Mark 16:1 Commentary: The Women's Devotion at the Tomb

Mark 16:1 opens the resurrection narrative with careful cultural and chronological precision. The phrase 'when the Sabbath was past' marks the moment on Saturday evening after sunset, when the Jewish day of rest ended (Barnes, Cambridge Bible). The women had watched Joseph of Arimathea bury Jesus on Friday afternoon (Mark 15:42, 47). Because the Sabbath began at sunset that same Friday, they could do no work until it ended. Now they act.

Their purchase of arōmata ('spices') reflects Jewish burial customs. Gifts of spices were brought to the tomb out of respect, not necessarily to complete a formal embalming (which the Jews did not practice in the Egyptian manner). Instead, the aromatic substances, sometimes bitter myrrh and aloes, would be placed around the body or in the wrappings to offset the odor of decay. Gill notes that Jewish sources mention 'the spices of the dead' as a standard practice. In the marketplace of Jerusalem, three adjacent stalls sold precious items, fruits, and spices, likely the source of these purchases.

The three women named, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James (the less), and Salome, had been witnesses to the crucifixion (Mark 15:40). Salome is widely understood to be the wife of Zebedee and mother of the apostles James and John. Their devotion is striking: they had followed Jesus from Galilee, provided for His needs, and now, after His death, they risked the pre-dawn streets of Jerusalem to honor His body. Their question in verse 3 ('Who will roll away the stone?') reveals that they had not anticipated the resurrection. They came expecting a sealed tomb, not an empty one.

This historical setting, the close of Sabbath, the spice market, the women's roles, anchors the verse in a particular time and place. It also highlights the gap between Jesus' repeated predictions of rising on the third day (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34) and the disciples' continued confusion. Love outran understanding, and that love would soon meet the risen Lord.

The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Mark 16:1. The verse is well-attested across manuscripts. The main textual issue in Mark 16 concerns the longer ending (vv. 9, 20), not this opening verse.

Throughout church history, Mark 16:1 has been read as a testament to faithful devotion mingled with misunderstanding. Early church fathers like Augustine saw the women's actions as a picture of the soul seeking Christ even before the light of resurrection dawns. In the medieval period, commentators highlighted the women's persistence as a model for contemplative love. Reformation-era writers (Calvin, Geneva Bible) focused on the chronological details to harmonize the Gospels and to underscore that the resurrection was not expected, thus defending its historicity. More recently, scholars have emphasized the role of women as first witnesses, a detail that argues for the authenticity of the account (since the early church would not have invented female witnesses in a culture that discounted their testimony). The verse continues to be cited in Easter liturgies as the prelude to the joy of the empty tomb.

Three-point outline

1. Devotion that outpaces understanding. The women loved Jesus enough to perform a costly act of service, buying expensive spices and visiting a tomb, even though they did not yet believe He would rise. Their faith was incomplete but genuine.
2. The end of the old Sabbath and the dawn of new creation. The expression 'when the Sabbath was past' marks a hinge in redemptive history. The old creation week, with its pattern of rest, gives way to the first day of the new creation, the day of resurrection.
3. Unintentional witnesses to the resurrection. Because the women did not expect the resurrection, their testimony cannot be dismissed as wishful thinking. They came to anoint a dead body; they found an empty tomb. Their confusion becomes the foundation for credible witness.

Five-point outline

1. Names and roles: The women are identified specifically, Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Salome, tying the resurrection to known historical figures, not anonymous mythology.
2. Timing: The buying occurs 'when the Sabbath was past,' which establishes both the legal observance of rest and the precise moment of renewed action.
3. Purchase of spices: The expensive aromatics (ἀρώματα) represent a costly expression of love for a Teacher they believed was gone.
4. Intended purpose: The phrase 'that they might come and anoint him' shows they expected to find a corpse. Their plan contradicts any claim that the disciples fabricated a resurrection story.
5. The irony of love: Their very devotion, which drove them to the tomb, blinded them to what Jesus had said. Yet Jesus went ahead of them anyway, just as He goes ahead of us when our faith falters.

Illustration hooks

• The delayed gift: A family buys flowers for a loved one's funeral, only to discover at the cemetery that the person has been revived. The flowers were meant for a corpse, but now they celebrate a reunion.
• The missed memo: A student works all weekend on a project, unaware that the teacher canceled the assignment. Their hard work is sincere, but they are working on the wrong assumption, until the truth changes everything.

Questions your congregation is asking

• Why didn't the women remember Jesus' predictions about rising on the third day? Grief and confusion can block even the clearest promises. The disciples themselves also failed to understand until after the resurrection (Mark 9:32).
• If the women bought spices after the Sabbath, when did they have time to buy them before Sunday morning? The Sabbath ended at sunset Saturday. Small shops in Jerusalem likely reopened Saturday evening; the women could have purchased the spices that night or very early Sunday.
• What does this verse say about the role of women in the early church? In a culture where women's testimony was often considered unreliable, the Gospels consistently name women as the first witnesses to the resurrection. This is a sign of the truthfulness of the accounts, the early church would not have invented such embarrassing witnesses.

This verse opens the resurrection story on a note of tender but confused devotion. The women love Jesus enough to risk everything to honor His body, yet they completely miss His promise to rise. Their mix of faith and failure is a mirror for us. As you discuss, notice both the beauty of their love and the limits of their understanding. Let the gap between what Jesus said and what they expected lead you to wonder at the grace of a God who meets us even when we don't fully believe.

Discussion questions

1. Read Mark 16:1, 4. What do we learn about the women from the fact that they bought spices and went to the tomb? (Observation)
2. Why did the women need to wait until the Sabbath was past before buying spices? What does this tell us about their faithfulness to Jewish law? (Observation)
3. Jesus had told His disciples plainly that He would rise on the third day (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34). Why do you think the women still came to anoint a dead body? (Interpretation)
4. Some readers say that the women's failure to understand makes the resurrection more believable, not less. Do you agree? Why or why not? (Interpretation)
5. Have you ever acted out of love for God while still being confused about what He was doing? Describe a time when obedience preceded understanding. (Application)
6. If these women had fully believed Jesus' prediction, they would not have come with spices. In what ways might our own incomplete faith still lead us to take faithful actions? (Application)
7. How does knowing that the first witnesses to the resurrection were women, whose testimony was often doubted, affect your trust in the Gospel accounts? (Interpretation/Application)