What Does John 20:5 Mean in the King James?
And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Greek carries “stooping down” and “looking in” in one verb: the body bends toward the mystery in order to see it.
THE MEANING
You are brought to the tomb’s threshold: the linen lies in view, while the disciple does not enter. The verse holds seeing apart from entering, leaving the meaning of the scene not yet spoken.
THE ROOT
παρακύψας
parakypsas having stooped
GROWS FROM
κύπτω (kyptō), in the compound παρά (para) + κύπτω (kyptō)
κύπτω means to bend or stoop; with παρά, the compound means to bend over or lean toward something to peer into it.
“stooping down, and looking in” in this verse is parakypsas having stooped. The KJV presents stooping and looking as two actions, but Greek gathers them into one: παρακύψας (parakypsas, having stooped to peer). Here seeing has a posture, the disciple bends toward what is hidden, yet remains at the entrance.
ALSO GROWS
kyptō: to bend or stoop
κύπτω
This is the bodily motion inside the compound: the disciple bends down as part of the act of looking.
parakyptō: to stoop over and peer into
παρακύπτω
James 1:25 uses this same verb for looking into the perfect law of liberty, linking close attention with this threshold glimpse.
parakypsai: to stoop and peer into
παρακύψαι
In 1 Peter 1:12, angels desire to peer into the things being announced, carrying the word’s image of leaning toward what is not yet fully seen.
THE PATTERN
Approaching what is hidden begins by directing attention toward it.
And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.THE THREAD
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.James uses the same Greek verb, παρακύπτω (parakyptō, to stoop and peer into), for looking into the law of liberty. John’s verse gives that act a physical threshold: the linen is visible before the disciple enters and before the scene is explained.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
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