Chapter

Matthew 27:61

ESV Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
NIV Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
NASB And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.
CSB Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there, facing the tomb.
NLT Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.
KJV And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

What does Matthew 27:61 mean?

Under Roman law, those who were executed could not be mourned in any kind of public way. In normal circumstances, mourning and burial rites could be loud and involve many people from the community. Groups would gather to publicly grieve the death of loved ones. The time of mourning could extend for several days or longer. Wealthy people could afford to hire professional mourners to cry and wail with them during that period to call as much attention as possible to the loss.

None of that was allowed for Jesus. So far as we can tell, only two women were present when Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus laid Jesus' body in Joseph's own tomb and sealed it with a large stone. Mary Magdalene and another Mary, who Mark specifies as "the mother of Joses" (Mark 15:40, 47) sat quietly opposite the tomb and watched. Luke notes that women were there but does not say who they were (Luke 23:55). They now knew where Jesus was buried and planned to return after the Sabbath with more burial spices and ointments for the body (Luke 23:56).
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