ἡ οὖν Μάρθα … ἐκαθέζετο. Martha as the elder sister and mistress of the house (Luke 10:38-40) goes out to meet Jesus, while Mary remained seated in the house. “After the body is carried out of the house all chairs and couches are reversed, and the mourners sit on the ground on a low stool.” Edersheim, loc. cit. On sitting as an attitude of grief see Doughty, Analecta Sacra, on Ezekiel 8:14.

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Old Testament