‘And there were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were both Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome, who when he was in Galilee ministered to him, and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.'
The mention of the women is in preparation for what lies ahead (Mark 15:47 to Mark 16:1). Here we learn that they were at the cross but keeping their distance, although at some stage, along with John, some were close enough for Jesus to speak to (John 19:25-27). This latter privilege might have been limited to relatives. However, their vigil was not easy, torn with grief as they were, and they may well have found being too close both difficult and unbearable. Difficult because there was a crowd of them and it was by the public road, especially when the darkness descended, and unbearable because they were so griefstricken. But they had wanted Him to know that they were there to say their farewells. Luke 8:3 describes some of them as having previously ‘ministered to them (or Him) of their substance'.
It is easy to be critical of the disciples for their absence but they were marked men, while the women would in general be ignored, and Jesus' women relatives would be expected to be there. It is noteworthy that even his brothers are not mentioned as being there. For males to be directly connected with the crucifixion of a supposed insurrectionist, especially those related to the king of the Jews, may well not have been advisable. It is probable that when a group of insurrectionists were crucified, as here, those who were present at the scene were vetted for further suspects. John probably had some immunity if he was the disciple ‘known to the high priest' (John 18:15), and he was there protecting Mary and his own mother Salome (Matthew 27:56).
‘Mary of Magdalene.' She was probably from Magdala in Galilee and was a healed demoniac (Luke 8:2). Nothing else is known about her except for the full part she played in the resurrection narratives, her prominence there partly possibly arising because she was a younger and more sprightly woman. (Later tradition is unkind to her but there are no real grounds for thinking that she was ‘a sinful woman'. That was good sermon material. She may in fact have been fairly wealthy and have dabbled in the occult, which would explain her possession).
‘Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses.' Possibly the same woman as ‘Mary of Joses' (Mark 15:47) and ‘Mary of James' (Mark 16:1). The differing descriptions may indicate different sources for his material or just deliberate variation. She may also be ‘the other Mary' (Matthew 27:61; Matthew 28:1 compare Matthew 27:56). But Mary the mother of Jesus could also have been called the mother of James and Joses (Mark 6:3), and it is interesting that John alone otherwise mentions her presence at the cross (and does not mention Mary the mother of James and Joses). Perhaps Mark did not like to call her the mother of the risen Jesus.
However the names were very common and this Mary may have been Mary (the wife) of Clopas (John 19:25) who was distinguished by him from Mary, the mother of Jesus (when John wrote all would possibly be dead so that if she was the wife of Clopas she would then be associated with her husband rather than her sons).
Identification of a woman by a son's name was commonplace among the Arabs and was probably Semitic custom if the husband was dead. James may have been called ‘James the less' because he was small or simply because he was the younger brother. We do not know whether he can be connected with James the son of Alphaeus (Mark 3:18).
The truth is that we do not know for certain who she was, but we can be sure that all this was clear to the early church. They knew these people.
‘Salome.' Probably the wife of Zebedee, and mother of James and John (Matthew 27:56).
‘And many other women.' Jesus had many disciples besides the twelve, and that included many women to whom He showed the respect not often accorded by a Rabbi.