John 20:18

Joh 20:18. Mary Magdalene came — With the other women; and told the disciples — As they mourned and wept for the loss of their beloved Master, (Mar 16:10,) that she had seen the Lord, &c. — That he had indeed appeared to her, and that he had spoken these gracious things mentioned above. Peter and John had left Mary seeking their common Lord carefully with tears, and would not stay to seek him with her; and now she comes to tell them that she had found him, and to rectify the mistake she had led them into by inquiring after the dead body; for she now found it was a living body, and a glorified one; so that she found what she sought, and, what was infinitely better, she had the happiness of having seen the Master, and was willing to communicate of her joy to them, for she knew it would be good news to them. And, as she told them what she had seen, so also what she had heard: she had seen the Lord alive by this token, that he had spoken these things unto her as a message to be delivered to them, and she delivered it faithfully. Observe, reader, when God comforts us, it is with this design, that we should comfort others. And they that are acquainted with the word of Christ themselves, should communicate their knowledge for the good of others, and not grudge that others should know as much as they do.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20:18 Mary was the first eyewitness to see the Lord following his resurrection. She not only saw him, she heard him and touched him (see 1 Jn 1:1-4). This great privilege was given to a woman whose broken life had experienced healing (Luke 8:2). In Jewish culture this was astounding; a woman could not even be a witness in court. No Jew in this period would make up such a story.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her--To a woman was this honor given to be the first that saw the risen R edeemer, and that woman was not His mother. (See on Mar 16:9).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 18. Told the disciples - that he had spoken these things] St. Mark says, Mr 16:11, that the afflicted apostles could not believe what she had said. They seem to have considered it as an effect of her troubled imagination.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(18) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples.—Better, Mary Magdalene cometh, and announceth to the disciples. The coming is described from the point of view of the writer, who was one of the disciples.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. came and told] Better, cometh and telleth; literally, cometh telling instead of the more usual ‘having come telleth.’

Thus as Mary’s love seems to have been the first to manifest itself (Joh_20:1), so the first Manifestation of the Risen Lord is granted to her. It confirms our trust in the Gospel narratives to find this stated. A writer of a fictitious account would almost certainly have represented the first appearance as being to the Virgin, or to S. Peter, the chief of the Apostles, or to S. John, the beloved disciple, or to the chosen three. But these are all passed over, and this honour is given to her, who had once been possessed by seven devils, to Mary of Magdala, ‘for she loved much.’ A late and worthless tradition does assign the first appearance to the Virgin; but so completely has Christ’s earthly relationship to her been severed (Joh_19:26-27), that henceforth she appears only among the other believers (Act_1:14).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mary Magdalene came,.... Directly and immediately, being ready and willing to obey the commends of her Lord, with the utmost cheerfulness; and glad to go on such an errand, and carry such news to his disciples, even though her private interest and personal affection might have inclined her to desire to stay with Christ:

and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord; not only that he was risen from the dead, and she had been told so by the angels, but she had seen him herself, and was an eyewitness of his resurrection, and which she firmly believed; this she said, not only with all the marks of pleasure, joy and transport, but with an air of assurance and confidence:

and that he had spoken these things unto her; as that he called them brethren, and bid her go unto them, and acquaint them, that as he was risen, he should in a short time ascend to his Father and theirs, to his God and theirs; all which she faithfully related to them.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

Ver. 18. Mary Magdalene came and told] She had told them and troubled them before with a conceit that they had (but to what end, or whither, she knew not) removed the Lord’s body; fitly therefore is she sent to assure them of the resurrection. And though loth to depart, yet she bridles her affections, though never so impetuous, and brings them to be wholly at Christ’s beck and check.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This was that first appearance of our Lord after his resurrection to Mary Magdalene, after that he was risen from the dead, mentioned Mar 16:9,10, which she reported to the disciples; but Mark saith, they believed her not, Joh 20:11. Matthew tells us of another appearance of his, Mat 28:9, to the women as they went from the sepulchre, when they held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Luke tells us of a third appearance to the two disciples as they were going to Emmaus; which is also shortly touched by Mark, Mar 16:12,13; but it is there said that they believed them not. John mentions neither of these. These were all the same day that he rose, so was also the next, which is mentioned by our evangelist in the following verses.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. Came and told the disciples—And so formed one of the band of female witnesses, summed up by Luk_24:10, who testified only to be disbelieved. Such was the contrast between her faith and theirs.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mary the Magdalene cometh and telleth the disciples. She rushes at once with speed and zeal, and the word is on her tongue, I have seen (she does not say, I have grasped him by the hand, or kissed his feet) the Lord , and how that he said these things to her. This special message, not recorded in Mat_28:10, was clearly not given to the women who held his feet. Some harmonists endeavor to identify the narrative in Matthew with this passage and others to make Matthew"s narrative identical with the account of the revelations made to Joanna"s party at a later hour, and therefore entirely distinct from this (see Commentaries on Matthew, Luke, and Mark). John"s account is free from ambiguity in itself, whereas the rapid summary given in Luke and the general impression produced by the whole group of events, as recorded by Matthew, suggest the need of supplementary intelligence. The narratives of the synoptists, then, record that in the course of this Easter Day a company of women who may reasonably be supposed to be those who bore the names of Joanna, Susanna, and others, and who had gone to the tomb with their spices, had been met by the Lord himself, either going or returning, and had received the summons to tell the disciples that he would see them in Galilee. The two disciples on their way to Emmaus had at length discovered that the mysterious stranger who accosted them and discoursed so fully was the Lord himself. They returned to Jerusalem to affirm the fact, and found the eleven rejoicing that the Lord had risen indeed, and that "he had appeared to Simon Peter." It would certainly seem, and is at length admitted by all, that the narrative given in the following verses of events occurring on the late evening of the Easter Day could be none other than that which Luke describes. (Luk_24:36) This is rendered somewhat perplexing by the record of Mar_16:12, that the language of the two disciples was not accepted by toiv loipoiv , "the rest." But it is obvious from every one of the narratives how slow of heart even the apostles themselves were to accept the assurance of such unexpected and wonderful phenomena. The extreme dejection of the disciples, followed by their vigorous and invincible faith, is testified by each evangelist; but from the nature of the ease the resurrection of Jesus was, during the course of the entire day, doubted by some. The nature of the doubt, and the method in which it was put to rest, is portrayed in some detail by John (see note on ver. 1).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Our blessed Saviour’s first appearing after his resurrection having been to Mary Magdalene, as the former verses acquainted us, the same day at evening, when the doors were shut for fear of the Jews, Jesus miraculously, and, as to the disciples, insensibly opens the door, and stands in the midst of them, and says, Peace be unto you: and shows them his hands and his side.

Where not, 1. That it has been no strange thing in the church, that the best members of it have been put to frequent their assemblies with great fear, and been forced to meet in the night with great caution, because of the fury of the persecutors: here Christ’s own disciples were forced to meet together in the night the doors kept shut, for fear of the Jews.

Note, 2. Let Christ’s disciples meet together never so privately, and with never so much hazard and jeopardy, they shall have Christ’s company with them; neither bolts, nor locks, nor fastened doors, shall hold Christ from them; When the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood in the midst of them.

Observe lastly, the evidence which our Saviour offers to evince and prove the certainty of his resurrection: He shewed his disciples his hands and side. Christ appealed to, and admitted of, the judgment of their senses, to assure them that was the real body. And if we must not be allowed to believe our senses, (as the Romish synagogue would persuade us,) we shall want the best external evidence we can have to prove the truth of the Christian religion; namely the miracles of our Saviour; for how can we be assured those miracles were true, but by the judgment of our senses? Now as our senses tell us that Christ’s miracles were true, so they assure us that the popish doctrine of transubstantiation is false.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. ἔρχεται … ἀγγέλλουσα. The more usual form is ἐλθοῦσα ἀγγέλλει; Joh 11:17, Joh 16:8. Comp. Joh 20:6. She becomes an Apostle to the Apostles.

Thus as Mary’s love seems to have been the first to manifest itself (Joh 20:1), so the first Manifestation of the Risen Lord is granted to her. It confirms our trust in the Gospel narratives to find this stated. A writer of a fictitious account would almost certainly have represented the first appearance as being to the Virgin, or to S. Peter, the chief of the Apostles, or to S. John, the beloved disciple, or to the chosen three. But these are all passed over, and this honour is given to her, who had once been possessed by seven devils, to Mary of Magdala, ‘for she loved much.’ A late and worthless tradition does assign the first appearance to the Virgin; but so completely has Christ’s earthly relationship to her been severed (Joh 19:26-27), that henceforth she appears only among the other believers (Act 1:14).

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. ἔρχεται Μαριὰμ ἡ Μαγδ. ἀγγέλλουσα κτλ. אAB have ἀγγέλλουσα, as against the rec. ἀπαγγελλουσα (NΘ). W has ἀναγγέλλουσα.

Luk 24:11 and [Mk.] 16:11 say that the disciples did not believe the report of the women. Mt. does not tell whether the message to the disciples was delivered or no.

ὅτι (recitantis) Ἑώρακα τὸν κύριον. This was the first thing Mary said before she gave her message (cf. v. 25). אBN a g support ἑώρακα, as against the rec. ἐώρακε (with ADLΔΘ).

For ὁ κύριος as a title used by Mary, see on 4:1.

The appearance to Mary is not mentioned by Paul in his summary of the visions of the Risen Christ (1Co 15:5-7). It is the appearances to the leaders of the future Church (Peter and James), and to the assembled disciples, that were regarded as the basis for the Church’s faith in the Resurrection.

First Appearance of the Risen Christ to the Disciples: Their Commission and Their Authority (vv. 19-23)

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Came and told [ερχεται αγγελλουσα] . Literally, cometh telling.

19 - 23. Compare Mr 16:14 - 18; Luk 24:36 - 49.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.