John 20 16

John 20:16 kjv

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

John 20:16 nkjv

Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher).

John 20:16 niv

Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means "Teacher").

John 20:16 esv

Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

John 20:16 nlt

"Mary!" Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, "Rabboni!" (which is Hebrew for "Teacher").

John 20 verses

John 20 16 Meaning

John 20:16 records the profoundly intimate moment where Mary Magdalene recognizes the resurrected Jesus. Engulfed in grief and mistaking Him for the gardener, Mary is veiled in her understanding. Jesus simply speaks her name, "Mary," which instantly breaks through her sorrow and reveals His true identity. Her immediate and fervent response, "Rabboni!" (My Teacher/Master), signifies not only personal recognition but a deeply reverent acknowledgement of His authoritative presence and enduring relationship with her as His disciple. This verse marks the climactic transition from her despair and confusion to profound joy and a clear understanding of the resurrection's reality.

John 20 16 Context

John chapter 20 opens with the profound shock and confusion surrounding Jesus' empty tomb. Mary Magdalene discovers the empty tomb, informs Peter and John, and then returns to the grave, overwhelmed by grief and despair. After encountering two angels who question her sorrow, she turns and sees a figure she presumes to be the gardener, mistaking His identity due to her tears and preoccupation. The verse John 20:16 describes the turning point in this individual encounter, where Jesus Himself, seeing Mary's anguish, initiates a personal revelation that breaks through her misunderstanding and brings about joyous recognition. Historically and culturally, the Jewish practice of discipleship and respect for a "Rabbi" provides background for Mary's response, though "Rabboni" signifies an even deeper level of reverence and personal attachment to her Master.

John 20 16 Word analysis

• Jesus: This word identifies the speaker as the Lord Jesus Christ. His identity as the resurrected Son of God is central to this revelation and the entire narrative.
• said to her: This indicates a deliberate, direct, and initiated communication from Jesus towards Mary. It highlights His purposeful engagement in her distress.
• "Mary.": This is the transformative word. Speaking her name in a familiar tone cuts through Mary's profound grief and misidentification. It signifies an intimate, personal knowledge that only the Good Shepherd has of His sheep (Jn 10). It is a divine, personal call that leads to recognition.
• She turned: This signifies both a physical and spiritual reorientation. Previously, she was weeping and possibly looking away or at the angels. Now, her full attention and focus are directed toward the one who spoke her name. This "turning" reflects a shift from despair to discernment.
• and said to Him: Her response is immediate and deeply personal, signifying a sudden shift from confusion to clarity.
• "Rabboni!": Transliteration of the Aramaic (ῥαββουνί, rabbouni or ῥαββωνί, rabbōni). This term is a more emphatic and affectionate form of "Rabbi" (teacher), carrying a profound sense of "My Great Master," "My Teacher," or "My Lord." It denotes intense personal reverence, submission, and adoration towards Him as her ultimate spiritual authority and beloved guide.
• ("which means Teacher)": This parenthetical explanation provided by the Apostle John himself is for the benefit of his Greek-speaking audience, translating the Aramaic term into a readily understandable Greek equivalent (didaskalos, meaning "teacher"). While "Teacher" conveys the didactic role, "Rabboni" also carries the rich flavor of a deep, personal master-disciple bond that implies much more than mere instruction.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Jesus said to her, "Mary."": This phrase captures the divine initiative in personal revelation. Jesus, by simply speaking her name, demonstrates His intimate knowledge of Mary and initiates the recognition process. This contrasts with Mary's initial inability to recognize Him, emphasizing that true spiritual discernment often comes through the divine act of personal calling rather than solely through human effort or perception.
• "She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!"": This group of words portrays Mary's instantaneous and profound response to the recognition. Her physical turning reflects an inner spiritual shift, moving from despair and confusion to clear, worshipful acknowledgment. Her passionate cry of "Rabboni" is not just an intellectual identification but an outpouring of affection, reverence, and understanding of Jesus' true identity as her risen Master.
• "Rabboni! (which means Teacher)": This reinforces Jesus' fundamental role for His disciples as their ultimate instructor and guide. John's explanatory note bridges cultural and linguistic gaps for his readers, while the power of "Rabboni" ensures the deeper, personal significance of Mary's fervent exclamation is not lost.

John 20 16 Bonus section

• Mary Magdalene's unique position as the first individual to see the resurrected Christ (Mark 16:9 confirms this as well) significantly challenges the societal norms of the time regarding the credibility of a woman's testimony. Her appointment as the initial evangelist ("apostle to the apostles" as she is sometimes called by commentators) underlines the radical inclusivity of Jesus' mission.
• The profound shift in Mary's address from "Sir" (to a perceived gardener) to "Rabboni" dramatically illustrates the impact of revelation. "Sir" (κύριε, kyrie) is a respectful but generic term; "Rabboni" (ῥαββουνί, rabbouni) is intensely personal and denotes a master-disciple bond. This underscores the transformative power of personally encountering the Risen Lord.
• This specific verse powerfully demonstrates that recognizing Jesus, even after His resurrection, is often a matter of hearing His personal call and yielding to that intimate connection rather than merely visual confirmation. Her physical "turning" mirrors an internal re-orientation from earthly grief to divine joy and realization.

John 20 16 Commentary

John 20:16 represents the deeply personal nature of Jesus' resurrection appearance. Mary Magdalene, consumed by sorrow and the assumption that Jesus' body was stolen, failed to recognize Him visually. It was not her sight, but His voice speaking her name—a single, familiar, and personal word—that pierced through her grief and misunderstanding. This act reveals Jesus' continued individual care for His sheep, reminiscent of the Good Shepherd calling His own by name. Mary’s immediate cry of "Rabboni!" signifies her instant recognition of His identity, not just as a teacher but as her revered Master, demonstrating a transition from desolate weeping to profound worship and understanding. This intimate encounter served as the crucial moment that validated Jesus' bodily resurrection to His first witness and empowered her to bear the pivotal news to the disciples, moving her from being an observer of tragedy to the first messenger of the resurrected Christ.