rwp - John:20:10-18

rwp@John:20:10 @{Unto their own home} (\pros hautous\). "To themselves." Luke (Luke:24:12|) has \pros hauton\ 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 home (19:27|) and so he now hurried home to tell her the glorious news as he believed.

rwp@John:20:11 @{Was standing} (\histkei\). Past perfect of \histmi\ as imperfect as in strkjv@19:25|. {At the tomb} (\pros ti mnmeii\). \Pros\ (in front of) with locative while \para\ (by the side of) with locative in strkjv@19:25|. Pathetic and common picture of a woman weeping by the tomb. See strkjv@11:31|. {As she wept} (\hs eklaien\). Imperfect, "as she was weeping." {She stooped and looked} (\parekupsen\). Aorist active indicative of \parakupt\ for which see verse 5|. Mary "peeped into" the tomb, but did not enter.

rwp@John:20:12 @{Beholdeth} (\therei\). Vivid historical present again as in verses 6,14|. 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 believed to be clad in white. See strkjv@Mark:16:5| (a young man in a white robe), strkjv@Matthew:28:5| (the angel), strkjv@Luke:24:4| (two men in dazzling apparel). For other angels in John's Gospel see strkjv@1:41; strkjv@12:29; strkjv@20:12|. {Had lain} (\ekeito\). Imperfect in progressive sense, "had been lying," though not there now.

rwp@John:20:13 @{I do not know} (\ouk oida\). Singular here, not plural as in verse 2|, because clearly Mary is alone here. But the problem is the same. She did not see Peter and John at the tomb.

rwp@John:20:14 @{She turned herself back} (\estraph eis ta opis\). Second aorist passive indicative of \streph\ 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 \strapheisa\ (second aorist passive participle) in verse 16|. On \eis ta opis\ see strkjv@6:66; strkjv@18:6|. {Standing} (\hestta\). Second perfect active (intransitive) of \histmi\. Instinctively Mary felt the presence of some one behind her. {Was} (\estin\). Present active indicative retained in indirect discourse after \idei\ (knew).

rwp@John:20:15 @{Sir} (\Kurie\). Clearly not "Lord" here, for she thought him to be "the gardener" (\ho kpouros\), old word (\kpos, ouros\), keeper of the garden, only here in the N.T. {If thou hast borne him hence} (\ei su ebastasos auton\). Condition of the first class. Note emphasis on \su\ (thou). A new idea struck Mary as mistaken as the other one. Jesus had repeated the question of the angels, but she did not recognize him. {And I} (\kag\). Emphasis and crasis.

rwp@John:20:16 @{Mary} (\Mariam\). Aramaic form in Aleph B W, though \Maria\ in strkjv@19:25|. Clearly the old familiar tone of Jesus was in the pronunciation of her name. {Rabboni} (\Rabbounei\). Aramaic again for \Didaskale\ (Teacher), "my Teacher." In N.T. only here and strkjv@Mark:10:51| though practically the same as \Rabbi\. See strkjv@11:28| for "the Teacher" (Rabbi). These two simple words tell the great fact that Christ is risen and Mary has seen him. One says little in really great moments.

rwp@John:20:17 @{Touch me not} (\m mou haptou\). 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 (\ekratsan\) and worship (\prosekunsan\) as we read in strkjv@Matthew:28:9|. The prohibition here reminds Mary that the previous personal fellowship by sight, sound, and touch no longer exists and that the final state of glory was not yet begun. Jesus checks Mary's impulsive eagerness. {For I am not yet ascended} (\oup gar anabebka\). Perfect active indicative. Jesus is here at all only because he has not yet gone home. He had said (16:7|) that it was good for them that he should go to the Father when the Holy Spirit will come through whom they will have fellowship with the Father and Christ. {My God} (\theou mou\). Jesus had said "My God" on the Cross (Mark:15:34|). Note it also in strkjv@Revelation:3:2|. Songs:Paul in strkjv@Romans:15:6|, etc., has "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

rwp@John:20:18 @{And telleth} (\aggellousa\). Present active participle, "announcing." {I have seen the Lord} (\Heraka ton kurion\). Perfect active indicative of \hora\. 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 of Christ. {How that}. No word in the Greek, but a conjunction like \hs\ is implied. \Hoti\ here is recitative. The disciples (brethren) did not believe Mary's story nor that of the other women (Luke:24:11; strkjv@Mark:16:11|). Paul does not mention the vision to Mary or the women in strkjv@1Corinthians:15:5-7|. But Mary Magdalene was the first one to see the Risen Lord.