Mark 15:41
in Mark 15These women had followed Jesus and ministered to Him while He was in Galilee, and there were many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with Him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him; and many other women that came up with him unto Jerusalem.
KJV
(Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
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This verse in Mark 15
Commentary
11 notes on this verse(ubi sup.) Further, it was a Jewish custom, nor was it thought blamable after the manners of an ancient people, that women should furnish to teachers food and clothing out of their substance. Wherefore there follows: Who also when he was in Galilee followed him, and ministered unto him. They ministered unto the Lord of their substance, that He might reap their carnal things whose spiritual things they reaped, and that He might show forth a type for all masters, who ought to be content with food and clothing from their disciples.
This site's exposition
women watching from a distance
on Mark 15:40-41
Women watched from a distance, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. The men had fled at Gethsemane; these women stay, the last witnesses at the cross and the first at the tomb.
This site's exposition
ministered to Him while He was
Mark names their service only here, at the cross. Bede calls it an accepted custom for women to supply teachers with food and clothing. Gill points to Luke 8:3 for their giving from their own means.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
For what reason then was He maintained by women? For women, it is said, followed Him, and ministered unto Him. It was to teach us from the first that He is concerned for those who do good. Could not Paul, who supported others by his own hands, have maintained himself without assistance from others? But you see him receiving and requesting aid. And hear the reason for it. "Not because I desire a gift," he says, "but I desire fruit that may abound to your account." And at the beginning too, when men sold all their possessions and laid them at the Apostles' feet, the Apostles, seest thou, were more concerned for them than for those who received their alms. For if their concern had only been that the poor might by any means be relieved, they would not have judged so severely of the sin of Ananias and Sapphira, when they kept back their money.
The Medieval Church3 voices
And so the order is inverted, for the Jew kills, and the Gentile confesses; the disciples fly, and the women remain. For there follows: There were also women looking on afar off, amongst whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome.
As the female sex through the Virgin Mary is not shut out from salvation, so it is not thrust away from the knowledge of the mystery of the cross, and of the resurrection, through the widow Mary Magdalene, and the others, who were mothers.
"There were," says the Evangelist, "women there as well; among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses," that is, the Theotokos, who was a mother to them. Since She was betrothed to Joseph, and James and Joses were …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him,.... Wherever he went in Galilee, and from thence to Jerusalem: and ministered unto him; of their worldly substance, Luk 8:3, and many other women which came up with him into Jerusalem; from the same parts; see Mat 27:55.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
These women had followed Christ from Galilee, though they were not required to attend the feast, as the males were; but it is probably that they came, in expectation that his temporal kingdom would now shortly be set up, and big with hopes of preferment for themselves, and their relations under him. It is plain that the mother of Zebedee's children was so ( Matt. xx.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
The death of our Lord Jesus Christ is the most important fact in Christianity. On it depend the hopes of all saved sinners both for time and eternity. We need not therefore to be surprised to find the reality of His death carefully placed beyond dispute. Three kinds of witnesses to the fact are brought before us in the verses we have now read. The Roman centurion, who stood near the cross, — the women, who followed our Lord from Galilee to Jerusalem, — the disciples, who buried Him. All were all witnesses that Jesus really died.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
The death of our Lord Jesus Christ is the most important fact in Christianity. On it depend the hopes of all saved sinners both for time and eternity. We need not therefore to be surprised to find the reality of His death carefully placed beyond dispute. Three kinds of witnesses to the fact are brought before us in the verses we have now read. The Roman centurion, who stood near the cross, — the women, who followed our Lord from Galilee to Jerusalem, — the disciples, who buried Him. All were all witnesses that Jesus really died. Their united evidence is above suspicion. They could not be deceived. What they saw was no swoon, or trance, or temporary insensibility. They saw that same Jesus, who was crucified, lay down His life, and become obedient even unto death. Let this be established in our minds. Our Savior really and truly died. Let us notice, for one thing in this passage, what honorable mention is here made of women . We are specially told that, when our Lord gave up the spirit, "there were women looking on afar off." The names of some of them are recorded. We are also told that they were the same who had followed our Lord in Galilee and ministered unto Him, and that there were "many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem." We would hardly have expected to have read such things. We might well have supposed that, when all the disciples but one had forsaken our Lord and fled, the weaker and more timid sex would not have dared to show themselves His friends. It only shows us what grace can do. God sometimes chooses the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty. The last are sometimes first, and the first last. The faith of women sometimes stands upright, when the faith of men fails and gives way.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| αἳ | hai | who | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ὅτε | hote | when | G3753 → | 103 times |
| ἦν | en | He was | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῇ | tea | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Γαλιλαίᾳ | galilaia | Galilee | G1056 → | 61 times |
| ἠκολούθουν | ekolouthoun | were following | G190 → | 90 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| διηκόνουν | diekonoun | they were ministering | G1247 → | 37 times |
| αὐτῷ, | auto | to Him, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἄλλαι | allai | other | G243 → | 155 times |
| πολλαὶ | pollai | many | G4183 → | 367 times |
| αἱ | hai | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συναναβᾶσαι | sunanabasai | having come up | G4872 → | |
| αὐτῷ | auto | with Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| Ἱεροσόλυμα.¶ | hi'erosoluma | Jerusalem. | G2414 → | 62 times |
αἳwho
haiG3739 →1405 times
ὅτεwhen
hoteG3753 →103 times
ἦνHe was
enG1510 →2333 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῇ<the>
teaG3588 →19766 times
ΓαλιλαίᾳGalilee
galilaiaG1056 →61 times
ἠκολούθουνwere following
ekolouthounG190 →90 times
αὐτῷHim
autoG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
διηκόνουνthey were ministering
diekonounG1247 →37 times
αὐτῷ,to Him,
autoG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἄλλαιother
allaiG243 →155 times
πολλαὶmany
pollaiG4183 →367 times
αἱthose
haiG3588 →19766 times
συναναβᾶσαιhaving come up
sunanabasaiG4872 →
αὐτῷwith Him
autoG846 →5565 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
Ἱεροσόλυμα.¶Jerusalem.
hi'erosolumaG2414 →62 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Mark

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Mark; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON TITUS 6; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.
