See the notes at Matthew 28:1-11.

Bringing the spices - To embalm the body of our Lord: but Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had done this before the body was laid in the tomb. See John 19:39, John 19:40. But there was a second embalming found necessary: the first must have been hastily and imperfectly performed; the spices now brought by the women were intended to complete the preceding operation.

And certain others with them - This clause is wanting in BCL, two others; Coptic, Ethiopic, Vulgate, and in all the Itala except two. Dionysius Alexandrinus, and Eusebius also omit it. The omission is approved by Mill, Bengel, Wetstein, Griesbach, and others. Bishop Pearce thinks it should be left out for the following reasons:

1. "They who came to the sepulchre, as is here said, being the same with those who, in Luke 23:55, are called the women which came with him from Galilee, there was no room for Luke (I think) to add as here, and some others came with them; because the words in Luke 23:55, to which these refer, include all that can be supposed to be designed by the words in question.

2. Luke has named no particular woman here, and therefore he could not add and some others, etc., these words necessarily requiring that the names of the women should have preceded, as is the case in Luke 24:10, where, when Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, and Joanna, had been named, it is very rightly added, and other women that were with them."

Now upon the first day of the week,.... On which day it appears by what follows, Christ rose from the dead, and which was the third day from his death, and so verified the Scriptures, and his own predictions:

very early in the morning; just as light began to spring, the day to dawn, and break; the first appearance of the morning; when it first began to dawn;

when it was yet dark, as in John 20:1 and so read the Syriac and Persic versions here; and the Ethiopic version, "while it was yet night": this must be understood of the time when the women set out from the city, or suburbs; for by that time they got to the sepulchre it was at sunrise, Mark 16:2 and shows their great love, zeal, and devotion for Christ, and great courage and fearlessness to go out of the city at such a time, without any man with them, and to a grave:

they came unto the sepulchre, where Christ was laid; that is, the women who came with Christ from Galilee, and who had observed where, and how his body was interred:

bringing the spices which they had prepared; on the sabbath eve, to anoint the body, but were prevented by reason of the sabbath; see Luke 23:56

and certain others with them; that is, other women; besides Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joses, and Salome, and other Galilean women, there were other Jerusalem women, or of Bethany, it may be, Mary, and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, and of the parts adjacent: this clause is left out in the Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions, and in one ancient copy of Beza's; but is retained in the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions.

Very early in the morning (ὄρθρου βαθέως)

Lit., at deep dawn, or the dawn being deep. It is not uncommon in Greek to find βαθύς, deep, used of time; as deep or late evening. Plutarch says of Alexander, that he supped "at deep evening;" i.e., late at night. Philo says that the Hebrews crossed the Red Sea "about deep dawn (as here), while others were yet in bed." So Socrates, in prison, asks Crito the time of day. He replies, ὄρθρος βαθύς, the dawn is deep, i.e. breaking (Plato, "Crito," 43).

Now upon the {1} first day of the week, very {a} early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

(1) Poor humble women, who were certainly not expecting it, are chosen to be the first witnesses of the resurrection, so that there might not be any suspicion of either deceit or violence.

(a) Very early, as Mark says: or as John says, while it was yet dark, that is, when it was yet hardly the dawning of day.

24:1-12 The Risen Lord

SUMMARY OF LUKE 24:

The Women at the Sepulcher. Peter Sees the Empty Tomb. The Lord Appears to the Two Disciples. Jesus Appears in the Midst of the Eleven. The Commission to Preach to All Nations. The Ascension.

The Empty Tomb. See notes on Mt 28:1-10.

Upon the first day of the week. The Lord's day, our Sunday. The women had beheld the tomb and how his body was laid (Lu 23:55) on Friday, then prepared spices and ointments in accordance with Jewish burial customs, and rested on the Sabbath day (Saturday) according to the commandment (Lu 23:56), but early Sunday morning came to the tomb on their mission of love.

They came. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Joses (Mt 28:1), Salome (Mr 16:1), and Joanna (Lu 24:10).

24:1 Certain others with them - Who had not come from Galilee. Mt 28:1; Mr 16:1; Joh 20:1.

[2] upon the first

For order of events at the resurrection, See Scofield Note: "Mt 28:1".

CHAPTER 24

Lu 24:1-12. Angelic Announcement to the Women That Christ Is Risen-Peter's Visit to the Empty Sepulchre.

(See on [1742]Mr 16:1-8; and [1743]Mt 28:1-5).

24:1-12 See the affection and respect the women showed to Christ, after he was dead and buried. Observe their surprise when they found the stone rolled away, and the grave empty. Christians often perplex themselves about that with which they should comfort and encourage themselves. They look rather to find their Master in his grave-clothes, than angels in their shining garments. The angels assure them that he is risen from the dead; is risen by his own power. These angels from heaven bring not any new gospel, but remind the women of Christ's words, and teach them how to apply them. We may wonder that these disciples, who believed Jesus to be the Son of God and the true Messiah, who had been so often told that he must die, and rise again, and then enter into his glory, who had seen him more than once raise the dead, yet should be so backward to believe his raising himself. But all our mistakes in religion spring from ignorance or forgetfulness of the words Christ has spoken. Peter now ran to the sepulchre, who so lately ran from his Master. He was amazed. There are many things puzzling and perplexing to us, which would be plain and profitable, if we rightly understood the words of Christ.