John 19:25

Now there stood Or, But there were standing. By two small particles (menin John 19:23 and dehere), scarcely translatable in English, S. John indicates the contrast between the two groups. On the one hand, the four plundering soldiers with the centurion; on the other, the four ministering women with the beloved disciple.

his mother's sister, Mary The Greek, like the English, leaves us in doubt whether we here have two women or one, whether altogether there are four women or three. The former is much the more probable alternative. (1) It avoids the very improbable supposition of two sisters having the same name. (2) S. John is fond of parallelexpressions; -His mother and His mother's sister, Mary of Clopas and Mary Magdalene" are two pairs set one against the other. (3) S. Mark (Mark 15:40) mentions Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less, and Salome. Mary Magdalene is common to both narratives, -Mary the mother of James the Less" is the same as -Mary of Clopas:" the natural inference is that Salome is the same as -His mother's sister." If this is correct, (4) S. John's silence about the name of -His mother's sister" is explained: she was his own mother, and he is habitually reserved about all closely connected with himself. We have seen already that he never mentions either his own name, or his brother's, or the Virgin's. (5) The very ancient Peshito or Syriac Version adopts this view by inserting -and" before -Mary the (wife) of Clopas."

the wife of Cleophas Rather, the wife of Clopas. The Greek is simply -the of Clopas," and -the daughterof Clopas" may be right, or -the mother," or even -the sister:" but -wife" is more probably to be supplied. There is no reason for identifying Clopas here with Cleopas in Luke 24:18: Clopas is Aramaic, Cleopas is Greek. The spelling Cleop has is a mistake derived from Latin MSS. All Greek authorities have Cleopas. If -wife" is rightly inserted, and she is the mother of James the Less, Clopas is the same as Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3; comp. Matthew 27:56). It is said that Clopas and Alphaeus may be different forms of the same Aramaic name.

Mary Magdalene Introduced, like the Twelve (John 6:67) and Pilate (John 18:29) abruptly and without explanation, as being quite familiar to the readers of the Gospel. See on Matthew 27:56 and Luke 8:2.