11
But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb,
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NEW TESTAMENT
All chapters John 20:11–18
The Holy Bible · EnglishOpen an explanation beneath verses with notes. Your notes and highlights stay on this device.
12
and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
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13
They asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.”
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14
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and didn’t know that it was Jesus.
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ExplanationCommentary
Verse 14. It may be asked, why Magdalene, after putting the question to the angels, turns round, without waiting for the answer. No doubt, as soon as she had spoken, the heavenly messengers perceived their Lord behind Mary, and by their looks and actions, gave her to understand that they beheld their Lord. This caused her immediately to look behind her. Saint John Chrysostom hom. lxxxv in Joan.
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15
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
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ExplanationCommentary
Verse 15. If thou hast taken him away. Thinking him, as the evangelist remarks, to be the gardener, how comes it, that without saying whom she sought, she asks if he had taken him away? Because such was the ardour of her love, that she could not imagine any one could think of any other but him, of whom her own mind was so full. Saint Gregory hom. xxv. in Evan.
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16
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him, “Rabboni!” which is to say, “Teacher!”
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ExplanationCommentary
Verse 16. Jesus saith to her, Mary. Magdalene, now in grief and tears, knew not Jesus, till he called upon her by her name, and with his usual voice: then with joy, she cried out, Rabboni, Master. And Jesus saith to her, touch me not, and so forth The meaning of which words seems to be: I am not yet leaving thee, nor ascending to the Father, so that thou mayest have time enough to embrace my feet afterwards; now go to my disciples, and so forth Witham.—Magdalene, having inquired where he had placed him, appears to have turned towards the angels, to inquire the cause of the awe and reverence she had observed in them. Upon this, Jesus calls upon her by name, and she, turning again towards him, discovers him by his voice. Saint John Chrysostom hom. lxxxv in Joan.
Rabboni is a transliteration of the Aramaic word for “great teacher.”
or, Master
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17
Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
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ExplanationCommentary
Verse 17. I will not leave you again; be not in a hurry to touch me; you shall all have this pleasure. I will remain with you some time, before my ascension. Announce my resurrection to my apostles. You shall see me again. This is the interpretation most modern commentators put upon this place. Others suppose, that Magdalene imagined he was risen from the dead to live with men as before, like Lazarus. He addresses these words to her to disabuse her of this notion. Calmet.
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18
Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her.
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