Bible Strands
Luke 23:49
But all those who knew Jesus, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator records the immediate aftermath of Jesus' death, contrasting the mourning crowd with His followers who remain at the execution site.
The words — The Greek ἱστὴκεισαν (heistēkeisan) marks a continuous past action meaning "had stood," while μακρόθεν (makrothen) specifies they remained "afar off."
The thread — Distant observation of suffering appears in Matthew 27:55, which notes women who followed Jesus from Galilee to minister, and parallels Psalm 38:11, where kinsmen stand at a distance during affliction.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that faithful presence does not require proximity, as the followers witness the crucifixion without intervening or drawing near.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
Cross-references
- Luke 8:2 as well as some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
- Psalms 38:11 My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance.
- Matthew 27:55 And many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to Him.
- Luke 23:55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how His body was placed.
- Psalms 88:18 You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.
- Psalms 142:4 Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul.
- Mark 15:40 And there were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.
- Mark 15:47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where His body was placed.
- Luke 23:27 A great number of people followed Him, including women who kept mourning and wailing for Him.
- Job 19:13 He has removed my brothers from me; my acquaintances have abandoned me.