Matthew 27:56 · Bible study
Matthew 27:56 Commentary: Study: The Faithful Women at the Cross
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Who are the women named at the crucifixion? This study examines Mary Magdalene, Mary of James/Joses, and Salome as witnesses.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The verse identifies three faithful women who witnessed the crucifixion, securing eyewitness continuity for the resurrection accounts.
- Key Words: Mary (common name); Magdalene (from Magdala); James and Joses (sons of Mary of Clopas); mother of Zebedee's sons (Salome).
- Main Debate: Whether the second Mary is the Virgin's sister or a different Mary; whether Mary Magdalene is conflated with the sinful woman (most commentators reject this conflation).
- Theological Theme: Faithful witness through suffering; the role of women in the gospel narrative; the cost of discipleship.
- Best Use: As a background text for Easter sermons on the witnesses of the cross; for teaching on the women in Jesus' ministry.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
KJV King James Version 1769
Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
among whom was Mary the Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and of Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
among whom was Mary of Magdala, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Among whom was Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Entre las cuales estaban María Magdalena, y María la madre de Jacobo y de José, y la madre de los hijos de Zebedeo.
Entre elas estavam Maria Madalena, e Maria mãe de Tiago e de José, e a mãe dos filhos de Zebedeu.
Parmi elles étaient Marie de Magdala, Marie, mère de Jacques et de Joseph, et la mère des fils de Zébédée.
unter welchen war Maria Magdalena und Maria, die Mutter der Kinder des Zebedäus.
Onder dewelke was Maria Magdalena, en Maria, de moeder van Jakobus en Joses, en de moeder der zonen van Zebedeus.
tra le quali erano Maria Maddalena, e Maria madre di Giacomo e di Jose, e la madre de’ figliuoli di Zebedeo.
Między któremi była Maryja Magdalena, i Maryja, matka Jakóbowa i Jozesowa, i matka synów Zebedeuszowych.
между ними были Мария Магдалина и Мария, мать Иакова и Иосии, и мать сыновей Зеведеевых.
內中 有 抹大拉 的馬利亞，又 有雅各 和 約西 的母親 馬利亞，並 有西庇太 兩個兒子 的母親。
Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 27:56
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 this verse names three women who stood as eyewitnesses of Jesus' crucifixion. Mary Magdalene, designated by her hometown Magdala (Barnes, Cambridge Bible), had been healed of demon possession (Luke 8:2) and is distinguished from Mary of Bethany and the sinful woman of Luke 7. The second Mary is described as the mother of James and Joses; Gill and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown identify her as the wife of Clopas and sister of the Virgin Mary (John 19:25), making her the mother of James the Less. The third woman is the mother of Zebedee's sons, James and John, named Salome in Mark 15:40 (Barnes, Cambridge). Matthew Henry notes that these names prepare the reader for the women's role in the burial and resurrection accounts. The specific naming underscores their role as faithful witnesses, a detail the Synoptic Gospels preserve for historical credibility.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The women were real historical followers of Jesus who witnessed his crucifixion and are named to establish eyewitness continuity for the resurrection.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of Mary the mother of James and Joses | She is likely Mary of Clopas, mentioned in John 19:25, and thus a close relative of Jesus. | Some traditions identify her as the Virgin Mary's sister; others see her as a separate follower. The exact relationship remains unclear from the text. |
| Conflation of Mary Magdalene with other women | Commentators agree she is distinct from Mary of Bethany and the sinful woman of Luke 7. | Western artistic tradition often conflates Mary Magdalene with the woman who anointed Jesus (Luke 7) and with Mary of Bethany, but the Cambridge Bible notes this 'cannot be sustained on critical grounds.' |
| Role of women as witnesses | All traditions affirm that women were historically present at the cross and their testimony is recorded in the Gospels. | Some emphasize that their witness validates the resurrection in a culture that discounted female testimony; others see it as incidental to the narrative. Both views honor the text's inclusion of these women. |
Historical & Cultural Context
In first-century Judaism, women had limited legal standing as witnesses. That the Gospels record women at the cross, and name them, adds historical plausibility; the early church would not likely invent a detail that weakened its case. These women had followed Jesus from Galilee (Matthew 27:55), a region where his public ministry occurred. Mary Magdalene comes from Magdala (modern Mejdel), a fishing village on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Her title Magdalene is geographic, not descriptive (Vincent).
The second Mary is further identified by her sons James and Joses (or Joseph). Cross-references suggest this Mary is the wife of Clopas (John 19:25) and thus the aunt of Jesus. Her sons appear among Jesus' 'brothers' in Matthew 13:55, indicating a close family connection. The third woman is the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Matthew 20:20 shows her advocating for her sons' prominence. Mark 15:40 names her Salome. By calling her 'the mother of Zebedee's children,' Matthew emphasizes her maternal role and her sons' identity as disciples.
These women were present when the male disciples had fled. Their witness from afar (v.55) allowed them to observe the death and burial location, which they later visited to anoint the body (Mark 16:1). The naming of these particular women connects the crucifixion narrative to the resurrection narrative, providing continuity of eyewitness testimony.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note a minor variant in the name of the second son: several manuscripts and versions read 'Joseph' instead of 'Joses' (Gill, citing the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions). 'Joses' is a shortened form of 'Joseph.' The text is otherwise stable across manuscripts, with no significant variants affecting the meaning of the verse.
Reception History
The verse has shaped Christian art and devotion. As the Cambridge Bible notes, Italian painters often identified Mary Magdalene with either the sinful woman of Luke 7 or Mary of Bethany, an identification that, while widespread in popular tradition, cannot be sustained on critical grounds. The mother of Zebedee's sons, Salome, is remembered as a faithful witness. The specific naming of these women has also been used to argue for the historical reliability of the gospel accounts, as their presence at the cross and later at the tomb provides a chain of eyewitness testimony.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Faithful Presence in the Darkest Hour. While the male disciples fled, these women stayed. Their presence at the cross shows a devotion that endures when hope seems lost.
- Specificity of Grace. Matthew names each woman individually. God sees and remembers those who serve quietly, even when the world pays no attention.
- From Cross to Empty Tomb. These women bridge the crucifixion and resurrection. Their eyewitness role gives the later empty tomb account its grounding in history.
Five-point outline
- Women Who Followed from Galilee, a pattern of discipleship in service (v.55).
- Mary Magdalene: delivered from seven demons, now unstoppable in devotion.
- Mary of James and Joses: a family member of Jesus, witnessing his death.
- The Mother of Zebedee's Sons: once ambitious for her boys, now simply present.
- Their Witness Secures the Gospel Story: without these women, we would not know where Jesus was buried or that the tomb was empty.
Illustration hooks
- A friend who sits in the hospital waiting room long after visiting hours, the only one still there when a patient is alone.
- A parent who quietly supports a child through a public failure, asking nothing in return.
- Church volunteers whose names appear on no bulletin but whose faithfulness makes everything possible.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why are women given so much prominence here while the disciples are absent?
- How do these women connect to the resurrection story that follows?
- What does it mean that they watched 'from afar'? Is that a lesser faith or a realistic posture?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at a turning point in Matthew: the death of Jesus has just occurred, and the women who had served him now watch from a distance. Their presence raises questions about faithfulness, witness, and the role of those who follow from the margins.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about each woman from this verse and the cross-references?
- Why does Matthew name these women specifically while the male disciples are absent?
- How does the mention of 'James and Joses' connect to Matthew 13:55? What does that suggest about family relationships?
- Compare this list with Mark 15:40. Why might Mark name Salome while Matthew refers to her as 'the mother of Zebedee's children'?
- What does it mean to 'follow Jesus from Galilee, serving him' (v.55)? How does that describe a life of discipleship?
- How do these women's actions at the cross prepare for their role in the resurrection account (Matthew 28:1)?
- What challenge does this passage offer to our own willingness to be present in others' suffering?
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)
| Matthew 13:55 | Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? |
| Matthew 20:20 | Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him. |
| Matthew 20:21 | He said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom.” |
| Matthew 27:61 | Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb. |
| Matthew 28:1 | Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. |
| Mark 15:40 | There were also women watching from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; |
| Mark 15:41 | who, when he was in Galilee, followed him and served him; and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. |
| Mark 15:47 | Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid. |
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
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke identifies four distinct Marys in the Gospels but acknowledges the difficulty of telling them apart, since so many women share the name. He notes that the name Magdalene may come from a village or from a word meaning a plaiter of hair, and points out the disagreement over whether Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany are one person.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes focuses on Mary Magdalene's personal history of being freed from seven demons, giving her a deeper, more grateful devotion to Jesus. He also identifies the mother of James and John as Salome, clarifying her presence among the women at the cross.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Matthew alone records the earthquake and saints rising from tombs among the events after the crucifixion. The commentator also clarifies that Mary Magdalene is a distinct figure, not the same as the sinful woman who anointed Jesus or Mary of Bethany, contrary to common artistic tradition.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note identifies the faithful women who stayed near the cross, naming Mary Magdalene, another Mary as mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. By recording their names, the note highlights these women as eyewitnesses, whose presence and loyalty are given lasting recognition.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes the name "Magdalene" could mean she came from Magdala, a town known for prostitution, or from a Hebrew word for a woman who plaits hair. He also records Jerome's view that the name means "towered" or "fortified," reflecting her strong faith and devotion to Christ after being delivered from seven demons.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the women are named here specifically to prepare for the later account of their purchasing spices to anoint Jesus' body. He also observes that they carefully marked the tomb's location so they could recognize it when they returned for that purpose.
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 clarifies that the name "Magdalene" simply means "she of Magdala" and identifies only her hometown. He explicitly distinguishes her from both Mary of Bethany and the woman who was a sinner in Luke 7, insisting these are three separate women.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that James was called "the less" simply to tell him apart from James the brother of John, and he suggests the nickname likely refers to his shorter physical stature.