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Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Matthew 27:56 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
  • KJV Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
  • BSB Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
  • NKJV among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
  • NLT Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.

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

Among the women are Mary Magdalene, another Mary, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. These named witnesses confirm the account.

Overview

Matthew identifies several of the watching women by name, grounding the crucifixion in eyewitness testimony. Their named presence underscores the historical reliability of the events and the prominent role of these faithful women. They serve as crucial witnesses linking the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 11

  • John 19:25But there were standing by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
  • Mark 15:47Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid.
  • Mark 16:9Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.
  • Matt 28:1Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
  • John 20:1Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb.
  • Matt 13:55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?
  • Matt 27:61Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.
  • Luke 24:10Now they were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. The other women with them told these things to the apostles.
  • John 20:18Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her.
  • Matt 20:20–21Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.
  • Mark 15:40–41There were also women watching from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (8)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

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

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 27:56YouTube · 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 MatthewMatthew 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

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 27:56 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.