Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 20:2
Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him.
2. Then she runneth ] She runneth therefore, concluding that the body must be gone.
Simon Peter ] His fall was probably known and his deep repentance also: he is still chief of the Apostles, and as such the one consulted first.
and to the other ] The repetition of ‘to’ implies that the two Apostles were not lodging together, although Joh 20:3 implies that they were close to one another.
whom Jesus loved ] Perhaps the expression is meant to apply to Simon Peter also; ‘the other disciple whom Jesus loved.’ This becomes probable when we notice that the word for ‘loved’ is not that used of S. John in Joh 19:26, Joh 21:7; Joh 21:20 ( agapn), but the more general word ( philein). See on Joh 11:5.
They have taken ] She does not attempt to determine who, whether friends or foes.
we know not ] This possibly implies that other women had been with her, as stated by the Synoptists. If so, she may have outstripped them in going to the garden.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 2. Then she runneth] This was after the women had seen the angels, who said he was risen from the dead, Lu 24:4. She told, not only Peter and John, but the other apostles also, Mt 28:8; but only the two disciples above mentioned went to the tomb to see whether what she had said was true.
They have taken away the Lord] She mentions nothing of what the angels had said, in her hurry and confusion; she speaks things only by halves; and probably the vision of angels might have appeared to her only as an illusion of her own fancy, and not to be any farther regarded.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Then she runneth; that is, Mary Magdalene ran into the city to tell Peter; and that seemeth to be the reason why John mentions only her going to the sepulchre: but yet Luke Luk 24:10 makes not Mary Magdalene only, but Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, the reporters of the news to the apostles; but possibly she was the most forward and first reporter of it. She came to the eleven, and told all these things to them, Luk 24:9, but possibly her chief discourse was with Simon Peter, and John, the beloved disciple: she complains to them that her Lord was removed out of the sepulchre, whither and by whom she knew not. But how did they know that? Mark saith, they entered into the sepulchre, Mar 16:5. Or if that were after, as it should seem by Joh 20:11 of this chapter; they guessed that the body was gone when they saw the stone rolled away, and the door open.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Then she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter,…. That is, after she had not only seen that the stone was took away, but had looked into the sepulchre, and saw that the body of Christ was removed; for otherwise she could not have said, that it was took away out of it: upon which she made all the haste she could to Peter; who, where he was she knew; and she was particularly bid by the angel she saw in the sepulchre, to go to him:
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved; John the writer of this Gospel; for these two were together, as they usually were; nor were they alone, for the rest of the disciples were with them:
and saith unto them, they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. The Oriental versions, the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic, read, “I know not where they have laid him”; who they were that had taken the body of Christ away, whether friends or enemies, she could not say; nor did she, or any of the women that were with her, know where it was put; whether in some other grave, or was exposed to the insults of men, or to birds and beasts of prey; whether it was laid in a more suitable and convenient place, or in a scandalous one; and whether this removal was for his greater honour, or reproach; to know this, gave her great concern and uneasiness, as she knew it must the disciples also: so Christ, in a spiritual sense, may be removed from his people for a time, and they know not where he is; sometimes he removes himself, to chastise them for their former carriage, to try and exercise their grace, to inflame their love to him, and sharpen their desires after him, and to endear his presence to them the more, when they enjoy it again; sometimes he is taken away from them by preachers, when they leave him out of their discourses; and by their own sins and transgressions, which separate between him and them, with respect to communion; and who, for a time, may not know where to find him: and for the direction of such it may be observed, that he is to be found in the ministration of his word and ordinances in his churches.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Runneth (). Vivid dramatic present indicative of . John deals only with Mary Magdalene. She left the tomb at once before the rest and without seeing the angels as told in the Synoptics (Mark 16:2-8; Matt 28:5-8; Luke 24:1-8). Luke (Lu 24:9-12) does not distinguish between the separate report of Mary Magdalene and that of the other women.
To Simon Peter ( ). Full name as usual in John and back with John and the other disciples. The association of Peter and the other disciple in Joh 18-21 is like that between Peter and John in Ac 1-5.
Loved (). Imperfect of for which see John 5:20; John 11:3 and for distinction from see John 11:5; John 13:23; John 21:7; John 21:15; John 21:17.
They have taken away (). First aorist active indicative of , indefinite plural.
We know not ( ). Mary associates the other women with her in her ignorance. For (have laid) see 19:42. Mary fears a grave robbery. She has no idea of the resurrection of Jesus.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Loved [] . The word for personal affection. In Joh 13:23; Joh 21:7, 20, hjgapa is used. See on 5 20.
We know not. The plural indicates that Mary was not alone, though she alone is mentioned as coming to the tomb. She may have preceded the others.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter,” (trechei ou kai erchetai pros Simon Petron) “She then runs and comes (until she came) to Simon Peter,” to tell him of the disturbance at the tomb, Mar 16:10.
2) “And to the other disciple,” (kai pros ton allon matheten) “And she also ran to the other disciple,” to report to him what she had found, Joh 13:23; Joh 19:26; Joh 21:7.
3) “Whom Jesus loved,” (hon ephilai ho losous) “The one whom Jesus loved,” as a dear friend or comrade, to John the writer of this gospel, Joh 21:20; Joh 21:24.
4) “And saith unto them,” (kai legei autois) “And she told them,” says to them, in excitement, breathless and anxious.
5) “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre,” (eran ton kurion ek tou mnemeiou) “They took the Lord out of and away from the tomb,” Joh 19:11-13. She did not yet realize that He had risen from the dead, and it had been too dark at first for her to see inside, only that the stone entrance was open, Joh 20:1; Luk 24:21.
6) “And we know not where they have laid him.” (kai ouk oidamen pou ethekan auton) “And we do not know where they put or placed him,” supposing that the legal authorities, either the Sanhedrin or the Roman soldiers, had removed the body of Jesus, The “we” indicates that other women had arrived before she left the tomb, after which they went into the preparation room, Mar 16:5.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(2) To Simon Peter, and to the other disciple.St. Matthew has, to His disciples; St. Luke has, to the Eleven, and to all the rest. St. John relates only that announcement of which he had special personal knowledge.
For the other disciple comp. Introduction, p. 375. For the connection between St. John and St. Peter, comp. Introduction, p. 371.
Whom Jesus loved.Comp. Note on Joh. 11:3; Joh. 21:15. The word here used of St. John is that which is used of Lazarus in Joh. 11:3. It is not the word which occurs in Joh. 19:26; Joh. 21:7; Joh. 21:20.
We know not where they have laid him.The plural has frequently been pressed to prove that Mary included the other women with herself in what she saysi.e., that St. Johns narrative here implies that of the earlier Gospels. This certainly may be so, but we cannot say more than this. It certainly may be that, in her feeling of despair, she speaks generally of the utter hopelessness of human effort, whether her own or that of others. It is the passionate cry of her womans heart. They have not only crucified the Lord, but have robbed the body of the resting-place which love had provided for it, and of the tender care with which love was seeking to surround itThey have taken away the Lord; and we know not to what fresh indignity their hatred, against which even the grave is not proof, has subjected the body of Him whom we have loved. We know not where they have laid Him.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Runneth She waits neither to examine the sepulchre, nor to consult the other women; nor can she calmly walk, but runs to the chief apostles for aid. It is evident that Peter and John abide at no great distance from the sepulchre, and separately from the other apostles. They are in west Jerusalem, while the others are probably in Bethany.
Taken away the Lord She has no thought of a resurrection; neither do her terms imply that he has been stolen. She afterwards suspects that the keeper of the garden in which the sepulchre is, may have removed him to some other place.
We know not The we is here used by Mary in behalf of not only herself but of the whole company, clearly showing that even John’s narrative implies that other women were with her.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘She therefore runs and comes to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and says to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him”.’
‘She therefore runs.’ She did not know what to make of the rolled away stone and assumed that it must mean that someone had taken away His body. She knew that Temple guards had been stationed at the tomb (Mat 27:62-66) and therefore did not suspect grave robbers. It could thus only be the authorities who had moved Him. So, in distress, she races to consult with the leading disciples. Unless they could find His body they could not anoint Him. They, of course, knew nothing of the activities of Joseph and Nicodemus. They probably knew where the tomb was because they had kept watch from a distance when His body was removed from the cross.
The plural ‘we’ confirms that Mary had not been alone in her discovery. There had been at least two, and they had found the tomb empty and did not know what to make of it. They could only conclude that the explanation was that the body has been removed by His enemies. She was probably distraught, but not too distraught to return later to the tomb (Joh 20:11).
‘The Lord.’ An indication of great respect. Even though He was dead she still saw Him as her Lord, despite the fact that she had no hope of ever seeing Him again. In their grief the last desire of the women was to see Him rightly treated in His burial.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 20:2. Then she runnethto Simon Peter, See the note on Luk 24:5. The reader of the following annotations on this and the next chapter, will be pleased to refer to the notes on the parallel places.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
Ver. 2. Then she runneth ] Amor addidit alas, love is impatient of delays. Christ cometh leaping over the “mountains of Bether,” Son 2:17 ; all manner lets and impediments. And the Church, as impatient as he, bids him “Make haste, my beloved, and be like to a roe,”Son 8:4Son 8:4 , or to a fawn of the harts, which when it fleeth, looketh behind it, saith the Chaldee paraphrast there. She affects not only a union, but a unity with him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Joh 20:2 . . She therefore runs, disregarding unseemliness, and comes to those who would be most interested, and without preface, breathless and anxious, exclaims: “they have removed the Lord from the tomb, and we know not where they have laid Him”. Evidently she had no idea that a resurrection had taken place. The plural may naturally be accepted as confirming Mark’s account that she was not alone.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Then = Therefore.
to. Greek. pros. App-104.
other. Greek. altos. App-124.
Jesus. App-98.
loved = used to love (imperf.) Greek. phileo. App-135.
unto = to.
have taken = took.
the Lord. Greek. kurios. App-98.
out of. Greek. ek. App-104.
know. Greek. oida. App-132.
not. Greek. ou. App-105.
have laid = laid. Same word as in Joh 11:34. Implying care and reverence, and so suggesting that Joseph and Nicodemus had removed Him.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joh 20:2. , and to) From the preposition being repeated before both, it may be inferred that both disciples were not together. Yet they went forth together, after that one had sought out the other. It is not said that Mary Magdalene brought the tidings also to the mother of Jesus. The latter confined herself to the house.-, esteemed [diligebat]) In other passages the word used is , loved.[397] Comp. note on ch. Joh 21:15.- , the Lord) She retains her exalted estimation of Jesus: Joh 20:15, My Lord.- , we know not) She speaks in the name of the other women also, or in that of the disciples, whom she knew to be distressed on the same account. [She perhaps was conjecturing that Joseph had laid the body of Jesus only for a time in his own sepulchre, until he should find another place for it.-V. g.]
[397] Amabat. But Trench reverses the words, making answer to amare; and to diligere. The Vulgate mostly supports Trenchs view, giving also at times osculari for. . Here, however, some MSS. of Vulg. have amabat, others diligebat, as Bengel gives it.-E. and T.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 20:2
Joh 20:2
She runneth therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved,-They find Peter and John and tell the strange discovery. No thought of a resurrection seems to have entered the minds of either of the apostles or the women, notwithstanding Jesus had so often told them he would rise. The women were not led by faith, but by love, to the tomb to perform the last rites of respect and love for one who had been their true friend and helper while alive. [Mary Magdalene left the other women and ran to carry this news to the apostles. The others walked on and had the experience described in Mat 28:5-8; Mar 16:5-8; Luk 24:3-9 and left the tomb.]
and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him.-The only thought that came to their minds was that he had been taken away and they knew not where to find his body. This shows how difficult it is to see and accept things that are contrary to our fixed convictions and desires. [She had jumped at this conclusion from the sight of the open sepulchre, for none were expecting a resurrection.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
to the: Joh 13:23, Joh 19:26, Joh 21:7, Joh 21:20, Joh 21:24
They have taken: Joh 20:9, Joh 20:13, Joh 20:15, Mat 27:63, Mat 27:64
Reciprocal: Mat 10:2 – John Mar 10:17 – running Luk 24:1 – upon Luk 24:2 – General Luk 24:22 – General Joh 11:34 – General Act 3:1 – Peter
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2
Luk 24:3 tells why the woman ran to meet Peter. She had looked in and seen the empty tomb and thought the body had been removed and laid elsewhere.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 20:2. She runneth therefore and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. That the Lord is risen does not enter into her thoughts: she can but imagine that enemies have stolen away the body so precious alike in her eyes and in those of her fellow-disciples, and she hastens to tell the tale to those who would feel with her most deeply and would be most able to help in the sad extremity. The statement of Mary produces its immediate effect upon the disciples.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
It was a great honour that God put upon this poor woman, Mary Magdalene, that she has the first notice of our Saviour’s resurrection, and is the first that discovers it to the apostles.
But why had not the Virgin Mary, his disconsolate mother, this privilege conferred on her, rather than Mary Magdalene, who had been a grievous sinner?
Doubtless this was for the comfort of all true penitents, and administers great consolation to them; as the angels in heaven rejoice, much more doth Christ joy in the recovery of one repenting sinner than in multitudes of holy and just persons, (such was the blessed Virgin,) who need no repentance.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
RETURN OF THE WOMEN
Mat 28:8-10; Mar 16:8; Luk 24:9-11; Joh 20:2. Then she runs, and comes to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and says to them, They have taken away the Lord from the sepulcher, and we know not where they have placed Him. This is spoken of Mary Magdalene, the most prominent of our Lords female disciples, and the only woman John mentions in this early visit to the sepulcher. This is not out of harmony with the other three, from the simple fact that she was the leader of the heroic sisterhood who lingered last at the cross, and hastened first to greet the risen Lord and look into the empty sepulcher.
I must here observe, in reference to Marks Gospel, that this eighth verse, which you see in the above reference, winds it up, the following twelve verses having been added by an unknown hand after Mark had laid down his pen. This fact of these last twelve verses not appearing in the old and authoritative manuscripts, does not necessarily invalidate their claims to inspiration, the author might have been inspired for ought we know, though we can have no idea as to his name. As it is believed that Peter dictated this Gospel to Mark, his faithful amanuensis and gospel helper, while in Rome, about A. D. 63, some suppose his martyrdom stopped the work, and consequently some one took it on himself to finish it out somewhat after the order of Matthews, which had been written A. D. 48. From the simple fact that in all of this writing I have used the Greek Testament by Tischendorf, on the basis of the Sinaitic manuscript which he discovered in the Convent of St. Catherine, on Mt. Sinai, A. D. 1859, and has thrown a flood of light on the New Testament, being the oldest manuscript and the only one entire, and as it closes Marks Gospel with this eighth verse of the sixteenth chapter, I shall neither quote nor expound the ensuing twelve verses; for, like Joh 8:1-11, and not a few other isolated passages, they are not in my book.
Matthew: Having quickly come out from the sepulcher, with fear and great joy, they were running to tell His disciples. You see how these women take the report of the angels, and run with all expedition to render obedience. And while they were going to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, Hail! And they having come, embraced His feet, and worshipped Him. Then Jesus says to them, Fear not; go, tell My brethren, that they may depart into Galilee, and there they shall see Me. Luke: And returning from the sepulcher, they proclaimed these things to the eleven, and all the rest, And they were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women along with them, who continued to tell these things to the apostles. And their words appeared unto them like a dream, and they believed them not. Though Jesus had three different times distinctly prophesied to them His crucifixion and resurrection, they had never understood it; but were all settled in the common conviction that the Christ would never die, but abide and reign forever. Luke says that these prophecies were withheld from them, so they understood them not. That was all right. It was absolutely necessary that these most salient facts of redeeming mercy should be prominent in the prophetical curriculum, which, along with miracles, constitutes the basis of all faith in the Christhood.
Then why withhold it from their understanding until after it was all over? Good reason! If the disciples had understood it, they would have fought, bled, and died in His defense. Thousands would have helped them, and a bloody civil war broken out at the time of His arrest. Through fear of the people, His enemies were often restrained from laying hands on Him, finally attacking Him at midnight, doing their best to kill Him before day; and despite the tardiness of Pilate and Herod, actually had Him nailed to the cross at the early hour of 9 A.M., Pilate finally signing His death-warrant as a sheer peace measure, as he saw the crowd gathering rapidly, and knew they were going to fight for Him, and thus involve the whole country in a terrible civil war. In the good providence of God, the prophecies revealing His crucifixion and resurrection were withheld from the understanding of His disciples till after the momentous tragedy of the worlds redemption was consummated. When they saw Him expire on the cross, they gave up all hope of His Messiahship, settling down in the conclusion that He was the greatest prophet the world ever saw and no more, so that when those women came and told them that He was absent from the sepulcher, and the angels had said He was risen, and that they had actually seen Him, their words seemed like a dream the news was too good to be believed.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 2
To Simon Peter; to his house in the city.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
It would have been natural for Mary, and perhaps others of these women, to report the incident to the leading male disciples. The "other disciple" was probably John himself (cf. Joh 13:23; et al.). Mary first assumed that grave robbers had stolen Jesus’ body. Evidently robbing graves was not uncommon around Jerusalem (cf. Mat 28:13-15). Obviously Mary meant that some of Jesus’ enemies had stolen His body, but exactly who she thought they may have been remains a mystery. A decree of Emperor Claudius, who reigned shortly after this event (A.D. 41-54), made it a capital offense to destroy tombs, remove bodies, or displace the sealing or other stones. [Note: See C. K. Barrett, The New Testament Background, Selected Documents, p. 15.] Mary’s reference to "the Lord" could not have been as full of meaning as it was after His resurrection appearances. Here Mary perhaps used the title only in great respect.