John 20:5
And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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John's "stooping down to look in" highlights his careful, almost investigative approach, a stark contrast to Peter's later immediate entry. The detailed description of the "linen cloths lying there" emphasizes the orderliness of the scene, suggesting a deliberate departure rather than a hurried theft. This detail is key because it points to a profound truth: the grave clothes were left behind because the body of Jesus had been transformed, not removed.
Mary Magdalene has just fled the empty tomb, telling Peter and John about the missing body. John, the younger disciple, arrives first and stoops to peer inside the tomb, seeing the linen cloths but not entering. Peter then rushes in, and after he exits, John finally enters and sees the cloths and the separate, neatly folded headcloth, leading him to believe.
When John first reaches the tomb, he doesn't just glance; he stoops and looks intently. What does this physical action reveal about his inner state?
The original Greek word used here for 'stooping down and looking in' paints a vivid picture. It's not a casual peek but a deliberate, careful act of peering into the tomb's entrance.
A Deeper Gaze
This word often implies leaning in, perhaps even sideways, with focused attention. Imagine John, perhaps a bit hesitant, bending his head to strain his eyes into the dim interior. It suggests an intense curiosity and a desire to comprehend what he's seeing.
More Than Meets the Eye
While it describes a physical posture, this action also hints at a mental and emotional engagement. He's not just looking at the tomb; he's trying to look into its mystery.
John saw the empty grave clothes, but he didn't enter. Why this hesitation? What was he experiencing that kept him at the threshold?
John's decision not to go into the tomb immediately after seeing the linen cloths is profoundly significant. It wasn't just a lack of courage, but a complex mixture of awe, reverence, and dawning understanding.
Awe and Mystery
The scholars suggest John was held back by a sense of wonder and the sheer mystery of the scene. The grave clothes were there, but the body was gone. This wasn't a robbery; it was something entirely unprecedented.
Emerging Hope
Some also point to the idea that John, perhaps recalling Jesus' words, began to grasp the impossible: the resurrection. The orderly state of the grave clothes (not scattered in a struggle) pointed away from theft and towards a divine act. This realization might have been so overwhelming he couldn't immediately step into the place of such a profound event.
Understand the original words
othonion · Greek Noun
Refers to the burial wrappings used in Jewish custom; their presence in the empty tomb serves as physical evidence that Jesus did not steal away in a hurry, but left them behind as the Resurrected One.
John's hesitation to enter the tomb, described in this verse, highlights a natural human reaction to the inexplicable. His immediate reaction is not bold entry, but careful observation from the doorway, perhaps mixed with awe, fear, or reverence, a stark contrast to Peter's more immediate, albeit still bewildered, action.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' Crucifixion and Burial
Jesus is crucified and his body is wrapped in linen cloths and placed in a new tomb. This event is the immediate precursor to the discovery of the empty tomb.
Early morning, following Jesus' Crucifixion
Women Visit the Empty Tomb
Several women, including Mary Magdalene, arrive at Jesus' tomb early in the morning to find the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. They are bewildered and rush to tell the disciples.
Shortly after the women's visit
Peter and John Arrive at the Tomb
Peter and John, hearing the women's report, race to the tomb. John arrives first, stoops to look inside, sees the linen cloths, but hesitates to enter.
Moments after John
Peter Enters the Tomb
Peter, arriving shortly after John, immediately enters the tomb. He sees the linen cloths lying there and the separate headcloth folded up.
This passage describes Peter's equally cautious reaction to the empty tomb, also stooping to look in, highlighting a shared moment of awe and investigative caution between the two disciples.
John 11:38Jesus himself 'groaned in himself and came to the tomb' and 'rolled the stone away,' showing a deliberate engagement with the place of death before entering, mirroring John's and Peter's careful approach.
1 Peter 1:12This verse uses the same Greek word for 'looking into' as John 20:5, describing angels desiring to look into the mysteries of salvation, suggesting a profound, heavenly interest in the very events John and Peter are witnessing.
John 19:40This passage mentions the 'linen cloths' used to wrap Jesus' body, directly connecting the grave clothes seen by John to the burial preparations he himself witnessed, adding a layer of personal recognition to the discovery.
John 20:6-7Peter's subsequent actions of entering the tomb and seeing the 'linen cloths' and the 'napkin' laid separately further illuminate John's initial observation, emphasizing the orderly state of the grave and its significance.
cambridgeJohn 20:5: "And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in."
5 . stooping down, and looking in ] In the Greek this is expressed in a single word, which occurs again John 20:11 and Luke 24:12 , in a literal sense, of ‘bending down to look carefully at;’ and in a figurative sense in 1 Peter 1:12 and James 1:25 (see notes in both places). In Sir 14:23 it is used of the earnest searcher after wisdom, in John 21:23 of the rude prying of a fool. saw ] Better, se…
clarkeJohn 20:5: "And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in."
Went he not in - Why? Because he was fully satisfied that the body was not there. But why did he not seize upon the linen clothes, and keep them as a most precious relic? Because he had too much religion and too much sense; and the time of superstition and nonsense was not yet arrived, in which bits of rotten wood, rags of rotten cloth, decayed bones (to whom originally belonging no one knows) an…
John's "stooping down to look in" highlights his careful, almost investigative approach, a stark contrast to Peter's later immediate entry. The detailed description of the "linen cloths lying there" emphasizes the orderliness of the scene, suggesting a deliberate departure rather than a hurried theft. This detail is key because it points to a profound truth: the grave clothes were left behind because the body of Jesus had been transformed, not removed.
Mary Magdalene has just fled the empty tomb, telling Peter and John about the missing body. John, the younger disciple, arrives first and stoops to peer inside the tomb, seeing the linen cloths but not entering. Peter then rushes in, and after he exits, John finally enters and sees the cloths and the separate, neatly folded headcloth, leading him to believe.
Mary Magdalene has just fled the empty tomb, telling Peter and John about the missing body. John, the younger disciple, arrives first and stoops to peer inside the tomb, seeing the linen cloths but not entering. Peter then rushes in, and after he exits, John finally enters and sees the cloths and the separate, neatly folded headcloth, leading him to believe.
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Respect for the Sacred
While less emphasized by some commentators, the context of Jewish purity laws could also play a subtle role. However, the overwhelming sense is one of stunned amazement rather than ritualistic fear. He waited, perhaps processing the incredible truth unfolding before him.
Following Peter's entry
John Enters the Tomb
John, encouraged by Peter's action and the evidence within, finally enters the tomb. He sees what Peter saw and then believes Jesus has risen.
"And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in." — John's "stooping down to look in" highlights his careful, almost investigative approach, a stark contrast to Peter's later immediate entry. The detailed description of the "linen cloths lying there"…
