How many Marys are in the Bible?
Answered from the commentary of Edwin N. Cross, Edward Dennett, William Kelly and 10 others
The New Testament has six women named Mary. They are:
- **Mary the mother of the Lord**. - **Mary Magdalene**, out of whom seven demons were cast (Luke 8:2-3). - **Mary of Bethany**, sister of Martha and Lazarus. - **Mary the wife of Clopas** (John 19:25). - **Mary the mother of John Mark**, in whose house the prayer meeting for Peter was held (Acts 12:12). - **Mary of Rome**, who "bestowed much labour" (Romans 16:6).
Within the Gospels alone the count is four. Mary the mother of the Lord, Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene are often grouped as "the three Marys." That grouping does not mean there are no others, only that these three hold an especially prominent place.
The count stays at six rather than growing because several Gospel names point to the same woman. The usual view is that "the other Mary" and "Mary the mother of James (or James the less) and Joses" are one person, and that she was the wife of Clopas. A minority take a different view: one writer identifies "the other Mary" and the mother of James and Joses as the Lord's own mother instead.
The commentators also differ over John 19:25:
- **Three Marys.** One reading makes the mother's sister the wife of Clopas, so the verse names three Marys and not four. - **Four women.** Others take the mother's sister to be Salome, which gives four women.
They agree that the sinful woman of Luke 7 is not a further Mary. She is unnamed and is neither Mary Magdalene nor Mary of Bethany.
The name itself is the Greek form of Miriam. That carries it back into the Old Testament, to Miriam the prophetess, sister of Moses and Aaron. Another Miriam also appears in a genealogy of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:17).
Verses: Luke 8:3, 1 Chronicles 4:17, Luke 1:27, Matthew 1:16, Acts 1:14, Luke 8:2, Mark 16:9, Luke 10:38, Luke 10:39, John 11:1, John 11:2, John 12:3, Mark 15:40, Matthew 27:56, Matthew 27:61, Matthew 28:1, Luke 24:10, John 19:25, Acts 12:12, Romans 16:6, Exodus 15:20
The above is AI generated summary based on the writers below.
What the commentators say
The passages the answer is drawn from, the most direct first, with the words that bear on the question marked.
Maria, although not the only Hebrew, alone bears a Hebrew name in this chapter. She had worked hard among them. She is one of the six women who bear this name in the New Testament. News of her labours may well have been communicated to Paul by his friends Prisca and Aquila. The question is, are we known for our devoted and indefatigable toil in the cause of Christ?
BY "the three Marys" it is not meant that there are not other Marys in the New Testament, only that the three selected — Mary the mother of our Lord, Mary of Bethany, and Mary Magdalene — occupy a specially prominent place. It must indeed be apparent to every reader of the Scriptures that these three were distinctly chosen of God for association with His beloved Son, when in this world, in order to present lessons of grace, devotedness of affection, communion and discipleship; and it is the writer's prayer that others may share with him in the profit and blessing he himself has received through his meditations upon these blessed and holy examples, to the end that the Lord Himself may be more abundantly magnified.
This name occurs but once, John 19:25: it is really 'Clopas;' the word 'wife' which is added in the A.V. is probably correct. By comparing together the following passages, Matt. 27:56, 61; Matt. 28:1; Mark 15:40, 47; Mark 16:1; and 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 19:25 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.
First spoken of as one who ministered to the Lord of her substance, to which is added that seven demons had been cast out of her. The two things stand in wonderful contrast; in the one she was completely under the power of Satan, and in the other she was ministering to the Lord Jesus. Luke 8:2-3. Nothing more is related of Mary until the crucifixion, when she is mentioned by name as being with the other women, gazing at the One she loved on the cross. She waited to see where the body was laid, then rested during the Sabbath, and on Saturday evening she bought spices with which to embalm the Lord's body, but early the next morning she found the tomb empty. She ran with the news to Peter and John; who came and verified her statement, but went away again to their own home. Mary however could not leave the spot; and looking again into the tomb, she saw two angels there, to whom she lamented the loss of the body. The Lord revealed Himself to her, and comforted her broken heart by speaking her name 'Mary,' to which she replied, 'Rabboni,' or teacher. He sent her to His disciples with the wonderful message, "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." This would be as true of her as of them. Her deep love was thus rewarded. Matt. 27:56; John 19:25; John 20:1-18. She is really called 'Mary of Magdala,' a town near the Sea of Galilee: her name and her character are not in any way connected with the modern term of 'Magdalen.'
Mother of Mark. She is only mentioned as having a house at Jerusalem, in which a meeting for prayer was held when Peter was in prison. Acts 12:12.
Three of the Marys are here there are four mentioned in the Gospels — and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward. Salome also is here with all her high hopes for James and John, which hopes now lie buried in His tomb. And so perhaps with them all. Nevertheless, oh, how they loved Him!
But two of the Marys are singled out beyond the others — apart from the others. The great stone has been rolled to the door of the sepulchre. Joseph and the others have departed to their own homes, but "there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sitting over against the sepulchre" (verse 61).
48 "The mother of Jesus." Our Lord's humanity was not heavenly in the Gnostic sense, He did really take of His mother's substance. This Evangelist never mentions her name, although he gives that of His father (John 21); all the others name her. It is one of the indications of John the Apostle's authorship. The name Mary was borne also by (α) the wife of Cleophas (Alphæus), (see note on John 19:25); (β) the Magdalene; (γ) a sister of Lazarus.
SOME STANDING NEAR THE CROSS (vv. 25-27)
In Luke 23:49 we read of His followers who “stood afar off, beholding these things.” But here we see standing by the cross “His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.” Warmth of love toward Him is that which overcomes fear. John, the writer of this book, is nearby also. It would seem that there were three Mary's present besides His mother's sister, who is not named.
John 19:25. “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus (1) His mother and (2) His mother’s sister, (3) Mary the wife of Cleophas, and (4) Mary Magdalene.” Here the Virgin Mary is put first, but simply one of four, but described as “His mother.”
351 John 19:26. — Most commentators take Mary, wife of Cleopas, as sister of the Lord's mother, but Bengel, Meyer, Alford, Norris, Weiss, Mayor and Zahn regard Salome as sister of the Lord's mother (Cf. Matt. 27:56 and Mark 15:40), so making four women. According to their view, the Evangelist and his brother James would be cousins of our Lord.
So John started life with a bit of a handicap. He was the son of Zebedee and his mother is also referred to in several places. If you compare the accounts of the women who stood at the cross of the Lord Jesus in the Gospels of John and Mark there is real reason to believe that his mother's name was Salome and that she was one of the women there. John's Gospel gives us three names of women at the cross and mentions one to be the sister of Mary the mother of the Lord Jesus. Mark's Gospel mentions Salome as one of the women and it would be strange if two sisters each had the first name Mary which would be the only other way to understand the reference in John if Salome is not this one, but if Salome is indeed the mother of James and John then she is also the sister of Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus, so that humanly speaking it may well be that the apostle John was a half-cousin to the Lord Jesus. I just mention this in passing. It is not that we want to build on this, because Scripture does not build on it, but it is interesting to see the connection.
On comparing these statements, there cannot, I think, be any doubt that Mary the mother of Jude, James and Joses, and "The other Mary," constantly associated with Mary Magdalene, are the same, nor that Mary the wife of Cleopas is also. Jude is brother of James, and James is son of Alpheus, alleged to be the same as Cleopas, and James Jude) and Joses sons of Mary, I suppose wife of Cleopas. Thus the identity and connection of persons is evident. Mary called "The other Mary," the constant companion of Mary Magdalene, was wife of Cleopas and mother of James, Jude, Joses, and Simon, and these were immediate relations of Christ; whether by Cleopas or Mary does not appear. This does not affect the question as to Mary's having a family after the birth of Christ, nor her living with Joseph, of which I think Scripture leaves no doubt. But further, this would determine that James the Lord's brother is the apostle James the less, because James the Lord's brother is brother of Jude; Mark 6:3. And James the apostle is Jude's brother; Luke 6:16; and son of Alpheus. And, I think, from the place James holds in the Acts, and in the Galatians, it is the same James, and not another. For in Galatians it is "James the Lord's brother," and "Certain came from James"; and in Acts "Tell it to James," and James presides, in a sense, in Acts 15. The absence of all addition in the case of James is the natural proof of his being the well-known James.
Verses
- Luke 8:2–32and certain women who had been healed of wicked spirits and infirmities, Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3and Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to him of their substance.
- 1 Chronicles 4:17And the sons of Ezra Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon; and she conceived [and bore] Miriam, and Shammai, and Jishbah the father of Eshtemoa.
- Luke 1:27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name [was] Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name [was] Mary.
- Matthew 1:16and Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
- Acts 1:14These gave themselves all with one accord to continual prayer, with [several] women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
- Mark 16:9Now when he had risen very early, the first [day] of the week, he appeared first to Mary of Magdala, out of whom he had cast seven demons.
- Luke 10:38–3938And it came to pass as they went that he entered into a certain village; and a certain woman, Martha by name, received him into her house. 39And she had a sister called Mary, who also, having sat down at the feet of Jesus was listening to his word.