Matthew 28:1

The Resurrection

28:1 Now after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

Luke 24:1

The Resurrection

24:1 Now on the first day ¹  of the week, at early dawn, the women ²  went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices ³  they had prepared.

John 20:1

The Resurrection

20:1 Now very early on the first day of the week, ⁴  while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene ⁵  came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance. ⁶ 

[24:1]  ¹ sn The first day of the week is the day after the Sabbath.

[24:1]  ² tn Grk “they”; the referent (the women mentioned in 23:55) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:1]  ³ tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. See also the note on “aromatic spices” in 23:56.

[20:1]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Grk “from the tomb.”