New Testament · Gospel

Mark 15:40

The Crucifixion

And there were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. Mark 15:40 · Berean Standard Bible

What It Means

Mark 15:40, in plain English

Some women were watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and Salome.

Why it's here

The men who swore to die with Jesus have all run away. But these women stayed. They watched the whole thing. Their faithfulness will make them the first witnesses of the resurrection.

Who's speaking

Mark identifies the women who remained at the crucifixion.

Where it sits in the story

When everyone else ran, these women stayed. They couldn't do anything to help, but they refused to let Jesus die alone. Their courage puts the disciples to shame.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

Mark notes the presence of women watching apo makrothen (from a distance), naming Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and Joses, and Salome.

Language and setting

While the male disciples have fled, the women remain as faithful witnesses. Their presence is legally significant as they will become the first witnesses of the empty tomb.

Voice

The narrator identifies the faithful women who witnessed the crucifixion from a distance.

Significance

The women who followed Jesus from Galilee remain when all the men have fled. Their faithfulness positions them to be the first witnesses of both the death and resurrection.

In context

Mark 15:38–42

38And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39When the centurion standing there in front of Jesus saw how He had breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

40And there were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.

41These women had followed Jesus and ministered to Him while He was in Galilee, and there were many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with Him.

42Now it was already evening. Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath),

Read all of Mark 15 — Pilate washes his hands, soldiers mock the King of Kings, and darkness covers the land. The curtain in the temple tears from top to bottom.

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