Matthew 27:55 · Bible study
Matthew 27:55 Commentary: Faithful Witnesses at the Cross
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine why Matthew highlights the women watching from afar, how their following and serving redefines true discipleship.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Faithful women who followed and served Jesus from Galilee witness his death from a distance, providing a model of enduring discipleship.
- Key words: ἀπὸ μακρόθεν (from afar); αἵτινες (class of followers); διακονοῦσαι (serving, present participle indicating character).
- Main debate: Whether “from afar” primarily indicates the women’s distance from the cross, the distance from Galilee, or both.
- Theological theme: True discipleship persists even when practical service is impossible; faithful presence is itself a witness.
- Best use: Teaching on the role of women in the gospels, the nature of faithful witness, and the value of steadfastness in suffering.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to Him.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Many women were there watching from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving him.
KJV King James Version 1769
And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And many women were there beholding from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And there were there many women beholding from afar, who did follow Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And there were there many women beholding from afar off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee ministering to him,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And there were there many women afar off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y estaban allí muchas mujeres mirando de lejos, las cuales habían seguido de Galilea á Jesús, sirviéndole|strong="G1247, G0846":
Muitas mulheres, que desde a Galileia haviam seguido Jesus, e o serviam, estavam ali, olhando de longe.
Il y avait là plusieurs femmes qui regardaient de loin; qui avaient accompagné Jésus depuis la Galilée, pour le servir.
Und es waren viele Weiber da, die von ferne zusahen, die da Jesus waren nachgefolgt aus Galiläa und hatten ihm gedient;
En aldaar waren vele vrouwen, van verre aanschouwende, die Jezus gevolgd waren van Galilea, om Hem te dienen.
Ora quivi erano molte donne che guardavano da lontano, le quali avean seguitato Gesù dalla Galilea per assisterlo;
A było tam wiele niewiast z daleka się przypatrujących, które były przyszły za Jezusem od Galilei, posługując mu;
Там были также и смотрели издали многие женщины, которые следовали за Иисусом из Галилеи, служа Ему;
有 好些 婦女 在那裡，遠遠地 觀看；她們 是從 加利利 跟隨 耶穌 來服事 他的。
And a number of women were there, watching from a distance, who had come with Jesus from Galilee, waiting on his needs.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 27:55
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that these women display extraordinary faithfulness at the darkest moment. Barnes calls it the brightest example of female constancy. Calvin argues that their presence provides a severe reproof to the apostles who fled, and that the women were sustained by the Spirit to stand as witnesses. Gill emphasizes that the women rebuke the disciples' cowardice. The Greek relative pronoun αἵτινες (Vincent) marks them as a specific class: the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee. Their ministering refers to ongoing practical support (Luke 8:2-3). Matthew uses this verse to show that true discipleship, following and serving, endures even when all seems lost.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: That these women were physically present, had followed Jesus from Galilee, and had served him—and that their presence is recorded to show that not everyone abandoned Jesus at his death.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'watching from afar' | All agree the women were at some physical distance from the cross, likely because of Roman soldiers and the crowd. | Clarke also suggests modest women may have kept their distance due to the nakedness of crucified victims; others (Barnes, Gill) stress the distance as simply the boundary set by soldiers. |
| Significance of the women's presence | All commentators see the women as faithful witnesses in contrast to the fleeing disciples. | Calvin and Gill emphasize this as a deliberate rebuke to the apostles; other traditions (Cambridge Bible) simply note the fact without making the contrast a major point. |
| Nature of their 'ministering' | The women had provided for Jesus during his Galilean ministry (cf. Luke 8:3). | JFB and others read the participle as referring to past service (pluperfect sense); some take it as present continuous, implying they continued to serve even at the cross by their presence. |
Historical & Cultural Context
These women had accompanied Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem, a journey of about 100 miles. In first-century Jewish culture, women traveling with a rabbi was uncommon and showed deep commitment. Luke 8:2-3 names several and notes they “served them from their possessions,” funding the itinerant ministry. Now at Golgotha, they watch from a distance. Roman soldiers kept spectators back; additionally, criminals were crucified naked, and Clarke suggests modest women stood at a respectful distance. The site was outside the city wall, as required (Numbers 15:35). Matthew includes them as crucial witnesses: they saw the crucifixion, the burial (27:61), and later the empty tomb (28:1). Their testimony would form part of the gospel proclamation. Calvin notes that if the apostles had all fled, “they would have borrowed from women the chief portion of the history.” By naming Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons (v.56), Matthew anchors the narrative in identifiable persons, strengthening the historical reliability of what they saw.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Matthew 27:55. The Greek text is stable across major manuscripts.
Reception History
From the early church, these women have been honored as models of devotion and courage. Augustine and other fathers used the verse to encourage constancy in persecution. John Calvin saw them as providential witnesses: “the chief praise is justly bestowed on the women,” because through their testimony the apostles later proclaimed the resurrection. In art, these women, often including Mary the mother of Jesus, appear at the foot of the cross in countless crucifixes and paintings. The verse is read on Good Friday in many lectionaries, reminding congregations that faithful presence is itself a form of ministry.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Faithful presence when it costs. While the disciples scattered, these women stayed. Their loyalty was not performance-based; they remained even when Jesus could do nothing for them.
- Service that persists beyond usefulness. The participle ministering (διακονοῦσαι) describes their characteristic posture. They served Jesus during his travels, and now at the cross they serve simply by watching.
- Witness from a distance. They could not heal him or stop the suffering. Yet their eyes testified: this is the Son of God. They saw what the disciples missed.
Five-point outline
- Setting: Jesus has died, the veil is torn, the centurion confesses. Matthew shifts focus from the actors to the observers.
- Contrast: The disciples had boasted they would die with him; the women had no such boast, but they showed up.
- Character: Their following (akoloutheō) was a disciple’s following, attaching oneself to a teacher (G190).
- Cost: Watching from afar meant exposure to danger, mockery, and grief. Yet they did not leave.
- Legacy: These women become the first to hear of the resurrection (28:5-7). Their faithfulness earns them a central place in the gospel story.
Illustration hooks
- A family member who stays by a hospital bed day after day, unable to change the outcome but refusing to leave.
- Fans of a sports team who stay in the stands even when the score is hopeless, because loyalty matters more than winning.
- A neighbor who keeps bringing meals after a diagnosis, even when the recipient can no longer thank them.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did the women stay when the disciples fled? Was it courage or something else?
- Does “watching from afar” mean my faith is weak, or is it sometimes the only position I can hold?
- What does it mean to “serve” someone who cannot benefit from my service, does God still honor that?
Leading a Discussion
These women had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him. Now at the cross they could do nothing but watch. Yet Matthew records their presence as a vital part of the story. Their faithfulness in the dark hours raises questions about our own discipleship: when following costs something, do we stay or do we disappear?
Discussion questions
- Read Matthew 27:55-56. What stands out to you about the women’s position and actions?
- How does the women’s presence contrast with the male disciples’ absence? What might Matthew be implying?
- The verb followed (ἠκολούθησαν) is aorist, a completed action. The women had already shown their commitment before this moment. How does past faithfulness prepare us for present trials?
- The women watched “from afar.” Why do you think they kept their distance? What might that say about the nature of faith in difficult circumstances?
- In Luke 8:2-3, these women served Jesus with their resources. Now they can only watch. Can “watching” be a form of service? When have you felt you had nothing to offer but your presence?
- Calvin suggests that the women’s testimony became the foundation for the apostles’ preaching. How does God use our small acts of faithfulness to build bigger things?
- These women are named in verse 56. Why do you think Matthew records their names? What does that say about how God sees those who quietly remain faithful?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Luke 8:2 | and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; |
| Luke 8:3 | and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others who served them from their possessions. |
| Luke 23:27 | A great multitude of the people followed him, including women who also mourned and lamented him. |
| Luke 23:28 | But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. |
| Luke 23:48 | All the multitudes that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their chests. |
| Luke 23:49 | All his acquaintances and the women who followed with him from Galilee stood at a distance, watching these things. |
| John 19:25 | But standing by Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. |
| John 19:27 | Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke praises the women for showing more courage and loyalty than the disciples who had promised to die with Jesus. He suggests they stood at a distance not just because they came from Galilee, but out of modesty, since crucifixion was conducted naked.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights the faithful constancy of the women who stayed near the cross despite being kept at a distance. While the crowd cried for his death, these women never wavered. He calls their loyalty a shining example set for all who would later believe in Christ.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights that the women's courage in staying with Christ, while the male disciples fled, was a severe reproof to the apostles. He stresses that these women showed extraordinary attachment and reverence even when they could render no service. Their testimony, though seemingly less authoritative, was divinely supported and essential for preserving the knowledge of redemption.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that these women had followed Jesus from Galilee and were still ministering to him even at the cross. Their position "a farre
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill contrasts the women's faithful presence at the cross with the disciples' cowardice and earlier boasts of never abandoning Christ. He notes these women, who had followed and supported Jesus from Galilee, now witness His agony from a distance. Their devoted attendance rebukes the disciples' fearful absence and affirms their own steadfast love.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws attention to the Greek verb tense, which implies these women "had followed" Jesus from Galilee rather than simply being present at the crucifixion. This indicates they had been accompanying and providing for him throughout his final journey to Jerusalem, a devotion that began during his earlier Galilean ministry.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws attention to the precise timing of Christ's death, noting it coincided with the evening sacrifice and the killing of the paschal lamb. This typologically fulfills Christ as our Passover sacrificed for us. He further observes this may mark the exact fulfillment of Daniel's seventy weeks prophecy to the very day and hour.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that the Greek word for "which" (αἵτινες) marks these women as a distinct class: they belonged to the larger group of women who had followed Jesus. The grammar identifies them as a specific subset within that company, not just any random followers.