Mark 16:1

1 And when the sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of James, and Salome bought sweet smelling ointments, to come and to anoint Jesus [that they coming should anoint Jesus].

Mark 16:1 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 16:1

And when the sabbath was past
"In the end of it", as Matthew says, ( Matthew 28:1 ) ; not "when it was the sabbath", as the Arabic version reads; for it was not lawful to buy spices, and anoint with on the sabbath day; (See Gill on Matthew 28:1).

Mary Magdalene, and Mary, [the mother of James,] and Salome;
who was the wife of Zebedee, and the mother of the other James and John:

had bought sweet spices;
or "brought", as the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions read; for though the women might have bought some on the preparation day, the day before the sabbath, the same evening that Christ was buried, ( Luke 23:56 ) , yet, they might buy more for the same purpose, after the sabbath was over: for this there was a particular market at Jerusalem ^F4; for we are a told, that

``there were there three markets, one by another; in the first of which were sold, all kinds of precious things, silks, and embroidered work; in the second, various kinds of fruits and herbs; and in the third, all kinds of spices.''

That they might come and anoint him;
with those sweet spices, as was the manner of the Jews: hence we read ^F5 of, (Mytm lv Mymvbh) , "the spices of the dead"; which were used to expel an ungrateful savour: this they did, out of affection to Christ, but seemed to have no faith in his resurrection, though he had told them of it, which they had forgot. The Vulgate Latin reads, "that they might anoint Jesus"; the Ethiopic version, "anoint his body": but the Arabic thus, "anoint the sepulchre"; his body being anointed before, and wound up by Joseph and Nicodemus; and therefore they came to strew the sepulchre with spices and ointments, and give it a sweet perfume. Though it seems most likely, that they came to anoint his body; for this was one of the things which was customary in Israel to do to dead men, as Maimonides ^F6 observes, (Mymvb ynmb wtwa Nyko) , "they anoint him with various sorts of spices".

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Jechus Haabot, p. 24. Ed. Hottinger.
F5 Misn. Betacot, c. 8. sect. 6. & Barrenors in ib. T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 12. 2.
F6 Hiichot Ebel, c. 4. sect. 1.

Mark 16:1 In-Context

1 And when the sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of James, and Salome bought sweet smelling ointments, to come and to anoint Jesus [that they coming should anoint Jesus].

2 And full early in one of the week days, they came to the sepulchre, when the sun was risen.

3 And they said together, Who shall move away to us the stone from the door of the sepulchre? [And they said together, Who shall turn away to us the stone from the door of the sepulchre?]

4 And they beheld, and saw the stone wallowed away, for it was full great.

5 And they went into the sepulchre, and saw a youngling, covered with a white stole, sitting at the right half; and they were afeared. [+And they entering into the sepulchre, saw a young one, covered with a white stole, sitting on the right half; and they were astonished/and they were abashed, or greatly afeared.]