He Is Risen or He Has Risen connects Easter tradition with language, faith, and the resurrection in a phrase many Christians know.
A quiet moment of reflection often returns each year on Easter mornings, when bells rang across an old church and I sat quietly, listening to the familiar line that still resounds today. As a young Christian, I explored its etymological roots with a former teacher, which helped me understand how He Is Risen and He Has Risen shape meaning, tradition, and spiritual memory. The expression has strength because its wording connects linguistic history with sacred history, while older English forms, past participles, grammatical forms, and religious language show how a single phrase can guide interpretation. He is risen presents an ongoing state, showing Jesus as alive, while He has risen highlights the completed action of rising from the dead. This difference becomes clearer when theological meaning, biblical language, and resurrection meaning intersect.
From a grammar perspective, He has risen follows modern English grammar through the present perfect tense, using have as an auxiliary verb. The correct pattern, he has risen, follows the same structure as he has left and he has returned, while He is risen comes from an archaic construction that was standard in Early Modern English before being replaced in everyday use. The older form used to be as an auxiliary, and this pattern survives in fixed religious phrases, formal quotations, and specific contexts, including a direct quotation from an archaic text or sacred writing. Both forms carry religious and theological value, so the choice involves emphasis, historical usage, and tradition, rather than simply right or wrong. Jesus, the Resurrection, its power, life, and death remain central to what Christians celebrate, while Bible translations, scripture, and a biblical phrase can shape how the wording is understood.
Across centuries of worship, debate, and cultural expression, these phrases survived, while different traditions continued using them. Manuscript variations, including add to the evolution of textual nuances, while grammatical debates connect message, context, a completed action, and a continuing state. In churches, liturgical patterns, Christ’s ongoing nature, and religious history provide useful context, while older texts, modern usage, speakers, and theology can help those who feel confused gain clarity, discover, learn, and use the phrase correctly within their Christian faith and Easter tradition.
He Is Risen or He Has Risen: Quick Answer
The simplest way to understand He Is Risen or He Has Risen is to look at the auxiliary verb.
| Phrase | Main grammatical pattern | Typical use |
| He has risen | has + past participle | Modern English |
| He is risen | is + past participle | Traditional Christian language |
| He rose | simple past | Historical narration |
| He was raised | passive construction | Emphasizes that someone raised him |
“He has risen” is the standard modern construction. It uses the present perfect, which combines has with the past participle risen.
“He is risen” belongs to an older English pattern that survived in religious language. Its continued use doesn’t mean modern English speakers regularly form present-perfect sentences with is instead of has.
The difference becomes especially clear when you look at Bible translations. Matthew 28:6 in the NIV says “he has risen,” while the King James Version says “he is risen.” The New King James Version also retains “He is risen,” whereas the ESV uses “he has risen.”
That variation matters because it shows that the two phrases aren’t separated by a simple “correct versus incorrect” line.
What Does “He Is Risen” Mean?
“He is risen” means that Christ has risen from the dead and is now risen. In modern religious language, the phrase functions as a proclamation of the resurrection.
The wording feels unusual if you approach it strictly through everyday modern grammar. You probably wouldn’t say:
- “She is arrived.”
- “He is gone” in the same grammatical sense.
- “The sun is risen” in ordinary modern prose.
Instead, modern English normally chooses has for completed actions connected with the present:
- “She has arrived.”
- “He has gone.”
- “The sun has risen.”
Yet “He is risen” has survived because religious language often preserves traditional expressions long after everyday grammar changes.
The phrase also has enormous cultural recognition. During Easter, you may encounter:
“He is risen!”
followed by:
“He is risen indeed!”
This call-and-response pattern is especially associated with Christian worship and Easter celebrations.
In other words, “He is risen” has become more than an ordinary sentence pattern. It functions as a traditional proclamation.
Why “He Is Risen” Sounds Different
The unusual wording comes from the history of English auxiliary verbs. Older stages of English could use be with certain verbs of movement or change of state where modern English generally uses have.
That older pattern eventually declined. Modern English settled much more strongly on have for perfect constructions.
The result is an interesting linguistic fossil. A phrase such as “He is risen” can sound old-fashioned in ordinary conversation while remaining completely familiar in a religious setting.
That’s why calling it simply “bad grammar” misses the important historical context.
What Does “He Has Risen” Mean?
“He has risen” follows the normal modern present-perfect construction.
The formula is:
Subject + has/have + past participle
For example:
- He has arrived.
- She has returned.
- The sun has risen.
- The price has increased.
- He has risen.
Here, has works as the auxiliary verb, while risen is the past participle of rise.
The present perfect connects an earlier event with the present. The event happened, but its result or relevance remains important now.
Consider the sentence:
The sun has risen.
The rising happened earlier. Yet you’re talking about the current situation because the sun is now above the horizon.
The same grammatical idea applies to “He has risen.” The resurrection is presented as a completed event that has continuing significance.
This is why the phrase fits naturally into contemporary English.
The Grammar Behind He Is Risen vs. He Has Risen
The real grammar question isn’t whether risen is correct. It is.
The important difference involves the auxiliary verb.
Why “He Has Risen” Follows Modern English Grammar
Modern English forms the present perfect with have or has plus a past participle.
Because the subject is he, the auxiliary becomes has:
He + has + risen
The same pattern appears in countless ordinary sentences:
- “He has left.”
- “He has returned.”
- “He has fallen.”
- “He has grown.”
- “He has arrived.”
- “He has risen.”
This makes “He has risen” immediately familiar to a modern English speaker.
Cambridge Grammar identifies rise as an irregular verb with the forms rise, rose, risen. It also explains that rise doesn’t take a direct object because it is intransitive.
Why “He Is Risen” Sounds Different Today
Older English allowed be as an auxiliary with certain verbs of motion and change. That historical pattern helps explain constructions that now sound unusual.
Over time, English shifted toward have in these perfect constructions. As a result, “He has risen” became the normal modern form.
However, religious traditions preserved older wording. The phrase “He is risen” therefore remained visible even as everyday English moved in another direction.
This is one reason historical expressions can feel strangely familiar. You may never use the grammatical pattern yourself, yet you recognize it instantly from prayers, hymns, Scripture, or Easter greetings.
Is “He Is Risen” Grammatically Correct?
Yes, but the answer needs context.
If you’re asking whether “he is risen” is the normal way to build a modern English present-perfect sentence, the answer is no. Modern English normally uses “he has risen.”
If you’re asking whether “he is risen” is an established English expression, especially in Christian and traditional religious language, the answer is also yes.
Matthew 28:6 demonstrates the issue clearly. The King James Version reads “he is risen,” while several modern translations use “he has risen” or “he has been raised.”
So the phrase shouldn’t be treated as a typo.
Instead, think of it as traditional religious English.
That distinction is useful for writers. You don’t need to “correct” a traditional quotation merely because its grammar differs from today’s everyday patterns.
Is “He Has Risen” Grammatically Correct?
Absolutely.
“He has risen” uses a standard modern present-perfect construction:
He + has + risen
It follows the same grammatical structure as:
- “He has returned.”
- “He has arrived.”
- “He has fallen.”
- “He has grown.”
- “He has departed.”
The form is especially natural when you’re discussing the resurrection in contemporary explanatory writing.
For example:
Christian teaching holds that Jesus has risen from the dead.
That sentence uses ordinary modern grammar without changing the religious meaning.
Why Do Christians Say “He Is Risen”?
The main reason is tradition.
“He is risen” appears in historic English Christian texts and has become deeply established in Easter worship. Matthew 28:6 in the King James Version gives the familiar wording, while other translations use different modern constructions.
Religious language often works this way. Familiar phrases become part of a community’s vocabulary, and their traditional wording can remain stable for generations.
Think about expressions such as:
- “Blessed are the meek.”
- “Thou art…”
- “Hallowed be thy name.”
- “Peace be with you.”
- “He is risen indeed.”
Some expressions remain recognizable precisely because people continue repeating them in traditional settings.
The phrase “He is risen” therefore carries both grammatical history and religious identity.
“He Is Risen” in the Bible and Bible Translations
Bible translations provide one of the clearest ways to understand the difference between the two phrases.
Matthew 28:6 offers a particularly useful comparison.
| Translation | Matthew 28:6 wording |
| KJV | “he is risen” |
| NKJV | “He is risen” |
| NIV | “he has risen” |
| ESV | “he has risen” |
| CSB | “he has risen” |
| NLT | “He is risen from the dead” |
| NRSVUE | “he has been raised” |
Bible Gateway’s comparison of Matthew 28:6 shows this range directly.
This isn’t a minor detail. It demonstrates how translation philosophy and English style can affect the wording of the same passage.
Older or traditional translations may preserve “he is risen.” More contemporary translations may choose “he has risen” or “he has been raised.”
The underlying religious claim remains the same, while the English construction changes.
Why Translation Choice Matters
When you’re quoting Scripture, the wording can depend on the translation you’re using.
For example, if someone writes:
“Matthew 28:6 says, ‘He is risen.’”
they may be quoting a traditional translation.
Another writer might say:
“Matthew 28:6 says, ‘He has risen.’”
That can accurately reflect a modern translation such as the NIV or ESV.
Therefore, writers should identify the translation when exact biblical wording matters.
He Is Risen vs. He Has Risen: Meaning Difference
At a practical level, the two phrases communicate the same central message: Christ has risen from the dead.
Still, their grammatical framing differs.
“He Has Risen” Focuses on the Completed Event
The present perfect highlights an event that occurred and remains relevant.
Consider:
He has risen from the dead.
The sentence points to the resurrection as an accomplished event with continuing significance.
This is the normal way modern English handles such a statement.
“He Is Risen” Highlights the Risen Condition
In traditional Christian usage, “he is risen” can be understood as emphasizing the present reality of being risen.
The phrase doesn’t merely sound historical. It sounds declarative and immediate.
That helps explain why it works so naturally as an Easter proclamation.
Why the Meanings Overlap
It’s important not to exaggerate the distinction.
“He has risen” doesn’t mean that Christ isn’t risen now. Likewise, “he is risen” doesn’t erase the historical event of resurrection.
Both phrases communicate the resurrection.
The difference is mainly in grammatical form, historical usage, register, and emphasis.
Rise, Rose, Risen, and Raised: Understanding the Forms
Many mistakes involving He Is Risen or He Has Risen actually come from confusion about the verb forms.
Here’s the essential breakdown:
| Word | Role | Example |
| rise | Base form | “I rise early.” |
| rose | Simple past | “He rose yesterday.” |
| risen | Past participle | “He has risen.” |
| raised | Past participle of raise | “They raised the flag.” |
Cambridge Grammar gives the principal forms of rise as rise, rose, risen and distinguishes rise from raise.
Rise vs. Raise
Rise and raise look similar, but they behave differently.
Rise is normally intransitive. The subject rises by itself.
“The sun rises.”
Raise is transitive. Someone raises something.
“They raise the flag.”
This distinction becomes especially important in resurrection language.
Compare:
He has risen.
with:
He has been raised.
The first uses rise. The subject performs the action of rising.
The second uses raise in the passive voice. It presents the subject as receiving the action.
Both constructions can appear in Christian writing, but they aren’t grammatically identical.
Why “He Has Rose” Is Incorrect
One of the most common mistakes is writing:
He has rose.
The problem is simple: rose is the simple past form, while risen is the past participle.
Use rose by itself for a simple past statement:
He rose from the dead.
Use risen after has:
He has risen from the dead.
The same pattern appears in ordinary English:
- “The sun has rose.”
- “The sun has risen.”
- “Prices have rose.”
- “Prices have risen.”
Once you remember rise → rose → risen, the pattern becomes much easier.
Read More: Company-Wide or Companywide: Which Spelling Is Correct?
Why “He Is Rose” Doesn’t Work
“He is rose” doesn’t work as a replacement for “He is risen.”
The word rose is the simple past form of rise. It isn’t the past participle needed in “he has risen.”
The correct verb forms are:
- rise — present/base form
- rose — simple past
- risen — past participle
So:
He has rose.
He has risen.
And:
He is rose.
He is risen.
The distinction may seem tiny on the page, but it changes the grammatical structure.
When Should You Use “He Is Risen”?
Use “He is risen” when the traditional expression fits the context.
Common settings include:
- Easter greetings
- Church services
- Worship programs
- Sermons
- Religious cards
- Devotional writing
- Traditional Christian messages
- Scripture quotations from translations that use the phrase
- Formal religious traditions
For example:
He is risen! May your Easter be filled with hope and joy.
Or:
He is risen indeed!
In these contexts, the traditional wording sounds intentional rather than accidental.
It carries a ceremonial quality that “He has risen” doesn’t always provide.
When Should You Use “He Has Risen”?
Choose “he has risen” when you’re writing contemporary English and describing the resurrection using normal present-perfect grammar.
It works especially well in:
- Modern articles
- School assignments
- Explanatory writing
- Contemporary religious publications
- Academic discussions
- News-style writing
- General conversation
- Modern Christian blogs
- Grammar explanations
For example:
The Christian faith teaches that Jesus has risen from the dead.
That sentence is clear, contemporary, and grammatically standard.
There’s no need to force traditional wording into a sentence simply because the subject is religious.
He Is Risen or He Has Risen for Easter Cards and Greetings
Easter is where the distinction becomes most interesting.
If you’re writing a traditional Easter greeting, “He is risen” has strong cultural and religious recognition.
Examples include:
He is risen! Happy Easter!
He is risen indeed! Wishing you a joyful Easter.
If you’re writing a more contemporary message, “He has risen” works naturally:
He has risen! May the hope of Easter bring peace and joy to your family.
Neither expression needs to sound strange when the context supports it.
Traditional vs. Modern Easter Wording
| Purpose | Natural wording |
| Traditional Easter greeting | He is risen! |
| Call-and-response worship | He is risen indeed! |
| Modern religious article | He has risen. |
| Grammar explanation | He has risen. |
| Traditional Scripture quotation | Follow the chosen translation |
| Casual Easter text | Either can work depending on tone |
The key is intent.
If you want traditional religious language, use the traditional expression. If you want straightforward contemporary English, the present perfect is usually the better grammatical fit.
He Is Risen or He Has Risen in Formal Writing
Formal writing requires a little more care because context matters.
Suppose you’re writing a paper about the King James Bible. In that case, you might quote its wording exactly:
“He is risen.”
Changing the quotation to “He has risen” would alter the source.
However, if you’re writing your own explanation, you can use modern English:
The passage describes Christ as having risen from the dead.
This distinction between quotation and original writing matters.
Direct Quotation
Keep the original wording when quoting a source.
Paraphrase
Use contemporary wording when you’re explaining the source in your own words.
Academic Discussion
Identify the Bible translation when the precise wording is relevant.
This approach prevents a common mistake: treating one translation’s wording as though every English Bible uses exactly the same construction.
Common Mistakes With He Is Risen and He Has Risen
The phrase creates several predictable errors.
Using “He Is Risen” in Every Modern Sentence
The traditional expression doesn’t mean modern English should use is + past participle everywhere.
For example:
“The company is increased its prices.”
Modern English requires a different structure.
Traditional religious wording should stay in its appropriate register.
Writing “He Has Rose”
This is probably the most common grammatical error.
Remember:
rose = past
risen = past participle
Therefore:
He has rose.
He has risen.
Writing “He Is Rose”
The same confusion can produce:
He is rose.
Use risen in the established expression:
He is risen.
Confusing Rise With Raise
Remember that rise doesn’t normally take a direct object, while raise does. Cambridge Grammar explicitly makes this distinction.
Compare:
The price has risen.
and:
The company has raised the price.
The price rises. The company raises it.
Assuming “He Is Risen” Is Always Wrong
This mistake goes too far in the opposite direction.
The phrase has a documented place in traditional Christian English. Matthew 28:6 in the KJV uses it, and the NKJV retains it.
Calling every occurrence “incorrect” ignores historical and religious usage.
Assuming “He Has Risen” Is Too Modern
There’s no grammatical reason to avoid the modern form.
“He has risen” is standard contemporary English. Several modern Bible translations use it directly in Matthew 28:6.
He Is Risen vs. He Has Risen: Examples
Seeing the forms side by side makes the distinction much easier.
| Context | Example | Explanation |
| Traditional Easter greeting | He is risen! | Traditional Christian expression |
| Easter response | He is risen indeed! | Established liturgical wording |
| Modern explanation | He has risen from the dead. | Standard present perfect |
| Historical narration | He rose from the dead. | Simple past |
| Passive construction | He was raised from the dead. | Focuses on the action performed on him |
| Modern theological writing | Christ has risen and remains central to Christian belief. | Contemporary prose |
| Bible quotation | “He is risen” | Appropriate when the selected translation uses that wording |
The important lesson is that grammar and register work together.
A phrase can be grammatically unusual by modern standards yet completely appropriate in a specific traditional context.
He Has Risen vs. He Was Raised
These two expressions deserve special attention because they’re often treated as interchangeable.
They aren’t.
He Has Risen
This uses rise, an intransitive verb.
He has risen.
The grammatical subject is the one who rises.
He Was Raised
This uses raise, a transitive verb, in the passive voice.
He was raised.
The sentence focuses on what happened to the subject.
Modern Bible translations sometimes use “he has been raised” rather than either “he is risen” or “he has risen.” Bible Gateway’s comparison of Matthew 28:6 shows several translations using forms such as “he has been raised.”
That wording makes the grammatical distinction especially clear.
Rise and raise aren’t interchangeable verbs.
A Simple Memory Trick for He Is Risen or He Has Risen
When you’re unsure, use this four-part shortcut:
Has risen = modern present perfect
Think:
He has risen.
Is risen = traditional Christian expression
Think:
He is risen!
Rose = simple past
Think:
He rose.
Was raised = passive
Think:
He was raised.
You can memorize the core verb forms this way:
Rise → Rose → Risen
Then remember:
Has + risen
not:
Has + rose
A quick mental check can prevent most mistakes.
A Practical Case Study: Choosing the Right Phrase
Imagine three writers preparing Easter content.
Writer One: A Church Bulletin
The bulletin wants to preserve traditional worship language.
He is risen!
That wording fits the setting because the church is using an established Easter proclamation.
Writer Two: A Modern Grammar Article
The article explains the resurrection in contemporary English.
He has risen from the dead.
That form fits because the writer is using standard modern present-perfect grammar.
Writer Three: A Bible Study
The writer compares Bible translations.
The KJV reads “he is risen,” while the NIV reads “he has risen.”
Here, both expressions are necessary because the article is discussing the actual translation wording.
The lesson is straightforward: the context determines which form serves the writing best.
Is “He Is Risen” Old-Fashioned?
In ordinary modern conversation, it can sound old-fashioned.
That’s largely because English speakers don’t normally use be as the perfect auxiliary for verbs like rise.
Yet “old-fashioned” doesn’t mean “incorrect.”
A phrase can be archaic or traditional while still having a legitimate role. Religious language provides many examples of expressions that remain alive because communities continue using them.
“He is risen” is one of those expressions.
Its strongest modern association is with Christianity, Easter, worship, and traditional Bible language.
Is “He Has Risen” More Modern?
Yes.
“He has risen” fits the grammar most English speakers expect today.
You can see this not only in ordinary prose but also in modern Bible translations. The NIV, ESV, and CSB, for example, use “he has risen” in Matthew 28:6.
That doesn’t make the traditional expression meaningless. It simply shows how English grammar and translation style have changed.
Language is not frozen in place. It carries older forms forward while developing new ones.
FAQs
1. Is “He has risen” grammatically correct?
Yes. He has risen is the standard form in modern English and uses the present perfect tense. It describes the completed action of rising while connecting it with the present.
2. Is “He is risen” wrong?
No. He is risen is an archaic construction that survives mainly in religious language, traditional expressions, and formal or historical contexts. It is not the usual choice for everyday modern English.
3. What is the difference between “He is risen” and “He has risen”?
He is risen emphasizes an ongoing state, showing that Jesus is alive, while He has risen emphasizes the completed action of rising from the dead.
4. Why do Christians say “He is risen”?
The phrase has a long place in Christian faith, Easter tradition, worship, and liturgical patterns. Its traditional wording has survived through centuries of religious history and sacred expression.
5. Which phrase should I use in modern English?
For ordinary English usage, He has risen is the natural modern form. However, He is risen remains appropriate when referring to a traditional biblical phrase, religious expression, or historical quotation.
Conclusion
He Is Risen or He Has Risen presents an interesting connection between grammar, faith, tradition, and language. He has risen follows the standard pattern of modern English and uses have as an auxiliary verb, while He is risen reflects an older grammatical construction. The two phrases can also carry different emphasis: one highlights the completed action of rising, while the other highlights the continuing state of being alive.
The difference becomes especially meaningful during Easter, when Christians celebrate the Resurrection and remember the rising from the dead. Although He has risen is the normal modern grammatical choice, He is risen continues through religious language, worship, scripture, and Christian tradition. Understanding both forms makes it easier to appreciate their historical usage, theological meaning, and lasting place in the English language.
