Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56) and was one of those who had “a vision of angels, which said that he was
alive.” (Luke 24:23) She had four sons and at least three daughters. The names of the daughters
are unknown to us; those of the sons are, James, Joses, Jude and Simon, two of whom became
enrolled among the twelve apostles [James The Less], and a third [Simon] may have succeeded his
brother ill charge of the church of Jerusalem. By many she is thought to have been the sister of the
Virgin Mary.
Mary Magdalene
Different explanations have been given of this name; but the most natural is that she came from
the town of Magdala. She appears before us for the first time in (Luke 8:2) among the women who
“ministered unto him of their substance.” All appear to have occupied a position of comparative
wealth. With all the chief motive was that of gratitude for their deliverance from “evil spirits and
infirmities.” Of Mary it is said specially that “seven devils went out of her,” and the number indicates
a possession of more than ordinary malignity. She was present during the closing hours of the agony
on the cross. (John 19:25) She remained by the cross till all was over, and waited till the body was
taken down and placed in the garden sepulchre of Joseph of Arimathaea, (Matthew 27:61; Mark
15:47; Luke 23:55) when she, with Salome and Mary the mother of James, “bought sweet spices
that they might come and anoint” the body. (Mark 16:1) The next morning accordingly. in the
earliest dawn, (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2) they came with Mary the mother of James to the sepulchre.
Mary Magdalene had been to the tomb and had found it empty, and had seen the “vision of angels.”
(Matthew 28:5; Mark 16:6) To her first of all Jesus appeared after his resurrection. (John 20:14,15)
Mary Magdalene has become the type of a class of repentant sinners; but there is no authority for
identifying her with the “sinner” who anointed the feet of Jesus in (Luke 7:36-50) neither is there
any authority for the supposition that Mary Magdalene is the same as the sister of Lazarus. Neither
of these theories has the slightest foundation in fact.
Mary The Virgin
the mother of our Lord. There is no person perhaps in sacred or profane history around whom
so many legends have been grouped a the Virgin Mary; and there are few whose authentic history
is more concise. She was, like Joseph, of the tribe of Judah and of the lineage of David. (Psalms
132:11; Luke 1:32; Romans 1:3) She had a sister, named, like herself, (John 19:25) and she was
connected by marriage, (Luke 1:36) with Elizabeth, who was of the tribe of Levi and of the lineage
of Aaron. This is all that we know of her antecedents. She was betrothed to Joseph of Nazareth;
but before her marriage she became with child by the Holy Ghost, and became the mother of Jesus
Christ, the Saviour of the world. Her history at this time, her residence at Bethlehem, flight to
Egypt, and return to her early home st Nazareth, are well known. Four times only does she appear
after the commencement of Christ’s ministry. These four occasions are—
•The marriage at Cana in Galilee took place in the three months which intervened between the
baptism of Christ and the passover of the year 27. Mary was present, and witnessed the first miracle
performed by Christ, when he turned the water into wine. She had probably become a widow
before this time.
•Capernaum, (John 2:12) and Nazareth, (Matthew 4:13; 13:54; Mark 6:1) appear to have been the
residence of Mary for a considerable period. The next time that she is brought before us we find
her at Capernaum, where she, with other relatives, had gone to inquire about the strange stories
they had heard of her son Jesus. They sought an audience with our Lord, which was not granted,
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William Smith