Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.
All Commentaries on Matthew 27:56 Go To Matthew 27
Theophylact of Ochrid
AD 1107
The Gentile centurion and those with him believed because of these great signs, but the Jews, who had clearly heard the prophets and the law, remained unbelieving — such an evil thing is malice! And this centurion later bore witness to Christ. The women who beheld these events, who were the most tender of all in their compassion [and so ought to have been less able to endure the sight of the Lord’s suffering], and were of the gender that was condemned [because of the sin of Eve], were the first to enjoy this vision of good things. The disciples fled while the women were stalwart. "Mary the mother of James and Joses" means the Theotokos, the Virgin Mother of God, for James and Joses were the sons of Joseph by his first wife. And since the Theotokos was called the "wife" of Joseph, she is rightly called the "mother" of his children, meaning "stepmother." The mother of the sons of Zebedee was named Salome. They say that she also was a daughter of Joseph.
