John 20:16

16. Before Ῥαββουνί insert Ἑβραϊστί with אBDLXΔ against A (omitted as unnecessary).

16. Μαριάμ. The term of general address, Γύναι, awoke no echo in her heart; the sign of personal knowledge and sympathy comes home to her at once. Thus ‘He calleth His own sheep by name’ (John 10:3). The addition of Ἑβραϊστί is of importance as indicating the language spoken between Christ and His disciples. S. John thinks it well to remind Greek readers that Greek was not the language used. Comp. Acts 22:2; Acts 26:14, and see on John 5:2. The form Ῥαββουνί or Ῥαββουνεί occurs also in Mark 10:51, but has been obliterated in A. V. It is said to be Galilean, and if so natural in a woman of Magdala. Would any but a Jew of Palestine have preserved this? Its literal meaning is ‘my Master,’ but the pronominal portion of the word had lost almost all meaning: comp. ‘Monsieur.’ S. John’s translation shews that as yet her belief is very imperfect: she uses a mere human title.