They have taken away the Lord. St John Chapter xx. 1-10

St John Chapter xx : Verses 1-10

Contents

• St John Chapter xx.1-10 : Douay-Rheims (Challoner) text, Greek (SBLG) & Latin text (Vulgate); 
• Annotations based on the Great Commentary of Cornelius A Lapide.

St John Chapter xx. 1-10

She saw the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

1   And on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalen cometh early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre; and she saw the stone taken away from the sepulchre.  

2 She ran, therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith to them: They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.  

3 Peter therefore went out, and that other disciple, and they came to the sepulchre.  

4 And they both ran together, and that other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.  

5 And when he stooped down, he saw the linen cloths lying; but yet he went not in.

6 Then cometh Simon Peter, following him, and went into the sepulchre, and saw the linen cloths lying,  

7 And the napkin that had been about his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but apart, wrapped up into one place.  

8 Then that other disciple also went in, who came first to the sepulchre: and he saw, and believed.  

9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.  

10 The disciples therefore departed again to their home.

1 Τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ ἔρχεται πρωῒ σκοτίας ἔτι οὔσης εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ βλέπει τὸν λίθον ἠρμένον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου.

1 Una autem sabbati, Maria Magdalene venit mane, cum adhuc tenebrae essent, ad monumentum : et vidit lapidem sublatum a monumento.  

2 τρέχει οὖν καὶ ἔρχεται πρὸς Σίμωνα Πέτρον καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄλλον μαθητὴν ὃν ἐφίλει ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἦραν τὸν κύριον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ οὐκ οἴδαμεν ποῦ ἔθηκαν αὐτόν.

2 Cucurrit ergo, et venit ad Simonem Petrum, et ad alium discipulum, quem amabat Jesus, et dicit illis : Tulerunt Dominum de monumento, et nescimus ubi posuerunt eum.  

3 ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ὁ Πέτρος καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητής, καὶ ἤρχοντο εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον.

3 Exiit ergo Petrus, et ille alius discipulus, et venerunt ad monumentum.  

4 ἔτρεχον δὲ οἱ δύο ὁμοῦ· καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητὴς προέδραμεν τάχιον τοῦ Πέτρου καὶ ἦλθεν πρῶτος εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον,

4 Currebant autem duo simul, et ille alius discipulus praecucurrit citius Petro, et venit primus ad monumentum.  

5 καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει κείμενα τὰ ὀθόνια, οὐ μέντοι εἰσῆλθεν.

5 Et cum se inclinasset, vidit posita linteamina : non tamen introivit.

6 ἔρχεται οὖν ⸀καὶ Σίμων Πέτρος ἀκολουθῶν αὐτῷ, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον· καὶ θεωρεῖ τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα,

6 Venit ergo Simon Petrus sequens eum, et introivit in monumentum, et vidit linteamina posita,  

7 καὶ τὸ σουδάριον, ὃ ἦν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, οὐ μετὰ τῶν ὀθονίων κείμενον ἀλλὰ χωρὶς ἐντετυλιγμένον εἰς ἕνα τόπον·

7 et sudarium, quod fuerat super caput ejus, non cum linteaminibus positum, sed separatim involutum in unum locum.  

8 τότε οὖν εἰσῆλθεν καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητὴς ὁ ἐλθὼν πρῶτος εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ εἶδεν καὶ ἐπίστευσεν·

8 Tunc ergo introivit et ille discipulus qui venerat primus ad monumentum : et vidit, et credidit :  

9 οὐδέπω γὰρ ᾔδεισαν τὴν γραφὴν ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῆναι.

9 nondum enim sciebant Scripturam, quia oportebat eum a mortuis resurgere.  

10 ἀπῆλθον οὖν πάλιν πρὸς ⸀αὑτοὺς οἱ μαθηταί.

10 Abierunt ergo iterum discipuli ad semetipsos.

Annotations

    1. And on the first day of the week.  Literally, of the Sabbath, the week being called the Sabbath, after its principal day, or the day of the Pasch. (see on Matt. xxviii.)

    Mary Magdalen cometh early. The other gospels speak of the other women, but she only is mentioned here, as being their leader, and more zealous and active than the rest.

    when it was yet dark, In the early dawn (profundo diluculo), says S. Luke. Note here her activity, watchfulness, and ardour. She seeks Christ in the dawn, and hence she is the first to see Him as the rising sun. As S. Ambrose says on the title of Ps. 55,* “For the morning undertaking.” This morning undertaking we can ascribe to Mary Magdalene, who went very early in the morning to watch at the tomb, and first greeted the resurrection of the Lord, and as the sunlight grew brighter, she only, and before the rest, recognised the rising of the Sun of righteousness, and as by this morning greeting she rejoiced at the return of daylight, so did she rejoice the more that Christ was raised from the dead, and in her was fulfilled the prophecy, In the evening weeping shall have place, (see Vulg.) (heaviness may endure for the night, E. V.) and in the morning gladness. (Ps. xxix. 6).

    unto the sepulchre; To anoint the Body of Jesus, says Nonnus.

    and she saw the stone taken away from the sepulchre. And the Angels, who said that Christ had risen, but the Magdalene did not believe it, and ran to Peter and John, saying, “They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him.” See notes on S. Matt. xxviii. 8. S. Jerome remarks (Ep. cl. ad Hedibiam), Her error was connected with piety—piety in longing to see Him whose Majesty she knew, but her mistake was in what she said.

    2. She ran, therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith to them: They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, as the Chief Apostle, and as designated by Christ as His Vicar and successor, (Matt. xvi.), and that other disciple whom Jesus loved, i.e. S. John, who would be more diligent than the rest in searching for the Body of Christ.

    4. And they both ran together,  Before the rest, as loving Him above the rest, says S. Gregory.

    and that other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre, as the younger and more active, and moreover as more desirous of seeing that Body which he had just before seen marred on the cross.

    5. And when he stooped down, he saw the linen cloths lying; but yet he went not in. Yet went he not in, paying deference to Peter, as his senior and more worthy, says Lyranus, or else hindered by fear, or seized with a kind of sacred dread at the Body of Christ which was buried there.

    6.-7. Then cometh Simon Peter, following him, and went into the sepulchre, and saw the linen cloths lying, And the napkin that had been about his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but apart, wrapped up into one place. Peter (says S. Chrysostom) entered with ardour, and carefully inspected everything. For the soldiers who guarded the tomb, when they saw the angel and the earthquake, ran away through fear. See also S. Jerome, Quæst. vi. ad Hedib. And seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin which was about His head (covering His face, as is generally done to the dead, for the sake of seemliness), not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. “This,” says S. Chrysostom, “was a sign of His Resurrection, for if they had removed the body they would not have stripped it, and if they had stolen it, they would not have been so careful to fold up the napkin, and put it aside by itself; for John had said before that He was buried with myrrh, which makes linen clothes cling close to the body, so that no one would be deceived by those who said that It was stolen away; for what thief would trouble himself so much about an unnecessary matter?”

    8. Then that other disciple also went in, who came first to the sepulchre:  Tropologically, Toletus says that by John are signified all Christians, but by Peter the Pontiffs, Vicars of Christ. Peter then entered the tomb first as the highest in dignity, as the Vicar of Christ; but John came last, because it is possible that he who is first in rank, is behind others in desert and holiness.

    and he saw, and believed. Both of them, that is, believed that what Mary Magdalene said was true, namely, that the Body of Christ had been taken away. So says S. Augustine, Theophylact, and Jansen. S. Cyril, Chrysostom, Euthymius, and Nyssen add that both believed that Christ had risen. But this word “believed” more clearly and correctly applies only to S. John, who remembered the words of Christ, that He would rise on the third day. But Peter, on account of the strangeness of a Resurrection, and from His earnest desire to see Him alive again, was more slow to believe that Christ had risen. Whence the Angel significantly said to the women, “Go, tell His disciples and Peter.” (Mark xvi. 7)

    9. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. For although He had solemnly assured them that He would rise, yet on account of its strange and wonderful nature they believed it not, but thought that He spoke in a figure and parable, as He was wont to do.

    10. The disciples therefore departed again to their home. Peter wondering, John believing He had risen, the Magdalene alone remaining at the sepulchre, to learn something more certain about the Body of her beloved Christ. See S. Augustine (in loc.) “And hence it came to pass that she alone saw Him, she who remained to seek for Him, for perseverance in a good work is a virtue,” says S. Gregory, Hom. xxv.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.