John 20:24
in John 20Now Thomas called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
KJV
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
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This verse in John 20
Commentary
15 notes on this verseBut 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.
This site's exposition
Thomas called Didymus
on John 20:24-25
Thomas, called Didymus, misses the evening in the room and hears the report from the ten. He asks to put his finger in the nail marks and his hand into the side, which is more than the sight verse 20 gave the others. He refuses their word.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"Thomas" is called Didymus, which means "Twin," because he was a kind of twin in word, writing the divine things in two ways and copying Christ, who spoke to those outside of his circle in parables, but to his own disciples he spoke privately about everything. And it is not improper to say that Christ's genuine disciples achieve this double equipment in word that Thomas perhaps had already but even more so afterward. But it may be said that the interpretation of this alone has been recorded because the Evangelist was concerned that Greeks coming into contact with the gospel should notice the peculiarity of the interpretation of the only name specially interpreted, so as to find the cause of his name being set forth also in Greek.
We shall find, then, in the passage that follows, the words: Thomas, called Didymus, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. How, then, someone may not unreasonably inquire, if he were away, was he in fact made partaker in the Holy Spirit when the Saviour appeared unto the disciples and breathed on them, saying: Receive ye the Holy Ghost? We reply that the power of the Spirit pervaded every man who received grace, and fulfilled the aim of the Lord Who gave Him unto them; and Christ gave the Spirit not to some only but to all the disciples. Therefore, if any were absent, they also received Him, the munificence of the Giver not being confined to those only who were present, but extending to the entire company of the holy Apostles. And that this interpretation is not strained, or our idea extravagant, we may convince you from Holy Writ itself, bringing forward as a proof a passage in the Books of Moses. The Lord God commanded the all-wise Moses to select elders, to the number of seventy, from the assembly of the Jews, and plainly declared: I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee and will put it upon them. Moses, as he was bidden, brought them together, and fulfilled the Divine decree. Two only of the men who were included in the number of the seventy elders were left behind, and remained in the assembly, to wit, Eldad and Medad. Then when God put upon them all the Divine Spirit, as He had promised, those whom Moses had collected together immediately received grace, and prophesied; but none the less also the two who were in the assembly prophesied, and, in fact, the grace from above came upon them first. […]
As to believe carelessly and in a random way, comes of an over-easy temper; so to be beyond measure curious and meddlesome, marks a most gross understanding. On this account Thomas is held to blame. For he believed not the Apostles when they said, "We have seen the Lord"; not so much mistrusting them, as deeming the thing to be impossible, that is to say, the resurrection from the dead. Since he saith not, "I do not believe you," but, "Except I put my hand-I do not believe." But how was it, that when all were collected together, he alone was absent? Probably after the dispersion which had lately taken place, he had not returned even then. But do thou, when thou seest the unbelief of the disciple, consider the lovingkindness of the Lord, how for the sake of a single soul He showed Himself with His wounds, and cometh in order to save even the one, though he was grosser than the rest; on which account indeed he sought proof from the grossest of the senses, and would not even trust his eyes. For he said not, "Except I see," but, "Except I handle," he saith, lest what he saw might somehow be an apparition. Yet the disciples who told him these things, were at the time worthy of credit, and so was He that promised; yet, since he desired more, Christ did not deprive him even of this.
The Medieval Church2 voices
But Thomas, one of the twelve. Here is set forth the occasion of the third manifestation, which is described with respect to three things, namely the absence of Thomas, the report of the disciples and his own obstinacy. His absence is touched upon, when he …
(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.
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church5 voices
But Thomas, one of the twelve, who is called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. This one disciple was absent; when he returned he heard what had happened; having heard, he refused to believe. The Lord came again, and offered his side to the unbelieving disciple to touch, showed his hands, and by displaying the scar of his wounds, healed the wound of that man's unbelief. What, dearest brothers, what do you observe in these things? Do you think it happened by chance that this chosen disciple was absent then, but coming later heard, hearing doubted, doubting touched, touching believed? This did not happen by chance, but by divine dispensation. For heavenly mercy acted in a wondrous way so that the doubting disciple, while he touched the wounds of flesh in his master, might heal in us the wounds of unbelief. For the unbelief of Thomas profited us more for faith than the faith of the believing disciples, because while he is brought back to faith by touching, our mind, all doubt set aside, is strengthened in faith. For thus the Lord permitted his disciple to doubt after his resurrection, yet did not abandon him in his doubt, just as before his birth he willed Mary to have a spouse, who nevertheless did not attain to marriage with her. For thus the doubting and touching disciple became a witness of the true resurrection, just as the spouse had been the guardian of the mother's perfect virginity.
2545 After describing our Savior's appearance, the Evangelist now mentions the doubt of one of the disciples. First, we see that this disciple was absent; secondly, he is told about our Lord's appearance; and thirdly, we see his stubborn doubt. 2546 The disciple who was …
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.
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.
Thomas was not with the disciples. Probably he had not yet returned to them from the dispersion that had taken place. What does the remark "called the Twin" mean? It is the meaning of the name Thomas. For just as Cephas means rock, so Thomas …
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
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.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
The story of the unbelief of Thomas, related in these verses, is a narrative peculiar to the Gospel of John. For wise and good reasons it is passed over in silence by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and was probably not given to the world until Thomas was dead. It is precisely one of those passages of Scripture which supply strong internal evidence of the honesty of the inspired writers.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
The story of the unbelief of Thomas, related in these verses, is a narrative peculiar to the Gospel of John. For wise and good reasons it is passed over in silence by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and was probably not given to the world until Thomas was dead. It is precisely one of those passages of Scripture which supply strong internal evidence of the honesty of the inspired writers. If impostors and deceivers had compiled the Bible for their own private advantage, they would never have told mankind that one of the first founders of a new religion behaved as Thomas here did. We should mark, for one thing, in these verses, how much Christians may lose by not regularly attending the assemblies of God's people. Thomas was absent the first time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, and consequently Thomas missed a blessing. Of course we have no certain proof that the absence of the Apostle could not admit of explanation. Yet, at such a crisis in the lives of the eleven, it seems highly improbable that he had any good reason for not being with his brethren, and it is far more likely that in some way he was to blame. One thing, at any rate, is clear and plain. By being absent he was kept in suspense and unbelief a whole week, while all around him were rejoicing in the thought of a risen Lord. It is difficult to suppose that this would have been the case, if there had not been a fault somewhere. It is hard to avoid the suspicion that Thomas was absent when he might have been present. We shall all do well to remember the charge of the Apostle Paul—"Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is." (Heb. 10:25.)
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Θωμᾶς | thomas | Thomas | G2381 → | 11 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| εἷς | heis | one | G1520 → | 343 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δώδεκα | dodeka | Twelve | G1427 → | 75 times |
| ὁ | ho | who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λεγόμενος | legomenos | is being named | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| Δίδυμος | didumos | Didymus | G1324 → | 3 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἦν | en | was | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| μετ᾽ | met᾽ | with | G3326 → | 461 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὅτε | hote | when | G3753 → | 103 times |
| ἦλθεν | elthen | came | G2064 → | 628 times |
| Ἰησοῦς. | iesous | Jesus. | G2424 → | 908 times |
ΘωμᾶςThomas
thomasG2381 →11 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
εἷςone
heisG1520 →343 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
δώδεκαTwelve
dodekaG1427 →75 times
ὁwho
hoG3588 →19766 times
λεγόμενοςis being named
legomenosG3004 →1325 times
ΔίδυμοςDidymus
didumosG1324 →3 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἦνwas
enG1510 →2333 times
μετ᾽with
met᾽G3326 →461 times
αὐτῶνthem
autonG846 →5565 times
ὅτεwhen
hoteG3753 →103 times
ἦλθενcame
elthenG2064 →628 times
Ἰησοῦς.Jesus.
iesousG2424 →908 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 10:25Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
it leads to
- Acts 2:42
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.
- Matthew 18:20
For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.”
- Hebrews 3:13
But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
- Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.
- Acts 2:42
Through
John 14:5“Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”
it leads to
- John 11:16
Then Thomas called Didymus said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 9:19
“O unbelieving generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”
- John 11:16
Through
John 11:16Then Thomas called Didymus said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”
it leads to
- John 13:37
“Lord,” said Peter, “why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.”
- John 13:37
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
On this verse
On this chapter
- 1 John: the Study Guide
- The Gospels
- The Deity of Christ
- Why Four Gospels
- How to Study the Bible
- Jesus: Titles & Roles
- Mary Magdalene: the Witness at the Tomb
- Miracles of Jesus
- The Seven Signs: John's Book of Signs
- The Sevens of Scripture
- The Tests of Life: 1 John's Three Tests
- The Man Who Asked to Touch: John 20:24-29
About John
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Alcuin of York, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on John, Chapter 20; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 12; Gregory the Dialogist, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 26; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of John 87; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, FRAGMENT 106 ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.