Luke 23:49
in Luke 23But all those who knew Jesus, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed with him from Galilee, stood afar off, seeing these things.
KJV
And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
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This verse in Luke 23
Commentary
8 notes on this verseBut the race of women formerly cursed remains and sees all these things; for it follows, And the women which followed him from Galilee, seeing these things. And thus they are the first to be renewed by justification, or by the blessing which flows from His passion, as also from His resurrection.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church4 voices
Nor is it surprising, because even all his acquaintances regarded him as a stranger, although they had not entirely lost their affection: therefore he adds: But all his acquaintances stood at a distance, and the women who had followed him from Galilee, seeing these things. …
By their smiting their breasts as if betokening a penitential sorrow, two things may be understood; either that they bewailed Him unjustly slain whose life they loved, or that remembering that they had demanded His death, they trembled to see Him in death still farther glorified. But we may observe, that the Gentiles fearing God glorify Him with works of public confession; the Jews only striking their breasts returned silent home. Rightly then by the centurion is the faith of the Church signified, which in the silence of the synagogue bears witness to the Son of God. And now is fulfilled that complaint which the Lord makes to His Father, neighbour and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance because of misery. (Ps. 88:18.) Hence it follows, And all his acquaintance stood afar off.
But all his acquaintances stood at a distance, and the women who followed him from Galilee, seeing these things. This is what the Lord Himself laments to the Father in the psalm, explaining the series of His passion, saying, "You have taken from me friend …
The disciples fled, but the women, this humbled and cursed race, remain and watch all these things, and for this they are the first to enjoy the justification and blessing flowing from here, as well as the resurrection. And you, marvel at the hardness of …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And all his acquaintance,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
Let us observe in these verses — the miraculous signs which accompanied our Lord's death on the cross . We are told that there was "a darkness over all the earth" for three hours. "The sun was darkened, and the curtain of the temple was torn in two." It was proper and right that the attention of all around Jerusalem should be arrested in a marked way — when the great sacrifice for sin was being offered, and the Son of God was dying! There were signs and wonders wrought in the sight of all Israel — when the law was given on Sinai. There were signs and wonders in like manner — when the atoning blood of Christ was shed on Calvary. There was a sign for an unbelieving world. The darkness at mid-day was a miracle which would compel men to think. There was a sign for the Jewish Church and the ministers of the temple. The tearing of the curtain which hung between the holy place and the holy of holies — was a miracle which would strike awe into the heart of every priest and Levite. Signs like these, on special occasions, let us remember — are a part of God's ways in dealing with man. He knows the desperate stupidity and unbelief of human nature. He sees that it is necessary to arouse our attention by miraculous works, when He brings in a new dispensation. He thus compels men to open their eyes — whether they will or not, and to hear His voice for a little season. He has done so frequently in the days that are past. He did so when He gave the law . He did so in the passage before us when He brought in the Gospel . He will do so once more when Christ comes again the second time. He will show a sneering, unbelieving world that He can suspend the laws of nature at His pleasure, and alter the framework of creation as easily as He called the earth into being.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
Let us observe in these verses — the miraculous signs which accompanied our Lord's death on the cross . We are told that there was "a darkness over all the earth" for three hours. "The sun was darkened, and the curtain of the temple was torn in two." It was proper and right that the attention of all around Jerusalem should be arrested in a marked way — when the great sacrifice for sin was being offered, and the Son of God was dying!
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Εἱστήκεισαν | heistekeisan | Had stood | G2476 → | 153 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| πάντες | pantes | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| οἱ | hoi | those who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γνωστοὶ | gnostoi | knew | G1110 → | |
| αὐτῷ | auto | with Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| μακρόθεν | makrothen | afar off | G3113 → | 14 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| γυναῖκες | gunaikes | women | G1135 → | 211 times |
| αἱ | hai | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συνακολουθοῦσαι | sunakolouthousai | having followed | G4870 → | |
| αὐτῷ | auto | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Γαλιλαίας | galilaias | Galilee | G1056 → | 61 times |
| ὁρῶσαι | horosai | beholding | G3708 → | 60 times |
| ταῦτα.¶ | tauta | these things. | G3778 → | 1381 times |
ΕἱστήκεισανHad stood
heistekeisanG2476 →153 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
πάντεςall
pantesG3956 →1235 times
οἱthose who
hoiG3588 →19766 times
γνωστοὶknew
gnostoiG1110 →
αὐτῷwith Him
autoG846 →5565 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
μακρόθενafar off
makrothenG3113 →14 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
γυναῖκεςwomen
gunaikesG1135 →211 times
αἱthose
haiG3588 →19766 times
συνακολουθοῦσαιhaving followed
sunakolouthousaiG4870 →
αὐτῷHim
autoG846 →5565 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
ΓαλιλαίαςGalilee
galilaiasG1056 →61 times
ὁρῶσαιbeholding
horosaiG3708 →60 times
ταῦτα.¶these things.
tautaG3778 →1381 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 38:11My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance.
it leads to
- Psalms 31:11
Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neighbors even more. I am dreaded by my friends— they flee when they see me on the street.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Job 19:13–17
He has removed my brothers from me; my acquaintances have abandoned me.
- Psalms 31:11
Through
Psalms 142:4Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul.
it leads to
- Psalms 88:18
You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 30:17
But I will restore your health and heal your wounds, declares the LORD, because they call you an outcast, Zion, for whom no one cares.”
- Job 19:13–19
He has removed my brothers from me; my acquaintances have abandoned me.
- Matthew 26:56
But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.
- Psalms 88:18
Through
Luke 8:2as well as some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
it leads to
- Mark 16:9
Early on the first day of the week, after Jesus had risen, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had driven out seven demons.
- Mark 15:40–41
And there were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.
- Mark 16:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies14
About Luke
This page draws on Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 23; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.