Mark 14:7
5 It could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her.
6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone; why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful deed to Me.
The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have Me.
8 She has done what she could to anoint My body in advance of My burial.
9 And truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have Me.
- KJV
- For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
- WEB
- For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me.
- ASV
- For ye have the poor always with you, and whensoever ye will ye can do them good: but me ye have not always.
- DARBY
- for ye have the poor always with you, and whenever ye would ye can do them good; but me ye have not always.
- BLB
- For the poor you⁺ always have with you, and you⁺ are able to do them good whenever you⁺ desire; but not always do you⁺ have Me.
- ÅB
- For de fattige har dere alltid hos dere, og når dere vil, kan dere gjøre vel mot dem; men meg har dere ikke alltid.
- OTB
- Dere har alltid de fattige hos dere, og dere kan hjelpe dem når dere vil. Men meg har dere ikke alltid.
- B1930
- For de fattige har I alltid hos eder, og når I vil, kan I gjøre vel mot dem; men mig har I ikke alltid.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Deuteronomy 15:11
For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land.
Read in contextMatthew 26:11
The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.
Read in contextJames 2:14–16
What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
Read in context1 John 3:16–19
By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
Read in contextJohn 16:5
Now, however, I am going to Him who sent Me; yet none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’
Read in contextJohn 13:33
Little children, I am with you only a little while longer. You will look for Me, and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
Read in contextMatthew 25:35–45
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in,
Read in contextActs 3:21
Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets.
Read in context