Luke 23:56

56 Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.

Luke 23:56 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 23:56

And they returned
To the city, and to their own houses, or to some one of them; and prepared spices and ointments;
for the anointing, and embalming the body of Christ, called by the Jews the spices of the dead; see the note on ( Mark 16:1 ) and rested the sabbath day, according to the commandment,
in ( Exodus 20:8-11 ) not knowing as yet the abolition of it, with the rest of the ceremonial law; and therefore, though they had bought and prepared the spices and ointments, they did not carry them to the sepulchre to anoint the body with them, till the sabbath was over; for this was forbidden to be done on a sabbath day. It is asked F6,

``what is that thing that is lawful to be done to a living man, and is forbidden a dead man? It is said, (hkyo hz) , "this is anointing".''
Though elsewhere F7 this
``is allowed of; for so runs one of their traditions; they do all things necessary for the dead, (i.e. on a sabbath day,) (Nyko) , "they anoint", and wash him, only they may not move a limb of him.''
But how he could be anointed, and washed, without a limb being moved, is not very easy to say, as his foot, or hand, or eye brows, which are the parts one of their commentators instances in F8.
FOOTNOTES:

F6 T. Hieros. Sahbat. fol. 12. 2.
F7 Misn. Sabbat. c. 23, sect. 5.
F8 Bartenora in ib.

Luke 23:56 In-Context

54 This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed.
56 Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.