Mark 15:40

40. [3467][3468][3469] omit ἦν after ἐν αἷς.

[3467] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[3468] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[3469] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mark 1:1 to Mark 10:15; Mark 10:30 to Mark 15:1; Mark 15:20 to Mark 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mark 16:8 and Mark 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

40. ἦσαν δὲ καὶ γυναῖκες. The centurion was not the only person who regarded the death of Christ with reverence and awe. There were also women beholding from afar (R.V.). Cf. Mark 5:6; Mark 8:3; Mark 11:13; Mark 14:54. They had no mind to see more of the horrible details of the crucifixions, still less to hear the derisive language of Christ’s triumphant enemies. His Mother and her sister, Mary of Clopas, with Mary Magdalen, had been near the Cross for a time, but they had come away, and the beloved disciple had taken the first to his own home; but the two others with Salome had joined a group at a distance and still remained. Lk. gives no names, but says that “all His acquaintance” were there also. Are the disciples included in οἱ γνωστοὶ αὐτῷ? John had probably returned to the cross; but where were the Ten?

[3544] ἡ Μαγδαληνή. Mary of Magdala. Mk has not mentioned her before, but assumes that she is known to his readers. Gratitude for her great deliverance (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2) had made her a devoted follower. The common identification of her with the “sinner” of Luke 7:37 is a monstrous error, which ought never to be repeated.

[3544] Codex Campianus. 9th cent. At Paris. Gospels complete.

[3545]. ἡ Ἰακώβου τ. μικροῦ κ. Ἰωσῆτος μήτηρ. Syr-Sin. has “Mary the daughter of James the less, the mother of Joseph”; but Mary the mother of James the less (little) and of Joses (A.V., R.V.) is right. She was the wife of Clopas (John 19:25), who is certainly not the same as Cleopas (Luke 24:18) and cannot with any certainty be identified with Alphaeus. See on Mark 3:18. James and Joses are mentioned, not as being famous, but in order to distinguish their mother from other Marys. They are not the James and Joses of Mark 6:3. James was called ὁ μικρός probably because of his stature, but Deissmann (Bib. St. p. 144) suggests age. “The younger” would probably have been ὁ μικρότερος (Genesis 42:32), or ὁ νεώτερος (Genesis 42:34; Luke 15:12), or ὁ ἐλάσσων (Genesis 25:23).

[3545] Codex Campianus. 9th cent. At Paris. Gospels complete.

Σαλώμη. Mk treats her also as known to his readers. Mt. gives no name but substitutes “the mother of the sons of Zebedee,” who has been previously mentioned by him (Matthew 20:20). She was probably the sister of Christ’s Mother. See on John 19:25.