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.
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.
- KJV 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.
- 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.
- 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 24:3–7They entered in, and didn’t find the Lord Jesus’ body.
- Rev 3:4Nevertheless you have a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
- Dan 7:9I saw until thrones were placed, and one who was ancient of days sat: his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire.
- Rev 7:14I told him, “My lord, you know.” He said to me, “These are those who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb’s blood.
- Mark 16:5–6Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed.
- 2 Chr 5:12also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brothers, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them one hundred twenty priests sounding with trumpets);
- Luke 24:22–23Also, certain women of our company amazed us, having arrived early at the tomb;
- Acts 1:10While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing,
- Matt 28:2–5Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it.
- Matt 17:2He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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.