John 12:3

Love for others Gratitude Praise and worship Money and wealth

¹ Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

² There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

⁴ Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,

⁵ Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Then Mary took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
KJV: Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
WEB: Therefore Mary took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.
ASV: Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.
DARBY: Mary therefore, having taken a pound of ointment of pure nard of great price, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
BLB: Therefore Mary, having taken a litra of fragrant oil of pure nard, of great price, anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

ÅB: Maria tok da et pund ekte, såre kostelig nardus-salve og salvet Jesu føtter, og tørket hans føtter med sitt hår; og huset ble fylt av salvens duft.
OTB: Maria tok en pund meget kostbar parfyme laget av ren nardus, salvet Jesu føtter og tørket dem med sitt hår. Huset ble fylt med duften av parfymen.
B1930: Maria tok da et pund ekte, såre kostelig nardus-salve og salvet Jesu føtter, og tørket hans føtter med sitt hår; og huset blev fylt av salvens duft.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Mark 14:3–9
And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
Read in context
John 11:2
(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
Read in context
Luke 10:38–39
Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
Read in context
Luke 7:37–38
And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
Read in context
Matthew 26:6–13
Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
Read in context
John 11:32
Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
Read in context
John 11:28
And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
Read in context
Luke 7:46
My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Read in context