Lucas 24:1

And certain others with them.— By these other women must be meant some besides those who had followed Jesus from Galilee; of whom alone St. Luke speaks in the former part of this verse, and the latter part of the preceding chapter. By these, therefore, as contra-distinguished from the Galilean women, he probably means the women of Jerusalem, a great number of whom followed Jesus as he was going to his crucifixion, ch. Lucas 23:27. But what number of them went upon this occasion out of Galilee, is not any where said: nor of these are any other named, than Joanna, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, though many others followed Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem, and were present at his crucifixion. See Mateo 27:55.Marco 15:41.

It is therefore probable, that most, if not all who were accustomed to minister to him in Galilee, who attended him to Jerusalem, and accompanied him to mountCalvary, contributed to this pious office of embalming their Master's body, either by buying and preparing the spices, or by going to assist their companions in embalming the body, and rolling away the stone; for which purpose principally we may suppose the women of Jerusalem attended, since none of them seem to have made any purchase of spices for the embalming: and for this last purpose, it is further probable, they thought their number sufficient. To distinguish those women who made the report to the disciples, from the others who came with them, St. Luke adds the words in Lucas 24:10. It is observable, that St. Mark, Marco 16:1 says of the women mentioned by him, no more than that they had bought spices to anoint the body; enough to shew with what intent they went to the tomb; that they had any spices with them, he does not say: but St.

Luke says, that they actually brought the spices with them; and not only so, but that they had prepared them, that is to say, made them fit for the use intended. The several drugs were bought singly, each by itself, at the shop, and therefore it was necessary to mix them or melt them together for use; and we may imagine, that though all thewomen joined in buying the spices, yet the care of getting and preparing them was left particularly to the women first mentioned by St. Luke; but as they were Galileans, and not at home at Jerusalem, and probably unacquainted with the method of embalming bodies, it is most likely that they employed some inhabitants of the place to buy and prepare the spices, and to go with them to apply them to the body; and these are the others with them here mentioned. This will account for St. Matthew saying nothing of the spices, Mateo 28:1 for the women there spoken of had none with them: they set out before those who were to bring the spices, to see what condition the sepulchre was in; and this is properly expressed by the words to see, or take a view of the sepulchre. We may observe further, that it was a circumstance of decency, considering the office which they intended to perform, that the men and the women should perform their respective parts in it bythemselves, which accordingly the evangelists plainly intimate they did intend to do.

Their setting out alone was a remarkable instance of their zeal and courage; perhaps some appointment might be made with Peter and John, (who were early up on this occasion) either to meet them, or come after them, to assist in removing the stone, though not in embalming the body. See on Mateo 28.