John 20:24

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
Thomas	Θωμᾶς Thōmas	G2381	the twin · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
one	εἷς heis	G1520	one · adjective — nominative singular masculine
of	ἐκ ek	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
twelve	δώδεκα dōdeka	G1427	two and ten · adjective — numeral, indeclinable
called	λεγόμενος legomenos	G3004	properly · verb — present passive participle, nominative singular masculine
Didymus	Δίδυμος Didumos	G1324	double · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
was	ἦν ēn	G2258	I (thou
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
with	μετ᾽ met᾽	G3326	properly · preposition
them	αὐτῶν autōn	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive plural masculine
when	ὅτε hote	G3753	at which (thing) too · conjunction
Jesus	Ἰησοῦς. Iēsous	G2424	Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua) · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
came	ἦλθεν ēlthen	G2064	to come or go (in a great variety of applications · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

John 11:16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the…
John 6:66-67 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
John 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
John 21:2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his…
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Matthew 10:3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 20:19-25

The infallible proof of Christ's resurrection was his showing himself alive, Act 1:3. In these verses, we have an account of his first appearance to the college of the disciples, on the day on which he rose. He had sent them the tidings of his resurrection by trusty and credible messengers; but to show his love to them, and confirm their faith in him, he came himself, and gave them all the assurances they could desire of the truth of it, that they might not have it by hearsay only, and at second hand, but might themselves be eye-witnesses of his being alive, because they must attest it to the world, and build the church upon that testimony. Now observe here, I. When and where this appearance…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 20:24

JESUS AGAIN APPEARS TO THE ASSEMBLED DISCIPLES. (Joh 20:24-29) But Thomas--(See on Joh 11:16). was not with them when Jesus came--why, we know not, though we are loath to think (with STIER, ALFORD and LUTHARDT) it was intentional, from sullen despondency. The fact merely is here stated, as a loving apology for his slowness of belief.

Adam Clarke on John 20:24

Thomas - called Didymus - See this name explained, Joh 11:16 (note). Was not with them - And, by absenting himself from the company of the disciples, he lost this precious opportunity of seeing and hearing Christ; and of receiving (at this time) the inestimable blessing of the Holy Ghost. Where two or three are assembled in the name of Christ, he is in the midst of them. Christ had said this before: Thomas should have remembered it, and not have forsaken the company of the disciples. What is the consequence? - His unbelief becomes 1st. Utterly unreasonable. Ten of his brethren witnessed that they had seen Christ, Joh 20:25; but he rejected their testimony. 2dly. His unbelief became obstinate…

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John Gill on John 20:24

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus,.... The person here spoken of, is described by his Hebrew name Thomas, and his Greek one Didymus, which both signify a twin; and perhaps he was one. It was common with the Jews to have two names, a Jewish and a Gentile one; by the one they went in the land of Israel, and by the other when without the land (q); nay, they often went by one name in Judea, and by another in Galilee (r); where Thomas might go by the name of Didymus with the Greeks, that might live with the Jews in some of those parts: he is also said to be "one of the twelve" apostles, which was their number at first, though Judas now was gone off from them, and therefore are sometim…

The Church Fathers

Didymus, double or doubtful, because he doubted in believing: Thomas, depth, because with most sure faith he penetrated into the depth of our Lord's divinity.
— Alcuin of York ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

But why does this Evangelist say that Thomas was absent, when Luke writes that two disciples on their return from Emmaus found the eleven assembled? We must understand that Thomas had gone out, and that in the interval of his absence, Jesus came and stood in the midst.
— Bede ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(Hom. xxvi.) It was not an accident that that particular disciple was not present. The Divine mercy ordained that a doubting disciple should, by feeling in his Master the wounds of the flesh, heal in us the wounds of unbelief. The unbelief of Thomas is more profitable to our faith, than the belief of the other disciples; for, the touch by which he is brought to believe, confirming our minds in belief, beyond all question.
— Gregory the Dialogist ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Didymus — (Gr. twin = Heb. Thomas, q.v.), John 11:16; 20:24; 21:2.
John, Gospel of — The genuineness of this Gospel, i.e., the fact that the apostle John was its author, is beyond all reasonable doubt. In recent times, from about 1820, many attempts have been made to impugn its…
Thomas — Twin, one of the twelve (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18, etc.). He was also called Didymus (John 11:16; 20:24), which is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name. All we know regarding him is recorded in the…
Resurrection Of Christ, The · He appeared after to: Apostles, except Thomas — He appeared after to: Apostles, except Thomas
Thomas · Absent when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after the resurrection — Absent when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after the resurrection

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

John 20:24

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 20:19-25

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 20:24

Adam Clarke on John 20:24

John Gill on John 20:24

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John 20:24

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 20:19-25

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 20:24

Adam Clarke on John 20:24

John Gill on John 20:24

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on John 20:24-29

Tyndale Open Study Notes on John 20:24-25