John 12:5
3 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.
4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray Him, asked,
“Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”
6 Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She has kept this perfume in preparation for the day of My burial.
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
- “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”
- KJV
- Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
- WEB
- “Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
- ASV
- Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred shillings, and given to the poor?
- DARBY
- Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?
- BLB
- “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
- ÅB
- Hvorfor ble ikke denne salve solgt for tre hundre penninger og gitt til de fattige?
- OTB
- "Hvorfor ble ikke denne parfymen solgt for tre hundre denarer og pengene gitt til de fattige?"
- B1930
- Hvorfor blev ikke denne salve solgt for tre hundre penninger og gitt til de fattige?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Luke 12:33
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
Read in contextLuke 18:22
On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
Read in contextMark 14:4–5
Some of those present, however, expressed their indignation to one another: “Why this waste of perfume?
Read in contextMatthew 26:8–9
When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, “Why this waste?
Read in contextLuke 6:41
Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?
Read in contextMalachi 1:10–13
“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle useless fires on My altar! I take no pleasure in you,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.
Read in contextExodus 5:8
But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
Read in contextAmos 8:5
asking, “When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, that we may market wheat? Let us reduce the ephah and increase the shekel; let us cheat with dishonest scales.
Read in context