The Meaning of Luke 23:55 Explained

Luke 23:55

KJV: And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

YLT: and the women also who have come with him out of Galilee having followed after, beheld the tomb, and how his body was placed,

Darby: And women, who had come along with him out of Galilee, having followed, saw the sepulchre and how his body was placed.

ASV: And the women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and beheld the tomb, and how his body was laid.

What is the context of Luke 23:55?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the women  also,  which  came  with him  from  Galilee,  followed after,  and beheld  the sepulchre,  and  how  his  body  was laid. 

What does Luke 23:55 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 23:47-56 - Faith From, Unexpected Quarters
God has His agents everywhere. They are not known to us, but are well known to Him, and one word from Him will bring them and their resources to His help. How many are unsuspected lovers of His Kingdom! Who would have thought that Joseph was waiting for the kingdom of God, or that he would have identified its advent with the death on the cross!
The body of our Lord was well cared for. They who commit themselves to God will find that He will make Himself responsible for the body, in life to feed and in death to honor; see Matthew 6:33; Deuteronomy 34:6. The new tomb was so ordered that there could be no possible mistake in identifying the precious body, and that the Resurrection should be beyond question. Love, which clings to the last offices with tender solicitude hastened to express itself with a devotion that braved the hatred of the rulers. Darkness and silence settled on the scene-but this was not the end. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 23

1  Jesus is accused before Pilate, and sent to Herod
8  Herod mocks him
12  Herod and Pilate become friends
13  Barabbas is desired of the people,
24  and is released by Pilate, and Jesus is given to be crucified
26  He tells the women, that lament him, the destruction of Jerusalem;
34  prays for his enemies
39  Two criminals are crucified with him
46  His death
50  His burial

Greek Commentary for Luke 23:55

Had come with him [ησαν συνεληλυτυιαι]
Periphrastic past perfect active of συνερχομαι — sunerchomai after Aorist active participle of κατακολουτεω — katakoloutheō an old verb, but in the N.T. only here and Acts 16:17. It is possible that they followed after Joseph and Nicodemus so that they “beheld the tomb,” First aorist passive indicative of τιτημι — tithēmi They may in fact, have witnessed the silent burial from a distance. The Syriac Sinaitic and the Syriac Curetonian give it thus: “and the women, who came with Him from Galilee went to the sepulchre in their footsteps, and saw the body when they had brought it in there.” At any rate the women saw “that” and “how” the body of Jesus was laid in this new tomb of Joseph in the rocks. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 23:55

Matthew 28:1 Now late on the sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week [οπσε δε σαββατων τηι επιπωσκουσηι εις μιαν σαββατων]
This careful chronological statement according to Jewish days clearly means that before the sabbath was over, that is before six p.m., this visit by the women was made “to see the sepulchre” They had seen the place of burial on Friday afternoon (Mark 15:47; Matthew 27:61; Luke 23:55). They had rested on the sabbath after preparing spices and ointments for the body of Jesus (Luke 23:56), a sabbath of unutterable sorrow and woe. They will buy other spices after sundown when the new day has dawned and the sabbath is over (Mark 16:1). Both Matthew here and Luke (Luke 23:54) use dawn (επιπωσκω — epiphōskō) for the dawning of the twenty-four hour-day at sunset, not of the dawning of the twelve-hour day at sunrise. The Aramaic used the verb for dawn in both senses. The so-called Gospel of Peter has epiphōskō in the same sense as Matthew and Luke as does a late papyrus. Apparently the Jewish sense of “dawn” is here expressed by this Greek verb. Allen thinks that Matthew misunderstands Mark at this point, but clearly Mark is speaking of sunrise and Matthew of sunset. Why allow only one visit for the anxious women? [source]
Acts 1:14 Continued [ησαν προσκαρτερουντες]
Periphrastic imperfect active of προσκαρτερεω — proskartereō old verb from προς — pros (perfective use) and καρτερεω — kartereō from καρτερος — karteros strong, steadfast, like the English “carry on.” Already in Mark 3:9 which see and several times in Acts and Paul‘s Epistles. They “stuck to” the praying Associative instrumental case plural of γυνη — gunē after συν — sun As one would expect when praying was the chief work on hand. More women certainly included than in Luke 8:2; Mark 15:40.; Matthew 27:55.; Luke 23:49; Mark 15:47; Matthew 27:61; Luke 23:55.; Mark 16:1; Matthew 28:1; Luke 24:1.; John 20:1, John 20:11-18; Matthew 28:9. There were probably other women also whose testimony was no longer scouted as it had been at first. Codex Bezae adds here “and children.” And Mary the mother of Jesus A delicate touch by Luke that shows Mary with her crown of glory at last. She had come out of the shadow of death with the song in her heart and with the realization of the angel‘s promise and the prophecy of Simeon. It was a blessed time for Mary. With his brethren (συν τοις αδελποις αυτου — sun tois adelphois autou). With his brothers, it should be translated. They had once disbelieved in him (John 7:5). Jesus had appeared to James (1 Corinthians 15:7) and now it is a happy family of believers including the mother and brothers (half-brothers, literally) of Jesus. They continue in prayer for the power from on high. [source]
Acts 1:14 With the women [συν γυναιχιν]
Associative instrumental case plural of γυνη — gunē after συν — sun As one would expect when praying was the chief work on hand. More women certainly included than in Luke 8:2; Mark 15:40.; Matthew 27:55.; Luke 23:49; Mark 15:47; Matthew 27:61; Luke 23:55.; Mark 16:1; Matthew 28:1; Luke 24:1.; John 20:1, John 20:11-18; Matthew 28:9. There were probably other women also whose testimony was no longer scouted as it had been at first. Codex Bezae adds here “and children.” [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 23:55 mean?

Having followed then the women who were come out of - Galilee with Him saw the tomb and how was laid the body of Him
Κατακολουθήσασαι δὲ αἱ γυναῖκες αἵτινες ἦσαν συνεληλυθυῖαι ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας αὐτῷ ἐθεάσαντο τὸ μνημεῖον καὶ ὡς ἐτέθη τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ

Κατακολουθήσασαι  Having  followed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: κατακολουθέω  
Sense: to follow after.
γυναῖκες  women 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: γυνή  
Sense: a woman of any age, whether a virgin, or married, or a widow.
συνεληλυθυῖαι  come 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Active, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: συνέρχομαι  
Sense: to come together.
ἐκ  out  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
τῆς  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Γαλιλαίας  Galilee 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: Γαλιλαία  
Sense: the name of a region of northern Palestine, bounded on the north by Syria, on the west by Sidon, Tyre, Ptolemais and their territories and the promontory of Carmel, on the south by Samaria and on the east by the Jordan.
αὐτῷ  with  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἐθεάσαντο  saw 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: θεάομαι  
Sense: to behold, look upon, view attentively, contemplate (often used of public shows).
μνημεῖον  tomb 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: μνημεῖον  
Sense: any visible object for preserving or recalling the memory of any person or thing.
ὡς  how 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὡς 
Sense: as, like, even as, etc.
ἐτέθη  was  laid 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: τίθημι  
Sense: to set, put, place.
σῶμα  body 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: σῶμα  
Sense: the body both of men or animals.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.

What are the major concepts related to Luke 23:55?

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