{Beheld} (ethe(9372)oun). Imperfect tense picturing the two
Marys "sitting over against the sepulchre" ( Mt 27:61 ) and
watching in silence as the shadows fell upon all their hopes and
dreams. Apparently these two remained after the other women who
had been beholding from afar the melancholy end ( Mr 15:40 ) had
left and "were watching the actions of Joseph and Nicodemus"
(Swete). Probably also they saw the body of Jesus carried and
hence they knew where it was laid and saw that it remained there
( etheitai, perfect passive indicative, state of completion).
"It is evident that they constituted themselves a party of
observation" (Gould).
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