John 20:1
The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
Original Language Analysis
Τῇ
G3588
Τῇ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
1 of 24
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
τῶν
G3588
τῶν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
4 of 24
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
σαββάτων
day of the week
G4521
σαββάτων
day of the week
Strong's:
G4521
Word #:
5 of 24
the sabbath (i.e., shabbath), or day of weekly repose from secular avocations (also the observance or institution itself); by extension, a se'nnight,
Μαρία
Mary
G3137
Μαρία
Mary
Strong's:
G3137
Word #:
6 of 24
maria or mariam (i.e., mirjam), the name of six christian females
ἡ
G3588
ἡ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
7 of 24
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ἔρχεται
cometh
G2064
ἔρχεται
cometh
Strong's:
G2064
Word #:
9 of 24
to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
εἰς
unto
G1519
εἰς
unto
Strong's:
G1519
Word #:
14 of 24
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases
τὸ
G3588
τὸ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
15 of 24
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
μνημείου
the sepulchre
G3419
μνημείου
the sepulchre
Strong's:
G3419
Word #:
16 of 24
a remembrance, i.e., cenotaph (place of interment)
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
17 of 24
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
τὸν
G3588
τὸν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
19 of 24
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ἠρμένον
taken away
G142
ἠρμένον
taken away
Strong's:
G142
Word #:
21 of 24
to lift up; by implication, to take up or away; figuratively, to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind), specially, to sail away (i.e., weigh
ἐκ
from
G1537
ἐκ
from
Strong's:
G1537
Word #:
22 of 24
a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause literal or figurative; direct
Cross References
Mark 16:9Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.Matthew 27:60And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.Mark 15:46And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.John 20:26And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.John 19:25Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.Revelation 1:10I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Historical Context
John's Gospel was written AD 85-95, after the other Gospels. His account emphasizes eyewitness detail (he was likely 'the other disciple'). Roman tombs used rolling stones weighing 1-2 tons, often sealed with imperial authority. Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus cast seven demons (Luke 8:2), became the first resurrection witness—a radical choice in a culture where women's testimony was legally inadmissible.
Questions for Reflection
- Why would God choose a woman—whose testimony carried no legal weight—as the first witness to history's most important event?
- What drives you to seek Jesus 'while it is yet dark'—duty, devotion, or desperation?
- How does the physical removal of the stone demonstrate that resurrection is not merely spiritual but bodily and historical?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The first day of the week (τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων, tē mia tōn sabbatōn)—Sunday, the day that would become the Lord's Day for Christian worship, commemorating resurrection rather than Sabbath rest. Mary Magdalene came early, when it was yet dark (πρωΐ σκοτίας ἔτι οὔσης)—her devotion outpacing the dawn, driven by love not duty.
The stone taken away (τὸν λίθον ἠρμένον, ton lithon ērmenon)—the perfect passive participle indicates the stone had been removed by divine agency before her arrival. This detail refutes the stolen-body theory: tomb robbers don't roll away sealed stones. The empty tomb doesn't prove resurrection (Mary assumes theft), but it establishes the bodily nature of Christ's rising—no corpse remained.