(A)While He was in (B)Bethany at the home of Simon [a]the Leper, He was reclining at the table, and a woman came with an alabaster vial of very (C)expensive perfume of pure [b]nard. She broke the vial and poured the perfume over His head. But there were some indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume could have been sold for over three hundred [c]denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a good deed for Me. For you always have (D)the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; (E)she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. Truly I say to you, (F)wherever the gospel is preached in the entire world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Mark 14:3 I.e., a nickname; the man no doubt was cured
  2. Mark 14:3 An aromatic oil extracted from an East Indian plant
  3. Mark 14:5 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer

Jesus’ Anointing at Bethany

And while[a] he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as[b] he was reclining for a meal, a woman came holding an alabaster flask of very costly perfumed oil of genuine nard. After[c] breaking the alabaster flask, she poured it[d] out on his head. But some were expressing indignation to one another:[e] “Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil? For this perfumed oil could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor!” And they began to scold[f] her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you cause trouble for her? She has done a good deed to me. For the poor you always have with you, and you can do good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand[g] for burial. And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Mark 14:3 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was”)
  2. Mark 14:3 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was reclining for a meal”)
  3. Mark 14:3 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“breaking”) which is understood as temporal
  4. Mark 14:3 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  5. Mark 14:4 Or perhaps “within themselves”
  6. Mark 14:5 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to scold”)
  7. Mark 14:8 Literally “she has anticipated to anoint my body”