (ουκ οιδα). Singular here, not plural as in verse John 20:2, because clearly Mary is alone here. But the problem is the same. She did not see Peter and John at the tomb.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE TURNED HERSELF BACK (εστραφη εις τα οπισω). Second aorist passive indicative of στρεφω in an intransitive and almost reflective sense. In the disappearance of the aorist middle before the aorist passive see Robertson, _Grammar_, p.817. See also στραφεισα (second aorist passive participle) in... [ Continue Reading ]
SIR (Κυριε). Clearly not "Lord" here, for she thought him to be "the gardener" (ο κηπουρος), old word (κηποσ, ουρος), keeper of the garden, only here in the N.T.IF THOU HAST BORNE HIM HENCE (ε συ εβαστασος αυτον). Condition of the first class. Note emphasis on συ (thou). A new idea struck Mary... [ Continue Reading ]
MARY (Μαριαμ). Aramaic form in Aleph B W, though Μαρια in John 19:25. Clearly the old familiar tone of Jesus was in the pronunciation of her name.RABBONI (Ραββουνε). Aramaic again for Διδασκαλε (Teacher), "my Teacher." In N.T. only here and Mark 10:51 though practically the same as Ραββ. See Jo... [ Continue Reading ]
TOUCH ME NOT (μη μου απτου). Present middle imperative in prohibition with genitive case, meaning "cease clinging to me" rather than "Do not touch me." Jesus allowed the women to take hold of his feet (εκρατησαν) and worship (προσεκυνησαν) as we read in Matthew 28:9. The prohibition here reminds... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TELLETH (αγγελλουσα). Present active participle, "announcing."I HAVE SEEN THE LORD (Hεωρακα τον κυριον). Perfect active indicative of οραω. She will always carry in her heart that vision (picture) of the Risen Christ. She tells this fact before she delivers Christ's message to the brethren... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEREFORE IT WAS EVENING ON THAT DAY (ουσης ουν οψιας τη ημερα εκεινε). Genitive absolute with οψια (οψιος, late), old word with ωρα (hour) understood and here for the time from six to nine (John 6:16) and the locative case of time with ημερα (day). John often uses this note of time (John 1:3... [ Continue Reading ]
SHOWED (εδειξεν). First aorist active indicative of δεικνυμ. This body, not yet glorified, retained the marks of the nails and of the soldier's spear, ample proof of the bodily resurrection against the modern view that only Christ's "spirit" arose and against the Docetic notion that Jesus had no... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN SO SEND I YOU (καγω πεμπω υμας). Jesus has often spoken of the Father's sending him using both αποστελλω and πεμπω. Here he employs both words in practically the same sense. Jesus still bears the Commission of the Father (perfect active indicative). For this balanced contention (as... so) see... [ Continue Reading ]
HE BREATHED ON THEM (ενεφυσησεν). First aorist active indicative of εμφυσαω, late verb, here only in N.T. though eleven times in the LXX and in the papyri. It was a symbolic art with the same word used in the LXX when God breathed the breath of life upon Adam (Genesis 2:7). It occurs also in Ezek... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSESOEVER SINS YE FORGIVE (αν τινων αφητε τας αμαρτιας). "If the sins of any ye forgive" (αφητε, second aorist active subjunctive with αν in the sense of εαν), a condition of the third class. Precisely so with "retain" (κρατητε, present active subjunctive of κρατεω).THEY ARE FORGIVEN (αφεωντα... [ Continue Reading ]
DIDYMUS (Διδυμος). The same expression applied to Thomas in John 11:16; John 21:2, but nowhere else in N.T. Old word for twin (double), "the pessimist of the apostolic band" (Bernard). The term twelve is still applied to the group, though Judas, the traitor, is dead.... [ Continue Reading ]
WE HAVE SEEN THE LORD (εωρακαμεν τον κυριον). The very language in the plural that Mary Magdalene had used (John 20:18) when no one believed her.EXCEPT I SHALL SEE (εαν μη ιδω). Negative condition of third class with εαν and second aorist active subjunctive and so as to βαλω (from βαλλω) "and p... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER EIGHT DAYS (μεθ' ημερας οκτω). That is the next Sunday evening, on the eighth day in reality just like "after three days" and "on the third day."WITHIN (εσω). Apparently in the same room as before.COMETH (ερχετα). Vivid dramatic present. The other items precisely as in verse John 20:19... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAITH HE TO THOMAS (ειτα λεγε τω Θομα). Jesus turns directly to Thomas as if he had come expressly for his sake. He reveals his knowledge of the doubt in the mind of Thomas and mentions the very tests that he had named (John 20:25).BE NOT FAITHLESS (μη γινου απιστος). Present middle impera... [ Continue Reading ]
MY LORD AND MY GOD (Hο κυριος μου κα ο θεος μου). Not exclamation, but address, the vocative case though the form of the nominative, a very common thing in the _Koine_. Thomas was wholly convinced and did not hesitate to address the Risen Christ as Lord and God. And Jesus accepts the words and pr... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST BELIEVED (πεπιστευκας). Perfect active indicative. Probably interrogative, but "it was _sight_, not _touch_ that convinced Thomas" (Bernard).AND YET (κα). Clear use of κα in the adversative sense. Thomas made a noble confession, but he missed the highest form of faith without the evid... [ Continue Reading ]
MANY OTHER SIGNS (πολλα αλλα σημεια). Not only those described in the Synoptic Gospels or referred to in general statements, but many alluded to in John's Gospel (John 2:23; John 4:45; John 12:37).ARE NOT WRITTEN (ουκ εστιν γεγραμμενα). Periphrastic perfect passive indicative of γραφω, do not s... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE WRITTEN (γεγραπτα). Perfect passive indicative of γραφω, "have been written" by John.THAT YE MAY BELIEVE (ινα πιστευητε). Purpose with ινα and the present active subjunctive of πιστευω, "that you may keep on believing." The book has had precisely this effect of continuous and successive con... [ Continue Reading ]