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And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
Luke 23:49 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB All his acquaintances, and the women who followed with him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
  • BSB But all those who knew Jesus, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.
  • NKJV But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
  • NASB And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.
  • NLT But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jesus' acquaintances and the Galilean women watched from a distance. Faithful witnesses observed His death and would attest to it.

Overview

Luke notes that those who knew Jesus, especially the women from Galilee, stood watching the crucifixion. Their presence ensures reliable testimony to His death and prepares for their role at the tomb. These devoted followers, though grieving and at a distance, remained near in love, models of steadfast faithfulness.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 12

  • Luke 8:2And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
  • Ps 38:11My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.
  • Luke 23:55And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
  • Matt 27:55–56And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
  • Ps 88:18Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.
  • Luke 23:27And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.
  • Mark 15:47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
  • Mark 15:40–41There 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;
  • Ps 142:4I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
  • Matt 27:61And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
  • John 19:21–27Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.
  • Job 19:13He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 23:49YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.

How Luke 23:49 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.