Mark 15:40

40 There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of 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 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
39 Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"
40 There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.
41 These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
42 When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.