In some languages such an expression as Mary stood crying must be expressed by paratactically combined verbs, for example, “Mary stood there; she was crying.” The phrase outside the tomb must be combined with standing rather than with crying. Accordingly one may translate “Mary was standing there just outside the tomb; she was crying.”

Outside the tomb is more literally “at/by/near the tomb outside,” which Jerusalem Bible renders “outside near the tomb;” New English Bible “at the tomb outside;” and Goodspeed and Phillips “just outside the tomb.” Barclay has “beside the tomb outside it.” The Greek preposition indicates proximity. This force is implicit in Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, Moffatt, and others by the rendering “outside.” New American Bible has “beside the tomb.”

She bent over and looked in the tomb is more literally “she bent over into the tomb.” The verb “to look” is definitely implied, and a number of other translations make this information explicit (Revised Standard Version “she stooped to look into the tomb”; Jerusalem Bible “she stooped to look inside”).

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .