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And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
John 20:12 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
  • BSB and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and the other at the feet.
  • NKJV And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
  • NASB and she *saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.
  • NLT She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Mary sees two angels in white where Jesus' body had lain. Their presence signals that something divine has occurred.

Overview

The angels, seated at the head and feet of the empty place, mark the tomb as the site of a heavenly act. Their position recalls the mercy seat between the cherubim (Exodus 25:18-22), where atonement was made. Far from a robbed grave, this is holy ground witnessing the triumph of God.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 10

  • Luke 24:3–7And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
  • Rev 3:4Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
  • Dan 7:9I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
  • Rev 7:14And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
  • Mark 16:5–6And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
  • 2 Chr 5:12Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)
  • Luke 24:22–23Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
  • Acts 1:10And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
  • Matt 28:2–5And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
  • Matt 17:2And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 20:12YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.

How John 20:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.