Mark 16:1
And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
Original Language Analysis
καὶ
And
G2532
καὶ
And
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
1 of 20
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
τοῦ
the mother
G3588
τοῦ
the mother
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
3 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
σαββάτου
the sabbath
G4521
σαββάτου
the sabbath
Strong's:
G4521
Word #:
4 of 20
the sabbath (i.e., shabbath), or day of weekly repose from secular avocations (also the observance or institution itself); by extension, a se'nnight,
Μαρία
Mary
G3137
Μαρία
Mary
Strong's:
G3137
Word #:
5 of 20
maria or mariam (i.e., mirjam), the name of six christian females
τοῦ
the mother
G3588
τοῦ
the mother
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
6 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
καὶ
And
G2532
καὶ
And
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
8 of 20
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
Μαρία
Mary
G3137
Μαρία
Mary
Strong's:
G3137
Word #:
9 of 20
maria or mariam (i.e., mirjam), the name of six christian females
τοῦ
the mother
G3588
τοῦ
the mother
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
10 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
τοῦ
the mother
G3588
τοῦ
the mother
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
11 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
καὶ
And
G2532
καὶ
And
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
13 of 20
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ἠγόρασαν
had bought
G59
ἠγόρασαν
had bought
Strong's:
G59
Word #:
15 of 20
properly, to go to market, i.e., (by implication) to purchase; specially, to redeem
ἐλθοῦσαι
they might come
G2064
ἐλθοῦσαι
they might come
Strong's:
G2064
Word #:
18 of 20
to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
Cross References
Mark 15:40There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;Mark 14:8She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.Mark 15:47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.Mark 14:3And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.Mark 16:8And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.Mark 15:42And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,John 19:31The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.John 19:25Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.2 Chronicles 16:14And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries' art: and they made a very great burning for him.Luke 23:54And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
Historical Context
Jewish burial customs required anointing bodies with aromatic spices (myrrh, aloes) to mask decomposition odors. The women could not complete burial rites on Friday before Sabbath began at sunset. Mark wrote for Roman Christians (AD 65-70) who faced persecution—these faithful women modeling costly discipleship despite danger.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the women's persistent devotion challenge your own commitment when circumstances seem hopeless?
- Why might God have chosen women as first witnesses, despite their testimony being legally inadmissible?
- What "burial spices" (acts of devotion) do you bring to Jesus, not yet fully grasping His resurrection power?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices (ἀρώματα, arōmata)—these women purchased burial spices after the Sabbath ended Saturday evening, demonstrating devotion that transcended fear. Their intent to anoint him (ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν) shows they expected to find a corpse, not a risen Lord—their faith had not yet grasped Jesus' resurrection predictions (8:31, 9:31, 10:34).
Mark names three women, emphasizing multiple witnesses to the empty tomb—a remarkable feature since women's testimony carried no legal weight in first-century Judaism. Yet God chose female disciples as the first resurrection witnesses, subverting cultural hierarchies and demonstrating that the gospel exalts the humble.