John 20:1-2

The Resurrection

20:1 Now very early on the first day of the week, ¹  while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene ²  came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance. ³  20:2 So she went running ⁴  to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

John 20:18

20:18 Mary Magdalene came and informed the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them ⁵  what ⁶  Jesus ⁷  had said to her. ⁸ 

[20:1]  ¹ sn The first day of the week would be early Sunday morning. The Sabbath (and in this year the Passover) would have lasted from 6 p.m. Friday until 6 p.m. Saturday. Sunday would thus mark the first day of the following week.

[20:1]  ² sn John does not mention that Mary Magdalene was accompanied by any of the other women who had been among Jesus’ followers. The synoptic accounts all mention other women who accompanied her (although Mary Magdalene is always mentioned first). Why John does not mention the other women is not clear, but Mary probably becomes the focus of the author’s attention because it was she who came and found Peter and the beloved disciple and informed them of the empty tomb (20:2). Mary’s use of the plural in v. 2 indicates there were others present, in indirect agreement with the synoptic accounts.

[20:1]  ³ tn Grk “from the tomb.”

[20:2]  ⁴ tn Grk “So she ran and came.”

[20:18]  ⁵ tn The words “she told them” are repeated from the first part of the same verse to improve clarity.

[20:18]  ⁶ tn Grk “the things.”

[20:18]  ⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:18]  ⁸ tn The first part of Mary’s statement, introduced by ὅτι (Joti), is direct discourse (ἑώρακα τὸν κύριον, Jewraka ton kurion), while the second clause switches to indirect discourse (καὶ ταῦτα εἶπεν αὐτῇ, kai tauta eipen auth). This has the effect of heightening the emphasis on the first part of the statement.