John 20 — Clausal Layout (Greek)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The empty tomb and the footrace 20:1–10

vv. 1–2 — the discovery and the alarm

Τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ ἔρχεται πρωΐ,independent — δέ turns the page from burial to resurrection morning; historic present

σκοτίας ἔτι οὔσης,participial — genitive absolute — the darkness motif (1:5; 13:30) still hangs over the scene

εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον,phrase modifier — the goal — the garden tomb of 19:41–42

καὶ βλέπει τὸν λίθον ἠρμένον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου.independent — βλέπω — bare perception, first rung of the chapter's ladder of seeing; perfect ἠρμένον, a standing state

τρέχει οὖν καὶ ἔρχεται πρὸς Σίμωνα Πέτρον καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄλλον μαθητὴνindependent — inferential οὖν; the running begins that carries the whole pericope

ὃν ἐφίλει ὁ Ἰησοῦς,relative — the Beloved Disciple (13:23; 19:26) — imperfect ἐφίλει, the ongoing love

καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς·independent — third historic present of the verse

ἦραν τὸν κύριον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου,content — her report — the absolute title 'the Lord' already on her lips; indefinite 'they'

καὶ οὐκ οἴδαμεν ποῦ ἔθηκαν αὐτόν.content — the unexpected plural οἴδαμεν — a trace of the other women (Luke 24:10)

vv. 3–7 — the footrace and the two seeings

Ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ὁ Πέτρος καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητής,independent — aorist departure

καὶ ἤρχοντο εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον.independent — imperfect — the journey as backdrop for the race

ἔτρεχον δὲ οἱ δύο ὁμοῦ·independent — imperfect again — running side by side, before the split

καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητὴς προέδραμεν τάχιον τοῦ Πέτρουindependent — προτρέχω + genitive of comparison — the priority of arrival that becomes priority of faith (v. 8)

καὶ ἦλθεν πρῶτος εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον.independent — πρῶτος predicative — echoed verbatim in v. 8

καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει κείμενα τὰ ὀθόνια,independent — βλέπω — sight without entry; the ὀθόνια of 19:40

οὐ μέντοι εἰσῆλθεν.independent — μέντοι — the deferred entry; restraint where Peter will be bold

ἔρχεται οὖν καὶ Σίμων Πέτρος ἀκολουθῶν αὐτῷ,independent — ἀκολουθῶν — the discipleship verb, here literal

καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον·independent — Peter enters without hesitating — the contrast with v. 5

καὶ θεωρεῖ τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα,independent — θεωρέω — the second rung: intent scrutiny, not yet faith

καὶ τὸ σουδάριον,phrase modifier — second object of θεωρεῖ — the σουδάριον of Lazarus's grave (11:44)

ὃ ἦν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ,relative — the narrator ties it to the burial

οὐ μετὰ τῶν ὀθονίων κείμενονparticipial — predicate participle — the negative half of the οὐ … ἀλλά contrast

ἀλλὰ χωρὶς ἐντετυλιγμένον εἰς ἕνα τόπον.participial — perfect ἐντετυλιγμένον — deliberate order; grave-robbers do not tidy

vv. 8–10 — he saw and believed

τότε οὖν εἰσῆλθεν καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητὴς ὁ ἐλθὼν πρῶτος εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον,independent — τότε οὖν — the pericope's decisive turn; the race recalled in the participle

καὶ εἶδεν καὶ ἐπίστευσεν·independent — the top rung — ὁράω-seeing that becomes faith, absolute (no object), before any appearance

οὐδέπω γὰρ ᾔδεισαν τὴν γραφὴνcause — the narrator's aside — faith outran exegesis (cf. 2:22; 12:16)

ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῆναι.content — epexegetic ὅτι — the divine δεῖ (Ps 16:10; Hos 6:2 in view, unnamed)

ἀπῆλθον οὖν πάλιν πρὸς αὐτοὺς οἱ μαθηταί.independent — the quiet close — πρὸς αὐτούς, the idiom for home; the stage clears for Mary

Mary Magdalene: Rabbouni and the ascension word 20:11–18

vv. 11–13 — the weeping and the angels

Μαρία δὲ εἱστήκει πρὸς τῷ μνημείῳ ἔξω κλαίουσα.independent — pluperfect εἱστήκει as imperfect — planted in grief where the men have left

ὡς οὖν ἔκλαιεν,comparative — temporal ὡς resuming κλαίουσα — it leans forward onto παρέκυψεν below

παρέκυψεν εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον,independent — the same παρακύπτω as v. 5 — Mary now looks where the disciples looked

καὶ θεωρεῖ δύο ἀγγέλους ἐν λευκοῖς καθεζομένους,independent — θεωρέω again — intent gazing, still without understanding

ἕνα πρὸς τῇ κεφαλῇ καὶ ἕνα πρὸς τοῖς ποσίν,phrase modifier — distributive apposition — the space of the absent body framed (the cherubim of Exod 25:18–20 hover unnamed)

ὅπου ἔκειτο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.relative — locative ὅπου — imperfect ἔκειτο, the now-ended lying

καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῇ ἐκεῖνοι·independent — ἐκεῖνοι — the angels as speakers

γύναι, τί κλαίεις;content — the question Jesus will repeat verbatim in v. 15

λέγει αὐτοῖςindependent — her answer reprises v. 2 — now in the singular

ὅτι ἦραν τὸν κύριόν μου,content — recitative ὅτι; κύριόν μου — personal, anticipating Thomas's ὁ κύριός μου (v. 28)

καὶ οὐκ οἶδα ποῦ ἔθηκαν αὐτόν.content — the singular οἶδα — v. 2's 'we' has become her own not-knowing

vv. 14–16 — the gardener and the name

ταῦτα εἰποῦσα ἐστράφη εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω,independent — the first turning

καὶ θεωρεῖ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἑστῶτα,independent — θεωρέω — she sees him and does not see him; perfect ἑστῶτα mirrors her εἱστήκει (v. 11)

καὶ οὐκ ᾔδειindependent — the narrator's non-recognition note (cf. Luke 24:16; John 21:4)

ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν.content — content of the not-knowing

λέγει αὐτῇ Ἰησοῦς·independent — asyndeton — the risen one speaks first

γύναι, τί κλαίεις;content — the angels' question repeated on the Lord's lips

τίνα ζητεῖς;content — τίνα, not τί — echoing the Gospel's first words (1:38) and the arrest (18:4, 7)

ἐκείνη δοκοῦσα ὅτι ὁ κηπουρός ἐστιν λέγει αὐτῷ·independent — the κηπουρός irony — the true Vine (15:1) mistaken for the groundskeeper

κύριε, εἰ σύ ἐβάστασας αὐτόν,conditional — protasis leaning on εἰπέ below — κύριε here mere courtesy, soon confession (v. 18)

εἰπέ μοι ποῦ ἔθηκας αὐτόν,content — apodosis — the third ποῦ ἔθηκαν/ἔθηκας of the chapter

κἀγὼ αὐτὸν ἀρῶ.content — αἴρω yet again — she offers to 'take' the one already taken up; devotion past all practicality

λέγει αὐτῇ Ἰησοῦς·independent — asyndeton — the hinge of the scene

Μαριάμ.content — one word, her Semitic name — the Shepherd calls his own by name (10:3)

στραφεῖσα ἐκείνη λέγει αὐτῷ Ἑβραϊστί·independent — a second turning (cf. v. 14) — now toward him in truth

Ῥαββουνίcontent — Aramaic answering Aramaic — the -ί suffix personal: 'my Teacher' (elsewhere only Mark 10:51)

(ὃ λέγεται Διδάσκαλε).phrase modifier — the narrator's translation gloss (cf. 1:38, 41; 9:7)

vv. 17–18 — the ascension word and the first herald

λέγει αὐτῇ Ἰησοῦς·independent — the recognition immediately redirected

μή μου ἅπτου,content — the crux: μή + present imperative — stop holding on, not a taboo on touch (v. 27 invites it)

οὔπω γὰρ ἀναβέβηκα πρὸς τὸν πατέρα·cause — the debated γάρ — perfect ἀναβέβηκα: the new mode of presence, through the Spirit, is not yet in force

πορεύου δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφούς μουcontent — 'brothers' — the disciples so named for the first time (cf. Heb 2:11–12)

καὶ εἰπὲ αὐτοῖς·content — the commission proper — Mary sent with words

ἀναβαίνω πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου καὶ πατέρα ὑμῶν καὶ θεόν μου καὶ θεὸν ὑμῶν.content — futuristic present ἀναβαίνω; μου and ὑμῶν held apart — never 'our Father': unique sonship, shared adoption

ἔρχεται Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ ἀγγέλλουσα τοῖς μαθηταῖςindependent — ἀγγέλλουσα — the apostle to the apostles

ὅτι ἑώρακα τὸν κύριον,content — the testimony perfect — the paradigm resurrection-witness formula (cf. 1 Cor 9:1)

καὶ ταῦτα εἶπεν αὐτῇ.independent — the narrator folds the v. 17 message into her report

Easter evening: peace, sending, Spirit, forgiveness 20:19–23

vv. 19–20 — peace and the wounds

Οὔσης οὖν ὀψίας τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τῇ μιᾷ σαββάτων, καὶ τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένωνindependent — double genitive absolute — the suspended temporal frame over ἦλθεν below; perfect κεκλεισμένων, locked and staying locked

ὅπου ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶrelative — locative ὅπου — the hidden assembly

διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν Ἰουδαίων,cause — διά + accusative grounds — the fear the peace-greeting will displace

ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον,independent — the locked doors simply irrelevant — the manner of entry left unexplained

καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς·independent — historic present resumes

εἰρήνη ὑμῖν.content — the shalom of 14:27 made post-paschal fact — first of three (vv. 19, 21, 26)

καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἔδειξεν τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῖς.independent — the crucified identity of the risen one — the 19:34 spear-wound as credential

ἐχάρησαν οὖν οἱ μαθηταὶ ἰδόντες τὸν κύριον.independent — 16:20–22 fulfilled — grief turned to a joy no one takes away; ἰδόντες echoes v. 8

vv. 21–23 — sending, breath, forgiveness

εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς πάλιν·independent — πάλιν — the greeting repeated so it can ground a commission

εἰρήνη ὑμῖν·content — the second shalom — now the platform of sending

καθὼς ἀπέσταλκέν με ὁ πατήρ, κἀγὼ πέμπω ὑμᾶς.content — the Johannine Great Commission — καθώς … κἀγώ; perfect ἀπέσταλκεν (the standing mission) grounds present πέμπω

καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐνεφύσησενindependent — ἐμφυσάω — Gen 2:7 LXX verbatim (with Ezek 37:9): the new creation breathed into being

καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς·independent — word interprets act

λάβετε πνεῦμα ἅγιον·content — anarthrous πνεῦμα ἅγιον — the Johannine-Pentecost question (actual bestowal or proleptic sign of Acts 2) flagged, not settled

ἄν τινων ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας,conditional — protasis leaning on the perfect below — ἄν + aorist subjunctive, open generality

ἀφέωνται αὐτοῖς·content — divine perfect passive — heaven's verdict already rendered (cf. Matt 16:19; 18:18)

ἄν τινων κρατῆτε,conditional — protasis again — present κρατῆτε, retention as ongoing withholding

κεκράτηνται.content — the sober counterpart — perfect passive again; the commission cuts both ways

Thomas: from the demand to 'My Lord and my God' 20:24–29

vv. 24–25 — the absent one and his condition

Θωμᾶς δὲ εἷς ἐκ τῶν δώδεκα, ὁ λεγόμενος Δίδυμος, οὐκ ἦν μετ' αὐτῶνindependent — Δίδυμος glosses the Aramaic 'Thomas'; one of the Twelve, with every right to be there

ὅτε ἦλθεν Ἰησοῦς.relative — temporal ὅτε — absent precisely when he came (the ἦλθεν of v. 19)

ἔλεγον οὖν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄλλοι μαθηταί·independent — imperfect — they kept telling him; he was not easily persuaded

ἑωράκαμεν τὸν κύριον.content — the community's testimony perfect — Mary's formula (v. 18) now plural

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς·independent — adversative δέ — the answer that names him for history

ἐὰν μὴ ἴδω ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ τὸν τύπον τῶν ἥλωνconditional — protasis leaning on οὐ μή below — sight first; ἧλος only here and v. 27 in the NT

καὶ βάλω τὸν δάκτυλόν μου εἰς τὸν τύπον τῶν ἥλωνconditional — second demand — from seeing to touching

καὶ βάλω μου τὴν χεῖρα εἰς τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ,conditional — the escalation — finger to whole hand, nail-print to spear-wound

οὐ μὴ πιστεύσω.content — apodosis: οὐ μή + aorist subjunctive — the strongest negation Greek has

vv. 26–27 — eight days later: the condition met

Καὶ μεθ' ἡμέρας ὀκτὼ πάλιν ἦσαν ἔσω οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦindependent — the eighth day — the next Sunday; the Lord's-Day rhythm of assembly begins

καὶ Θωμᾶς μετ' αὐτῶν.independent — verbless — this time he is there

ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων,independent — v. 19 replayed clause for clause — same doors, same entry

καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον καὶ εἶπεν·independent — the same stance in the midst

εἰρήνη ὑμῖν.content — the third shalom — vv. 19 and 21 verbatim

εἶτα λέγει τῷ Θωμᾷ·independent — εἶτα — straight to the one for whom he has come

φέρε τὸν δάκτυλόν σου ὧδε καὶ ἴδε τὰς χεῖράς μου,content — Thomas's own words of v. 25 handed back — the unheard demand was heard (cf. 1:48)

καὶ φέρε τὴν χεῖρά σου καὶ βάλε εἰς τὴν πλευράν μου,content — the whole demand granted, item by item

καὶ μὴ γίνου ἄπιστος ἀλλὰ πιστός.content — μή + present γίνου — stop the slide; ἄπιστος/πιστός is the chapter's hinge pair

vv. 28–29 — the confession and the beatitude

ἀπεκρίθη Θωμᾶς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ·independent — no touching is recorded — the word sufficed

ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου.content — the Gospel's summit — both LXX divine titles, articular and personal (cf. Ps 35:23 LXX); 1:1 answered in confession, and received without rebuke

λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς·independent — the confession accepted, its basis probed

ὅτι ἑώρακάς με, πεπίστευκας;content — punctuated as a question with the modern editions — sight-faith real, but gently relativized

μακάριοι οἱ μὴ ἰδόντες καὶ πιστεύσαντες.content — the beatitude for every reader — faith without sight as the paradigm, the bridge to vv. 30–31

The purpose of the book 20:30–31

Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλα σημεῖα ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐνώπιον τῶν μαθητῶν [αὐτοῦ],independent — μὲν οὖν — the author's acknowledged selectivity (cf. 21:25); [αὐτοῦ] bracketed with NA28; ἐνώπιον — signs done before witnesses

ἃ οὐκ ἔστιν γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ·relative — periphrastic perfect — 'this book,' the Gospel naming itself as a fixed artifact

ταῦτα δὲ γέγραπταιindependent — γέγραπται — the Scripture-formula claimed for this Gospel itself

ἵνα πιστεύσητεpurpose — the tense crux: aorist πιστεύσητε (NA28, ℵ A — that you may come to faith) vs present πιστεύητε (B — that you may go on believing); evangelism or nurture, printed with the aorist

ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ,content — the double predicate — Messiah and Son; Thomas's confession codified as the book's thesis

καὶ ἵνα πιστεύοντες ζωὴν ἔχητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ.purpose — second ἵνα — present πιστεύοντες and ἔχητε: ongoing faith, ongoing life; ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ closes the inclusio with 1:12

Analysis. The chapter runs on Johannine historic presents, so the depth-0 spine is dense and quick — comes, sees, runs, says — and most of the theology lives one step down, in quoted speech under a verb of saying. The layout shows the graded ladder of seeing in vv. 1–8: βλέπει (v. 5), θεωρεῖ (v. 6), εἶδεν καὶ ἐπίστευσεν (v. 8), each a depth-0 verb, with the grave-cloth evidence hanging beneath Peter's θεωρεῖ. Sides taken: μή μου ἅπτου (v. 17) is read as 'stop clinging' (μή + present imperative, grounded by the perfect ἀναβέβηκα), not a taboo on touch — v. 27 invites touch; the ἐνεφύσησεν of v. 22 is glossed by Gen 2:7 LXX and the Johannine-Pentecost question is flagged, not settled; v. 23's two ἄν-conditionals lean forward as protases over divine-perfect apodoses ('they stand forgiven / retained'); Thomas's ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου (v. 28) sits as a verbless confession line — the Gospel's climax, closing the inclusio with 1:1; and in v. 31 the aorist πιστεύσητε is printed with NA28 (coming to faith), Vaticanus's present πιστεύητε (going on believing) flagged in the tag.