John 20:16
Encyclopedia
John 20:16 is a verse in the Gospel of John
in the Bible
. The verse describes the moment that Mary Magdalene
realizes that Jesus
has returned from the dead. Mary has found Jesus' tomb empty and is worrying about what happened to his body. At first she does not recognize Jesus when he appears, thinking he is a gardener. In John 20:16 she recognizes him when he calls her by name.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
In the Vulgate
Bible the text reads:
. In John 20:17
and John 20:18
he divests her of this view, informing her that everything is changed.
However, in some works from this period Rabbuni is used as a name for God. Thus some scholars, such as Hoskyns, see the term as demonstrating that Mary has understood Jesus' divinity. Most scholars consider the title a respectful one, but less adoring than the term adonai. By contrast, when Thomas later accepts the truth of the resurrection he calls Jesus "My lord and my God" (John 20:28).
Mary's reaction seems to be spontaneous, and it is not known if "Rabboni" is an exclamation of discovery, or whether it should read "Rabboni?" with Mary momentarily questioning Jesus.
The Latin word "Magister" is usually translated as "Master", but some modern versions use "teacher" instead. The World English Bible
, for instance, reads:
According to Raymond E. Brown
, the author of John has Jesus use the word "Miriam" to refer to Mary Magdalene rather than the more Aramaic Mariam. Some scholars see this as evidence that the two are talking in Hebrew
(with the exception of the Aramaic "Rabboni"). Most scholars disagree, arguing that authors in this period tended to vary between Miriam and Mariam indiscriminately.
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. The verse describes the moment that Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
realizes that Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
has returned from the dead. Mary has found Jesus' tomb empty and is worrying about what happened to his body. At first she does not recognize Jesus when he appears, thinking he is a gardener. In John 20:16 she recognizes him when he calls her by name.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She
- turned herself, and saith unto him,
- Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
In the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
Bible the text reads:
- dicit ei Iesus Maria conversa illa dicit ei rabboni quod dicitur magister
Translation notes
The exact significance of Rabboni is disputed. In Mark 10:51 it is translated as meaning "beloved teacher", but John here and in other verses translates it as simply "teacher". W. F. Albright and others interpret it as the diminutive form of Rabbi, and therefore translate it "my dear Rabbi", showing the close friendship between Mary and Jesus. Mary was thus calling Jesus with a title she had long used, signifying that she sees his return as a reversion to the status quo before his crucifixionCrucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
. In John 20:17
John 20:17
John 20:17 is a verse in the Gospel of John in the New Testament. The verse takes place in Jesus's tomb just after Mary Magdalene has realized that he has returned from the dead....
and John 20:18
John 20:18
John 20:18 is the eighteenth verse of the twentieth chapter of the Gospel of John in the Bible. It occurs after Jesus' resurrection and appearance to Mary Magdalene. In John 20:17 he gave Mary a message to deliver to his disciples. John 20:18 describes Mary's delivering of this message to the...
he divests her of this view, informing her that everything is changed.
However, in some works from this period Rabbuni is used as a name for God. Thus some scholars, such as Hoskyns, see the term as demonstrating that Mary has understood Jesus' divinity. Most scholars consider the title a respectful one, but less adoring than the term adonai. By contrast, when Thomas later accepts the truth of the resurrection he calls Jesus "My lord and my God" (John 20:28).
Mary's reaction seems to be spontaneous, and it is not known if "Rabboni" is an exclamation of discovery, or whether it should read "Rabboni?" with Mary momentarily questioning Jesus.
The Latin word "Magister" is usually translated as "Master", but some modern versions use "teacher" instead. The World English Bible
World English Bible
The World English Bible is a public domain translation of the Bible that is currently in draft form. Work on the World English Bible began in 1997 and was known as the American Standard Version 1997...
, for instance, reads:
- Jesus said to her, "Mary." She
- turned and said to him, "Rabboni!"
- which is to say, "Teacher!"
According to Raymond E. Brown
Raymond E. Brown
The Reverend Raymond Edward Brown, S.S. , was an American Roman Catholic priest, a member of the Sulpician Fathers and a major Biblical scholar of his era...
, the author of John has Jesus use the word "Miriam" to refer to Mary Magdalene rather than the more Aramaic Mariam. Some scholars see this as evidence that the two are talking in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
(with the exception of the Aramaic "Rabboni"). Most scholars disagree, arguing that authors in this period tended to vary between Miriam and Mariam indiscriminately.