John 20:12 kjv
And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
John 20:12 nkjv
And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
John 20:12 niv
and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
John 20:12 esv
And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.
John 20:12 nlt
She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.
John 20 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 28:12 | And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up... and the angels of God ascending and descending... | Angels bridge heaven and earth. |
| Exod 25:18-20 | You shall make two cherubim of gold... facing each other, looking toward the mercy seat. | Angels guarding a holy space. |
| Matt 28:2-7 | And behold, there was a great earthquake... for an angel of the Lord descended... he said to the women, "He is not here..." | Angelic declaration of resurrection. |
| Mk 16:5-7 | And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe... | Angel at the tomb, similarly clothed. |
| Lk 24:4-7 | While they were perplexed... behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel... "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" | Two angelic beings, in radiant clothing. |
| Acts 1:10-11 | And while they were gazing into heaven as he went... behold, two men stood by them in white robes... | Two angelic witnesses at ascension. |
| Psa 6:6 | I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim... | Parallel to Mary's deep sorrow and weeping. |
| Psa 63:1 | O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you... | Mary's earnest seeking for Jesus. |
| Jer 9:1 | Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears... | Reflects intense lamentation similar to Mary's. |
| Joel 2:12 | "Yet even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping..." | The posture of weeping and seeking. |
| Isa 6:1 | In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne... above him stood the seraphim... | Heavenly beings associated with divine presence. |
| Ezek 1:4-28 | ...And within it figures of four living creatures... appearance of the cherubim... | Elaborate descriptions of divine, winged beings. |
| Dan 10:5-6 | I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen... His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning... | Angels described with dazzling appearance. |
| Zech 1:11 | And they answered the angel of the Lord... "We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest." | Angels serving as divine messengers or agents. |
| Heb 1:14 | Are not angels all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? | Angels as servants in God's plan. |
| 1 Pet 1:12 | ...things into which angels long to look. | Angels' keen interest in God's redemptive plan. |
| Rev 7:9 | After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation... clothed in white robes... | White robes symbolizing purity or redemption. |
| 2 Cor 5:8 | We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. | Counterpoint to grief over physical absence, indicating spiritual presence. |
| Rom 8:38-39 | For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels... will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus... | Even angels cannot separate from God's love. |
| Gen 18:2 | He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. | Angels appearing as men, demonstrating the ability to manifest physically. |
John 20 verses
John 20 12 Meaning
John 20:12 describes Mary Magdalene, peering into the empty tomb, seeing two angels dressed in white. These angels were seated, one at the head and the other at the feet of the place where Jesus' body had rested. This sight occurs in her moment of profound grief, just before her personal encounter with the resurrected Christ. It serves as an angelic witness to the absence of Jesus' physical body, hinting at a divine event, and is a visual testimony to the transformation that had occurred.
John 20 12 Context
John 20:12 takes place on the first day of the week, the resurrection morning. Mary Magdalene had gone early to the tomb and found the stone removed, believing the body of Jesus had been taken. She immediately informed Peter and John, who ran to the tomb, observed the empty grave cloths, and then returned home, beginning to understand the scriptures. Mary, however, lingered outside the tomb, overcome with grief and weeping. Her persistence and devotion are highlighted. In her deep sorrow, she leans in and looks into the tomb again, which is when she sees the angels. This verse acts as a bridge, immediately preceding her recognition of the resurrected Christ himself (John 20:14-16). The empty tomb, initially a source of confusion and grief, is now being validated by divine witnesses before the direct revelation of the resurrected Lord.
John 20 12 Word analysis
- and she saw: Emphasizes Mary's personal observation. Despite her grief, her spiritual perception or the divine will allowed her to see what others (Peter and John) had not. It highlights her special role as one of the first witnesses.
- two angels:
- The number "two" often signifies legal witness or testimony in the Bible (Deut 19:15, 2 Cor 13:1). Their presence indicates the gravity and truthfulness of what is occurring.
- Angels (ἄγγελοι - angeloi): Refers to celestial beings who serve as God's messengers and attendants. Their presence at such a pivotal moment underlines its divine significance. These are not merely symbolic figures but real spiritual beings manifesting to bear witness to God's greatest act.
- in white:
- White (λευκαῖς - leukais): Symbolizes purity, holiness, divine glory, heavenly origin, and sometimes victory or resurrection. The dazzling white attire suggests their divine nature and distinguishes them as beings from God's presence, marking the event as holy and pure.
- sitting: This posture conveys a sense of calm, authority, and observation, rather than active movement or searching. They are not distressed but are purposefully positioned, as if awaiting the divine timing for revelation. It suggests a settled, purposeful presence.
- one at the head and the other at the feet: This specific symmetrical positioning is highly symbolic.
- It calls to mind the two cherubim guarding the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant (Exod 25:18-20), symbolizing God's presence and judgment seat.
- In the context of the empty tomb, their positions mark the place where the Lord of glory, the "mercy seat" (Rom 3:25) himself, had been laid. Their guardianship over the "empty space" underscores that a divine act of resurrection, not merely removal, has occurred. It frames the space as incredibly sacred.
- where the body of Jesus had lain: This precise detail draws attention to the now-vacant spot, affirming the physical presence of Jesus' body previously and, by implication, its subsequent absence. It underlines the reality of the crucifixion and burial, and subsequently, the miraculous nature of the resurrection. This specific spot is now the locus of a profound divine mystery and miracle.
John 20 12 Bonus section
The angels' appearance to Mary, a weeping woman seeking the "dead" Jesus, contrasts with earlier tomb narratives (Matt 28, Mk 16, Lk 24) where angels appeared more generally to the women present. Here, the focus is singular on Mary's grief and direct angelic revelation. The fact that the angels only address Mary's tears after she confirms her sorrow (John 20:13) emphasizes her emotional state and Jesus' later compassion, which mirrors divine understanding of human suffering. The specific details of their appearance serve as silent sermons to those with eyes to see, subtly affirming the sanctity and ultimate triumph over death through Jesus' finished work. Their unalarmed demeanor further accentuates that the tomb is not one of tragedy but of divine fulfillment.
John 20 12 Commentary
John 20:12 provides a vivid and deeply significant scene in the narrative of Jesus' resurrection. Mary Magdalene, caught in profound sorrow over the missing body of her Lord, glimpses two angelic figures. Their "white" attire signifies their divine origin and the sanctity of the event unfolding. Their posture of "sitting" rather than frantically searching, hints at a serene confidence in God's accomplished plan. Most remarkably, their strategic placement "one at the head and the other at the feet" strongly echoes the cherubim over the Ark of the Covenant's mercy seat in the Old Testament. This implies that the very place where Jesus' body had rested had become the new focal point of God's presence and mercy, a "mercy seat" where atonement for sins was accomplished. The empty space between them powerfully declares the resurrection. These angels serve as God's chosen, serene witnesses to the greatest miracle in salvation history: the conquering of death by the Son of God, offering divine affirmation of the triumph of life. This sacred encounter prepares Mary for her ultimate encounter with the living Lord.