Mark 15:40

40 There were women watching from a distance, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Joses, and Salome.

Mark 15:40 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 15:40

There were also women looking on afar off
At some distance from the cross, observing what was said and done;

among whom was Mary Magdalene;
who had received great favours from Christ:

and Mary the mother of James the less;
or "little", so called to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee, and because he might be little of stature: nor was it unusual with the Jews to distinguish persons after this manner: so we read F26 of R. Jesa, (aryez) , "the little", and of Samuel, (Nwjqh) , "the little" F1, which some have thought to be the Apostle Paul, so called from the littleness of his stature:

and of Joses;
or "Joseph", as the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read;

and Salome;
the mother of Zebedee's children, James and John; (See Gill on Matthew 27:56). This was a common name among the Jews; Herod had a sister and a daughter of this name; and the daughter of Herodias, who demanded the head of John, the Baptist, was of this name; and it is the same with Shalom: we read F2 of one Imme Shalom, or mother Shalom, wife of R. Eliezer, and sister to Rabban Gamaliel. Salome, with the Ethiopians F3, is said to be Mary's midwife, and to accompany Christ, with Mary, and Joseph, when they fled into Egypt.


FOOTNOTES:

F26 Zohar in Exod. fol. 63. 2. & passim.
F1 T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 28. 2. & 29. 1.
F2 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 116. 1.
F3 Ludolph. Lex. Ethiop. p. 525, & Castell. Lex. Polyglot, col. 3767.

Mark 15:40 In-Context

38 At that moment the Temple curtain ripped right down the middle.
39 When the Roman captain standing guard in front of him saw that he had quit breathing, he said, "This has to be the Son of God!"
40 There were women watching from a distance, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Joses, and Salome.
41 When Jesus was in Galilee, these women followed and served him, and had come up with him to Jerusalem.
42 Late in the afternoon, since it was the Day of Preparation (that is, Sabbath eve),
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.