John's initial act of "stooping down" isn't just physical; it’s a deep, careful peering that suggests intense curiosity and maybe even a touch of hesitant reverence. While he saw the linens, the fact that he didn't go inside immediately hints at a profound sense of awe or perhaps even a respectful fear before the mystery he was witnessing.
And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Mary Magdalene has already run to tell Peter and John that Jesus' tomb is empty, and now the two disciples are racing to the tomb. John arrives first and pauses, stooping to peer inside and seeing the linen cloths where Jesus' body had been. He doesn't enter the tomb itself, waiting for Peter to catch up.
John's reaction to the empty tomb is subtle but profound. Why did he stop at the threshold, peering in, instead of rushing inside?
When John the disciple arrives at the tomb, he doesn't immediately enter. The Greek word used, parakypsas, vividly describes him 'stooping down and looking in.' It paints a picture of someone cautiously peering into a space, not yet fully engaging with it.
This posture suggests a moment of awe, perhaps even a touch of fear or reverence. He sees the 'linen cloths lying there' – the evidence of Jesus' burial – but the absence of the body creates a profound mystery. It's a moment of intense observation from a distance, a pause before fully comprehending the impossible.
His hesitation isn't necessarily a lack of faith, but rather a deep sense of wonder and the unknown. He witnesses the scene but waits, perhaps for the full weight of the event to sink in, or for his companion Peter.
What's significant about the way the burial cloths were left? It wasn't a scene of a hurried theft, but something far more deliberate.
The crucial detail John sees is not just the empty tomb, but the state of the 'linen cloths.' They were 'lying there.' This implies they were left behind, neatly arranged, not tossed aside in a struggle or a rush.
This orderly arrangement is a powerful counter-argument to any theory that Jesus' body was stolen. A thief would have taken the cloths along with the body, or at least left them in disarray. Instead, they are found laid out, as if Jesus had calmly removed them himself.
Later, Peter will discover even more detail: the 'head covering' (or napkin) is found 'by itself, folded in a place apart.' This meticulous arrangement speaks volumes. It suggests a deliberate act, not a chaotic event. The evidence points to a resurrection, not a robbery.
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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.
mnēmeion · Greek Noun
A hollow chamber or cave used for burying the dead. In a biblical context, it is often associated with the temporary cessation of life and the corruption of the body, making the empty tomb a powerful witness to the resurrection.
othonion · Greek Noun
Specifically refers to the strips of cloth used to wrap a body for burial. In the context of the resurrection, their arrangement provides physical evidence that the body was not stolen but had passed through them or left them behind in an orderly fashion.
soudarion · Greek Noun
A cloth used to cover the face of the deceased. Its careful folding implies a deliberate, orderly action, contrasting with the chaos of a grave robbery and signaling the calm sovereignty of Christ even in His resurrection.
The description of John stooping to look in and seeing the burial cloths but not entering highlights the disciples' initial bewilderment and fear, contrasting with the later orderly discovery of the empty tomb.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' Crucifixion and Burial
Following his execution, Jesus' body is taken down from the cross and wrapped in burial cloths, then placed in a nearby tomb.
Early Morning, "First Day of the Week" (Sunday) after Crucifixion
Women Visit the Empty Tomb
Several women, including Mary Magdalene, arrive at Jesus' tomb expecting to find his body. They discover the stone rolled away and the tomb empty.
Immediately after women's report
Peter and John Rush to the Tomb
Upon hearing from the women, Peter and John, two of Jesus' closest disciples, race to the tomb to see for themselves.
Following Peter's visit
John Enters the Tomb
After Peter's initial inspection, John finally enters the tomb himself, observing the scene more closely.
This passage describes Peter also stooping down to look into the empty tomb, highlighting a similar investigative action driven by astonishment and nascent belief.
John 20:6This verse immediately follows, detailing how Peter then *did* enter the tomb and saw the linen cloths and the head covering, offering a direct contrast to John's hesitation and providing a fuller picture of their discovery.
1 Peter 1:12The Greek word used here for 'stooping down and looking in' is also used by Peter himself in this passage, showing a deeper, spiritual 'looking into' the mysteries of salvation that were revealed through Christ's resurrection.
John 19:40This verse mentions the linen cloths in which Jesus' body was wrapped after his death, providing the essential context for understanding what John and Peter were seeing—or rather, *not* seeing—in the empty tomb.
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 initial act of "stooping down" isn't just physical; it’s a deep, careful peering that suggests intense curiosity and maybe even a touch of hesitant reverence. While he saw the linens, the fact that he didn't go inside immediately hints at a profound sense of awe or perhaps even a respectful fear before the mystery he was witnessing.
Mary Magdalene has already run to tell Peter and John that Jesus' tomb is empty, and now the two disciples are racing to the tomb. John arrives first and pauses, stooping to peer inside and seeing the linen cloths where Jesus' body had been. He doesn't enter the tomb itself, waiting for Peter to catch up.
Mary Magdalene has already run to tell Peter and John that Jesus' tomb is empty, and now the two disciples are racing to the tomb. John arrives first and pauses, stooping to peer inside and seeing the linen cloths where Jesus' body had been. He doesn't enter the tomb itself, waiting for Peter to catch up.
"And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not l…" — John's initial act of "stooping down" isn't just physical; it’s a deep, careful peering that suggests intense curiosity and maybe even a touch of hesitant reverence. While he saw the linens, the fact…
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Last reviewed October 2026
