John 20:6

20:6-7 What Peter and John found in the tomb was remarkable. The linen wrappings (19:40) were on the burial bench. Jews also used a facial cloth for burials (cp. 11:44), which was rolled, wrapped under the chin, and tied on the top of the head. The apostles found this face cloth folded up on the bench. John’s inclusion of these details counters any suggestion that grave robbers had taken Jesus’ body; such costly garments would have been stolen in a robbery.

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

Joh 20:6. Τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα, the linen clothes lying) Κείμενα, lying, is put before τὰ ὀθόνια in Joh 20:5; but τὰ ὀθόνια, the linen clothes, is put first in this passage, in antithesis to the napkin. The same participle, employed thrice, signifies, that these were not in a confused and hasty manner cast away. The angels without doubt ministered to Him at His resurrection; and one of them laid in order the linen clothes, the other the napkin. Comp. Joh 20:12, “One angel at the head (where the sudarium had been), the other at the feet.” For it is probable that the angels had already been there, although Peter and John had not seen them. Comp. Mat 28:2, “The angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it” [which must have been before any disciple came to the tomb].

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joh 20:6 . Peter is not so withheld. He enters καὶ θεωρεῖ τὰ ὀθόνια … τόπον . θεωρεῖ is probably used here in its stricter sense of seeing so as to draw conclusions.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

seeth the linen clothes lie--lying.

And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes--not loosely, as if hastily thrown down, and indicative of a hurried and disorderly removal.

but wrapped--folded.

together in a place by itself--showing with what grand tranquillity "the Living One" had walked forth from "the dead" (Luk 24:5). "Doubtless the two attendant angels (Joh 20:12) did this service for the Rising One, the one disposing of the linen clothes, the other of the napkin" [BENGEL].

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 6. Seeth the linen clothes lie] θεωπει: from θεαομαι, to behold, and οραω, to see - to look steadily at any thing, so as to discover what it is, and to be satisfied with viewing it.

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

(6) And went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie.—Better, . . . beholdeth the linen clothes lie. The word is not the same as that in Joh_20:5, but expresses the close observation of the linen clothes by St. Peter, while St. John did but see them from without.

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

6. Then cometh, &c.] Better, Simon Peter therefore also cometh; because S. John has remained standing there in awe and meditation. S. Peter with his natural impulsiveness goes in at once. Both Apostles act characteristically.

seeth] Or, beholdeth (theôrei). He takes a complete survey, and hence sees the ‘napkin,’ which S. John in his short look had not observed.

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.

Then cometh Simon Peter following him,.... In a very little time after him:

and went into the sepulchre; itself, though not without first stooping down, as John did; see Luk 24:12.

And seeth the linen clothes lie; as John did; and as by the mouth of two or three witnesses everything is confirmed, so was this; both saw the linen in which the body was wrapped, but that was gone; and which was a sign that the body was not stolen away, otherwise the linen would not have been left; and besides, it would have taken up some time, and given a good deal of trouble, to have unwrapped the body, when it is considered how many foldings the Jews used to wind up their corpse in.

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

6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

Ver. 6. Following him and went in] John came first; Peter entered first: "soft and fair goes far:" soft fire makes sweet malt: leap Christians are not much to be liked; such as quickly step out of profaneness into profession. Hot at hand seldom holds out. The stony ground immediately received the seed with joy, and started up suddenly, ευθεως; but the good ground brings forth fruit with patience or tarriance, εν υπομονη, Luk 8:15. Walk deliberately, and ponder the paths of thy feet, as Solomon bids, Pro 4:26. A Christian’s progress is as the sun, which shines more and more to the perfect day, Pro 4:18; and as the trumpet in Mount Sion, Exo 20:18, which sounded louder and louder till it was heard all the country over.

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.

But Peter, who all along the Gospel appears to have been the boldest spirit, goeth into the cave, and seeth all the linen clothes lying there, and the napkin that was about his head lying by itself.

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

Vers. 6, 7. John stood gazing, waiting, wondering, and, while doing this, then cometh Simon Peter following him across the very garden which must have borne many marks of the dreadful tragedy that had been hurriedly terminated before the commencement of the sabbath. The expression, "following him," may refer to what Luke (Luk_24:12) says that Peter did, viz. that he too stooped down and looked as John had done. Westcott says, "without a look or pause." But why need we suppose a point-blank contradiction of Luke? Such a mode of entrance is almost unthinkable. But he did more: And entered into the sepulcher. How strangely impulsive this man! how characteristic of every other recorded action of Peter! There must have been a Peter who corresponded to the four- or five-fold portraiture of the evangelistic history. The last time that Peter saw his Lord was when a "look" of his cruelly insulted Friend and Master had broken his own heart; yet now he was rushing impulsively to gaze again upon that face with, so far as he knew, all the marks of infernal insult yet upon it. The contrast of character between John and Peter is everywhere maintained. John, in Joh_21:7, first recognizes the Lord; Peter hurries through the waters to fall once more at his feet. John is lost in silent meditations; Peter exclaims, and wonders. And he beholdeth (yewrei , with a closer and more careful, vivid, and instructive gaze, not merely blepei , the word used by John of his own conduct) the linen cloths lying, and the napkin (sudarium, schweisstueh) which was (had been) upon his head. He does not say whose head. How full the writer"s mind was of Christ! Not lying with the linen cloths, but separately in one place, rolled up, as if it had been folded up or wrapped together. (see for this use of cwriv , Aeschylus, "Again.," 623; Homer, "Iliad," h . 470 this is the only time that cwriv is thus adverbially used in the New Testament and see for entetuligmenon , present participle, Luk_23:53) It was clear, then, that the body had not been carried away for another burial, nor had it been hastily removed, seeing that there were signs of deliberation, choice, and care. All that was suggested by this wonderful appearance of the grave, all that it means to us, we cannot fathom. The new life has raiment of its own, belonging to a higher region of existence, woven in spiritual looms; yet the hands that unwound these bandages and head-cloth, and laid them as Peter and John saw them, were capable of physical exertions and activity. What dogmatic hints are involved in this recital! He is a living Person, not an abstract principle or vague force. There are evident proofs that, however great the change which had passed over him, the Living One was the same man that he had ever been.

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

Peter seeth the linen clothes lie - and the napkin folded up - The angels who ministered to him when he rose, undoubtedly folded up the napkin and linen clothes.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

linen cloths

These were the burial cloths that people had used to wrap the body of Jesus. See how you translated this in John 20:5.

cloth that had been on his head

Here "his head" refers to "Jesus' head." You can translate this in an active form. AT: "cloth that someone had used to cover Jesus' face" (See: Active or Passive)

but was folded up in a place by itself

This can be stated in active form. AT: "but someone had folded it and put it aside, separate from the linen cloths" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

Peter

grave

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

6. The result was a conviction, which nothing ever shook, that ‘the Lord had risen indeed’ and been present with them.

All four accounts also agree in some of the details;

6. Both Apostles act characteristically. S. John remains without in awe and meditation: S. Peter with his natural impulsiveness goes in at once. He takes a complete survey (θεωρεῖ), and hence sees the σουδάριον (Joh 11:44), which S. John in his short look had not observed. How natural is the αὐτοῦ (Joh 20:7): the writer is absorbed in his subject and feels no need to mention the name. The details (so meagre in Luk 24:12) here tell of the eyewitness: he even remembers that the napkin was folded.

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.

6. Peter’s part in what happened is now resumed, and so he is given his full name Σίμων Πέτρος (cf. v. 2, and see on 18:15). He did not hesitate, but entered the tomb at once.

καὶ θεωρεῖ τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα, “and notices (he did not merely glance in: see on 2:23, 9:8 for θεωρεῖν) the linen cloths lying.” In the parallel passage, Luk 24:12, we have βλέπει τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα μόνα. Jn. leaves out μόνα, but explains carefully in v. 7 what it means in this context.

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