John Gill Commentary Mark 15:40

"And there were also women beholding from afar: among whom [were] both Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;" — Mark 15:40 (ASV)

There were also women looking on afar off
At some distance from the cross, observing what was said and done;

among whom was Mary Magdalene ;
who had received great favours from Christ:

and Mary the mother of James the less ;
or "little", so called to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee, and because he might be little of stature: nor was it unusual with the Jews to distinguish persons after this manner: so we read ^F26 of R. Jesa, (aryez) , "the little", and of Samuel, (Nwjqh) , "the little" ^F1 , which some have thought to be the Apostle Paul, so called from the littleness of his stature:

and of Joses ;
or "Joseph", as the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read;

and Salome ;
the mother of Zebedee's children, James and John; (See Gill on Matthew 27:56). This was a common name among the Jews; Herod had a sister and a daughter of this name; and the daughter of Herodias, who demanded the head of John, the Baptist, was of this name; and it is the same with Shalom: we read ^F2 of one Imme Shalom, or mother Shalom, wife of R. Eliezer, and sister to Rabban Gamaliel. Salome, with the Ethiopians ^F3 , is said to be Mary's midwife, and to accompany Christ, with Mary, and Joseph, when they fled into Egypt.

---

FOOTNOTES:

• F26: Zohar in Exod. fol. 63. 2. & passim.
• F1: T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 28. 2. & 29. 1.
• F2: T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 116. 1.
• F3: Ludolph. Lex. Ethiop. p. 525, & Castell. Lex. Polyglot, col. 3767.