John 20

Translator Notes

1. The phrase tee mia tōn sabbatōn ('the first of the week') is a Semitic way of saying 'Sunday.' The detail skotias eti ousēs ('while it was still dark') is characteristically Johannine — darkness in this Gospel symbolizes spiritual blindness and separation from Jesus (cf. 1:5, 3:19, 13:30). Mary comes in literal darkness and will move toward the light of recognition. John mentions only Mary Magdalene, unlike the Synoptics which include other women.

Translator Notes

1. Mary's first interpretation is grave robbery (ēran ton kyrion, 'they have taken the Lord'). The plural 'we do not know' (ouk oidamen) may suggest other women were present (as in the Synoptic accounts) even though John mentions only Mary. The 'other disciple whom Jesus loved' (ton allon mathētēn hon ephilei ho Iēsous) is the Beloved Disciple, here described with phileō ('loved with personal affection') rather than the agapaō used in 13:23 and 19:26.

Translator Notes

1. The imperfect ērchonto ('they were going, they were on their way') captures the ongoing action — the narrative builds suspense as the two disciples make their way to the tomb.

Translator Notes

1. The detail of the foot race (proedragen tachion, 'ran ahead faster') has the feel of eyewitness memory — specific, personal, and unnecessary for the theological point. The Beloved Disciple's greater speed and earlier arrival set up the distinction between seeing (v. 5) and believing (v. 8).

Translator Notes

1. The verb parakypsas ('stooping, bending over to look') indicates the low entrance of a first-century rock-cut tomb. The Beloved Disciple sees (blepei) the linen cloths (othonia) but hesitates to enter — whether from reverence, fear, or deference to Peter is not stated.

Translator Notes

1. Peter arrives and enters without hesitation — consistent with his impulsive character throughout the Gospels. The verb theōrei ('he observed, he looked carefully at') is a more intensive form of seeing than the Beloved Disciple's blepei in verse 5, suggesting Peter examined the scene closely.

Translator Notes

1. The soudarion ('face cloth, handkerchief') is a separate piece from the body wrappings. The detail that it was entetyligmenon ('rolled up, folded') and placed choris ('separately, apart') suggests orderliness rather than the haste of grave robbery — a thief would not neatly fold the burial cloths. The arrangement of the grave cloths is evidence that something other than theft has occurred.

Translator Notes

1. Three different Greek verbs for 'seeing' appear in verses 5-8: blepei (v. 5, 'he sees'), theōrei (v. 6, 'he observes'), and eiden (v. 8, 'he saw' — from horaō, implying perception with understanding). The Beloved Disciple's seeing leads immediately to believing — he is the first to believe in the resurrection based on the evidence of the empty tomb and the arrangement of the burial cloths, without yet seeing the risen Jesus.

Translator Notes

1. The narrator explains that the disciples' understanding was still incomplete — they had not yet grasped the scriptural necessity (dei, 'it is necessary') of the resurrection. The specific Scripture (graphēn, singular) is not identified; possibilities include Psalm 16:10 ('you will not abandon my soul to Sheol'), Hosea 6:2 ('on the third day he will raise us up'), or Isaiah 53:10-12. The Beloved Disciple believed based on what he saw, but fuller scriptural understanding would come later.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Psalm 16:10. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Hosea 6:2. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
4. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Isaiah 53:10-12. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase pros autous ('to themselves, to their own') indicates they returned to where they were staying. The departure sets the stage for Mary's solitary encounter with the risen Jesus — the disciples leave, but Mary stays.

Translator Notes

1. The imperfect eistēkei ('she was standing') and the present participle klaiousa ('weeping') paint a vivid picture of sustained grief. Mary's sorrow dominates the scene — she is weeping for a dead man, unaware that death has been conquered. The verb parekypsen ('she stooped to look') echoes the Beloved Disciple's action in verse 5.

Translator Notes

1. The two angels (angelous) in white recall the cherubim on the mercy seat (kapporet) of the Ark of the Covenant, positioned at each end (Exodus 25:18-20). If this parallel is intended, the place where Jesus's body lay corresponds to the mercy seat — the place of atonement. The white garments (en leukois) are characteristic of heavenly beings in the New Testament.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Exodus 25:18-20. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. Mary's response repeats her earlier report (v. 2) but now uses the singular 'I do not know' (ouk oida) and the personal 'my Lord' (ton kyrion mou) — the grief has become deeply personal. She is so consumed by sorrow that the presence of angels does not startle her or redirect her attention.

Translator Notes

1. Mary's failure to recognize Jesus (ouk ēdei hoti Iēsous estin) echoes other post-resurrection non-recognition scenes (Luke 24:16, 24:37). This may indicate a transformation in Jesus's risen body, or it may reflect Mary's grief-blurred perception, or both. The dramatic irony is intense — the reader knows who stands before her.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus's question tina zēteis ('Who are you looking for?') echoes his first question in the Gospel to Andrew and John (1:38, 'What are you seeking?') and his question to the arresting party (18:4, 'Who are you looking for?'). Mary's assumption that Jesus is the kēpouros ('gardener') is natural given the garden setting — but for John's readers, there is a deeper truth: the risen Jesus is the true gardener of the new Eden, the one who tends the garden of new creation.

Translator Notes

1. The recognition comes through a single word — her name. This fulfills 10:3 ('he calls his own sheep by name') and 10:27 ('my sheep hear my voice'). The shift from non-recognition to recognition pivots on the personal address. Mary's response 'Rabboni' (rabbouni) is an intensified form of 'Rabbi' — 'my great teacher' or 'my dear teacher.' John translates it as didaskalos ('teacher') for his Greek readers. The scene is one of the most intimate in all four Gospels.

Translator Notes

1. The present imperative mee mou haptou is better rendered 'stop clinging to me' or 'do not keep holding on to me' rather than 'do not touch me' — Mary has apparently grasped him and Jesus tells her to release him. The reason given — 'I have not yet ascended' (oupō anabebēka) — implies that the old mode of physical relationship must give way to a new mode of spiritual relationship mediated by the Spirit. The phrase 'my brothers' (tous adelphous mou) is the first time Jesus uses this family language for his disciples. The careful distinction 'my Father and your Father, my God and your God' maintains Jesus's unique relationship to the Father while including the disciples in a genuine filial relationship.

Translator Notes

1. Mary becomes the first witness to the resurrection and the first evangelist — she is sent (poreuou, 'go!') by Jesus to proclaim the news. The verb angellousa ('announcing, reporting') is related to angelos ('messenger') — Mary fulfills an angelic function. Her declaration heōraka ton kyrion ('I have seen the Lord') uses the perfect tense, indicating a sight with lasting impact.

Translator Notes

1. The locked doors (tōn thyrōn kekleismenōn) emphasize both the disciples' fear and the supernatural character of Jesus's appearance — he enters without the doors being opened. The greeting eirēnē hymin ('Peace to you') is the standard Semitic greeting (shalom aleichem) but carries enormous weight in this context. Jesus had promised 'my peace I give to you' (14:27) and 'in me you may have peace' (16:33). Now the risen Jesus delivers on that promise.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus shows his wounds as identification — the risen body bears the marks of the cross. The resurrection does not erase the crucifixion but transforms it. The disciples' joy (echarēsan, 'they rejoiced') fulfills Jesus's promise in 16:20-22 that their sorrow would be turned to joy. The verb echarēsan echoes 16:22: 'your hearts will rejoice.'

Translator Notes

1. The second eirēnē hymin transitions from greeting to commissioning. The perfect apestalken ('has sent,' denoting the ongoing mission) is paired with the present pempō ('I am sending,' denoting the immediate commission). This echoes 17:18: 'As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.' The disciples' mission is patterned on Jesus's own mission from the Father.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The verb enephysēsen ('he breathed on/into') appears in the Septuagint only in Genesis 2:7 (God 'breathed into' Adam the breath of life) and Ezekiel 37:9 (the Spirit 'breathes' life into the dry bones). The allusion is deliberate — Jesus's act is a new creation, a new breathing of life into his people. Whether this constitutes the full giving of the Spirit (as in Johannine theology) or an anticipation of Pentecost (as in Lukan theology) is debated. In John's narrative, this is the moment the Spirit is given.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Genesis 2:7. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Ezekiel 37:9. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. The authority to forgive or retain sins (aphēte, 'release, forgive' and kratēte, 'hold, retain') is given to the community of disciples, not to an individual. The perfect tenses apheōntai ('they stand forgiven') and kekratēntai ('they stand retained') indicate permanent results. This commission extends the forgiveness ministry that Jesus exercised during his earthly life. The precise exercise of this authority — whether sacramental, declarative, or disciplinary — has been debated throughout church history.

Translator Notes

1. The name Thomas (Thōmas) is itself Aramaic for 'twin' (te'oma), and Didymos is the Greek equivalent. John consistently identifies Thomas with this double name (11:16, 14:5, 21:2). His absence from the first appearance sets up one of the Gospel's most dramatic scenes.

Translator Notes

1. Thomas's demand escalates from seeing (idō) to touching (balō ton daktylo mou, 'put my finger') to thrusting his hand into the spear wound (balō mou tēn cheira eis tēn pleuran). The double negative ou mē pisteusō ('I will absolutely not believe') is the strongest form of denial in Greek. Note that Thomas demands the same evidence Jesus had already provided the other disciples (v. 20) — his request is not unreasonable, merely emphatic. The mention of nails (hēlōn) confirms crucifixion by nailing (rather than tying).

Translator Notes

1. The phrase meth' hēmeras oktō ('after eight days') by inclusive counting means the following Sunday — establishing the pattern of first-day-of-the-week gatherings that would become Christian worship practice. The repeated detail of locked doors and Jesus's supernatural entry underscores the nature of the resurrection body: physical enough to be seen and touched, yet not bound by physical barriers.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus addresses Thomas's exact demands (vv. 25) — demonstrating both his knowledge of Thomas's words (he was not present when Thomas spoke them) and his willingness to meet Thomas where he is. The imperative mē ginou apistos alla pistos ('stop becoming unbelieving but be believing') uses the present imperative ginou, suggesting a process: Thomas is not yet fixed in unbelief but is moving toward it, and Jesus intervenes. The text does not say whether Thomas actually touched Jesus's wounds — the narrative moves directly to his confession.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. Thomas's confession ho kyrios mou kai ho theos mou ('My Lord and my God') is the climactic Christological declaration of the Gospel. The use of the nominative with the article (ho kyrios, ho theos) as vocative gives the confession maximum force. This directly identifies Jesus as theos ('God'), completing the theological arc that began in 1:1 ('the Word was God'). Thomas moves from the most extreme doubt to the most exalted confession in the Gospel — a transformation John presents as the paradigm of faith.

Translator Notes

1. The first clause can be read as a statement ('Because you have seen me, you have believed') or a question ('Have you believed because you have seen me?'). Both readings work theologically. The beatitude for those who believe without seeing (makarioi hoi mē idontes kai pisteusantes) reaches beyond Thomas to all future believers — including every reader of the Gospel. This is the bridge between the apostolic eyewitnesses and the ongoing community of faith.

Translator Notes

1. The word sēmeia ('signs') is John's characteristic term for Jesus's miracles — they are not mere displays of power but signs pointing to deeper realities about Jesus's identity. The acknowledgment that 'many other signs' exist admits the Gospel's selectivity — what is included has been deliberately chosen for the purpose stated in verse 31.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. This is the Gospel's purpose statement, revealing that everything written has been evangelistic testimony. The verb pisteusēte could be aorist subjunctive ('come to believe' — evangelistic, aimed at unbelievers) or present subjunctive ('continue believing' — pastoral, aimed at the community). The manuscript evidence is divided; both purposes are served by the Gospel. The double object of faith — that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) and the Son of God — summarizes the Gospel's dual Christological claim: Jesus fulfills Jewish messianic expectation and shares in the divine identity. The result of believing is zōē ('life') — the life that has been the Gospel's theme from the Prologue (1:4: 'In him was life').