Mary, Wife of Cleophas

Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 1min
 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 8
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This name occurs but once, John 19:2525Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. (John 19:25); it is really “Clopas”; the word “wife” which is added in the AV is probably correct. By comparing together the following passages (Matt. 27:56,6156Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children. (Matthew 27:56)
61And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. (Matthew 27:61); Matt. 28:11In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. (Matthew 28:1); Mark 15:40,4740There 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; (Mark 15:40)
47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid. (Mark 15:47); Mark 16:11And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. (Mark 16:1)); and Luke 24:1010It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. (Luke 24:10), it appears probable that “the other Mary,” and “Mary the mother of James (or James the less) and Joses” allude to the same person, and she may have been the wife of Clopas. In John 19:2525Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. (John 19:25) this Mary is said to be the sister of the Lord’s mother, if we allow the word “and” to separate the persons, which is the most obvious sense; and it is natural that as this is the only place where we read of the Lord’s mother having a sister, it should say who she was. Thus there would be three Marys mentioned in the verse, and not four. That the Lord’s mother should have a sister also called Mary may appear, improbable, but the MSS vary, and there may have been a slight difference, as in the two modern names of Mary and Maria.