John 20 13

John 20:13 kjv

And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my LORD, and I know not where they have laid him.

John 20:13 nkjv

Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."

John 20:13 niv

They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him."

John 20:13 esv

They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."

John 20:13 nlt

"Dear woman, why are you crying?" the angels asked her. "Because they have taken away my Lord," she replied, "and I don't know where they have put him."

John 20 verses

John 20 13 Meaning

John 20:13 depicts the scene at the empty tomb where Mary Magdalene encounters two angels. The angels, perceiving her distress, question her weeping. Mary's response reveals her deep sorrow and a fundamental misunderstanding: she believes Jesus' body has been stolen, thereby taking away her beloved Lord, and she is distressed by her ignorance of its whereabouts. This exchange sets the stage for her subsequent encounter with the resurrected Christ.

John 20 13 Context

John 20:13 takes place on the first day of the week, early morning, following the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ. Mary Magdalene, discovering the empty tomb, had previously informed Peter and John, who had come, inspected, and then departed. Mary, however, lingered at the tomb, overcome by grief. The immediate verses describe her stooping to look inside again, seeing two angels. This verse initiates the crucial dialogue between Mary and these celestial beings. Her belief that Jesus' body was "taken away" reflects a common fear of the time (and a false narrative promoted by authorities, Mt 28:11-15) but also highlights her pre-resurrection understanding of death and her profound personal devotion, setting the stage for Jesus' appearance and the foundational revelation of His resurrection.

John 20 13 Word analysis

• And: (καὶ - kai) Connects this event to Mary's prior actions, specifically her continued weeping and looking into the tomb, indicating a natural progression of the narrative.
• they: Refers to the "two angels in white" mentioned in the preceding verse (Jn 20:12). Their presence at the tomb signifies divine orchestration and the sacred nature of the empty burial site.
• say unto her,: A direct address, initiating conversation. The angels speak, challenging Mary's assumption through inquiry.
• Woman,: (γύναι - gynai) A common, polite, and sometimes formal address, not necessarily denoting disrespect, even used by Jesus toward His mother (Jn 2:4; Jn 19:26) and Mary herself later (Jn 20:15). It serves to directly engage her.
• why weepest thou?: (τί κλαίεις - ti klaieis?) A profound question from celestial beings to a grieving human. It aims to prompt an articulation of her sorrow and, by extension, prepare her for the true, joyous reality of the resurrection that negates the cause of her tears. The present tense verb "κλαίεις" highlights her ongoing state of grief.
• She saith unto them,: Mary's immediate, emotionally driven response.
• Because: (ὅτι - hoti) Introduces the reason for her weeping, directly answering the angels' question.
• they have taken away: (ἦραν - ēran) The verb "αἴρω" (airō) meaning to lift up, take away, or remove. Mary's conviction is that the body has been unlawfully removed, likely stolen, a common fear for tomb occupants. This reveals her expectation of finding a corpse, not a risen Lord.
• my Lord,: (τὸν Κύριόν μου - ton Kyrion mou) A deeply personal and significant phrase. "Κύριος" (Kyrios) can mean 'master,' 'teacher,' or 'sir,' but within the developing Christian context, it increasingly carried connotations of divine authority and sovereignty (cf. Rom 10:9; Phil 2:11). For Mary, even in apparent death, Jesus is uniquely her Lord, signifying her profound personal devotion and recognition of His pre-eminent status in her life.
• and I know not: (καὶ οὐκ οἶδα - kai ouk oida) Expresses her ignorance and helplessness regarding the body's location. This 'not knowing' is central to her despair and underscores the spiritual blindness before divine revelation.
• where they have laid him.: (ποῦ ἔθηκαν αὐτόν - pou ethekan auton) "ἔθηκαν" (ethēkan) from "τίθημι" (tithēmi), meaning to place or lay. Her focus is entirely on the physical remains and their resting place, completely missing the miraculous event that has just occurred. This reinforces her perception of loss and desecration.

• "Woman, why weepest thou?": This rhetorical question highlights the irony of the situation from a heavenly perspective. Mary weeps because she believes her Lord is lost to death, while the angels know He has conquered death. It prepares her for Jesus' similar question and revelation (Jn 20:15).
• "they have taken away my Lord": This phrase succinctly captures Mary's grief, her deeply personal connection to Jesus, and her pre-resurrection understanding of His state. Her perception is rooted in human experience of loss, not divine victory.
• "my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him": This combined sentiment showcases both her profound devotion and her utter bewilderment and despair. Her desire is to properly honor the body, indicative of Jewish piety, but she lacks the essential knowledge of the true divine event. This belief echoes the false narrative of the body being stolen.

John 20 13 Bonus section

• Mary Magdalene's choice to remain at the tomb after Peter and John left highlights her extraordinary devotion and perhaps her deeper emotional bond to Jesus. Her lingering sorrow makes her the first to be addressed by the angelic messengers, signifying her significant role as the first witness of the risen Lord to the disciples.
• The repetitive nature of the question "Why weepest thou?" (asked first by the angels, then by Jesus in Jn 20:15) serves as a literary device to emphasize Mary's spiritual blindness to the monumental event unfolding, while simultaneously drawing her closer to the truth through direct engagement.
• The fact that Mary assumes "they" took the body, without specifying who, reflects both her distraught state and the prevailing fears or rumors of the time concerning tomb desecration or body theft, which indeed Roman authorities sought to spread to counter resurrection claims.
• "My Lord" (Kyrios mou) from Mary's lips is not yet a full theological confession of divinity like Thomas's (Jn 20:28) but demonstrates a deeply personal and authoritative bond, foreshadowing the Christian church's later understanding of Jesus as the sovereign Lord.

John 20 13 Commentary

John 20:13 provides a poignant snapshot of raw grief and misunderstanding at the dawn of the resurrection. Mary Magdalene's profound sorrow for a seemingly lost Christ illustrates humanity's natural response to death and highlights the chasm between human perception and divine reality. Her answer, centered on the theft of "my Lord," emphasizes her deep, personal attachment to Jesus and unwittingly debunks later accusations of a stolen body (Mt 28:11-15). The angels' gentle inquiry not only prepares her emotionally for the imminent revelation of the risen Christ but also serves as a thematic invitation for the reader to move beyond the tomb's sadness to the truth of resurrection joy. This verse powerfully underscores the struggle of faith in the face of apparent loss before the full light of revelation breaks forth.