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King James Version

Mark 14:3

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Alabaster;   Box;   Jesus, the Christ;   Leprosy;   Mary;   Ointment;   Simon;   Spikenard;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Alabaster;   Guest, Christ a;   Hospitality;   Ministry, Woman's;   Simon;   Social Life;   Spikenard;   Woman's;   Women;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Simon;   Spikenard;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Head;   Oil;   Spices;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Priest, Christ as;   Remember, Remembrance;   Wealth;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Alabaster;   Banquet;   Bethany;   Box;   Mary;   Simon;   Spikenard;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Alabaster;   Bethany;   Jesus Christ;   Lazarus;   Simeon;   Spikenard;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Banquet;   Bethany;   Box;   Mark, the Gospel of;   Martha;   Minerals and Metals;   Nard;   Ointment;   Purity-Purification;   Spices;   Spikenard;   Vessels and Utensils;   Woman;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Bethany;   Gospels;   Jewels and Precious Stones;   John, Gospel of;   Lazarus;   Mark, Gospel According to;   Mary;   Matthew, Gospel According to;   Mss;   Ointment;   Simon;   Spikenard;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Alabaster ;   Anointing (2);   Bethany ;   Claim;   Consciousness;   Cruse;   Feet (2);   Giving;   Head ;   Insight;   Leprosy ;   Loneliness;   Mark, Gospel According to;   Martha ;   Mary;   Meals;   Mount of Olives ;   Nard ;   Ointment (2);   Passion Week;   Premeditation;   Preparation ;   Simon;   Simple, Simplicity ;   Sisters;   Spikenard ;   Surname;   Trinity (2);   Wealth (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Alabaster;   Bethany ;   Mary, Sister of Lazarus and Martha;   Simon ;   Spikenard,;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Chamber;   Passover;   Spikenard;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Alabaster;   Bethany;   Martha;   Spikenard;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Alabaster,;   Si'mon;   Spikenard;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Alabaster box;   Bethany;   Palace;   Spikenard;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Mary;   Spikenard;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Alabaster;   Bethany;   Box;   Cruse;   Joy;   Judas Iscariot;   Leper;   Martha;   Mary;   Oil;   Olives, Mount of;   Precious;   Simon (2);   Spikenard;   Triclinium;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Alabaster;   Bethany;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Alabaster;   Nard;   New Testament;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
While he was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured it on his head.
King James Version (1611)
And being in Bethanie, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sate at meat, there came a woman, hauing an Alabaster boxe of oyntment of spikenard very precious, and shee brake the boxe, and powred it on his head.
English Standard Version
And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.
New American Standard Bible
While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the Leper, He was reclining at the table, and a woman came with an alabaster vial of very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke the vial and poured the perfume over His head.
New Century Version
Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, who had a skin disease. While Jesus was eating there, a woman approached him with an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She opened the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' head.
Amplified Bible
While He was in Bethany [as a guest] at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster vial of very costly and precious perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured the perfume over His head.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head.
Legacy Standard Bible
And while He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster jar of perfume of very costly pure nard; and she broke the jar and poured it over His head.
Berean Standard Bible
While Jesus was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured it on Jesus' head.
Contemporary English Version
Jesus was eating in Bethany at the home of Simon, who once had leprosy, when a woman came in with a very expensive bottle of sweet-smelling perfume. After breaking it open, she poured the perfume on Jesus' head.
Complete Jewish Bible
While he was in Beit-Anyah in the home of Shim‘on (a man who had had tzara‘at), and as he was eating, a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfume, pure oil of nard, very costly. She broke the jar and poured the perfume over Yeshua's head.
Darby Translation
And when he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he lay at table, there came a woman having an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly; and having broken the alabaster flask, she poured it out upon his head.
Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper. While he was eating there, a woman came to him. She had an alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume made of pure nard. She opened the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' head.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when hee was in Bethania in the house of Simon the leper, as he sate at table, there came a woman hauing a boxe of oyntment of spikenarde, very costly, and shee brake the boxe, and powred it on his head.
George Lamsa Translation
When he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, while he reclined, there came a woman who had with her an alabaster vessel of perfume of pure nard, of good quality and very expensive; and she opened it, and poured it upon the head of Jesus.
Good News Translation
Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, a man who had suffered from a dreaded skin disease. While Jesus was eating, a woman came in with an alabaster jar full of a very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' head.
Lexham English Bible
And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining for a meal, a woman came holding an alabaster flask of very costly perfumed oil of genuine nard. After breaking the alabaster flask, she poured it out on his head.
Literal Translation
And He being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He reclined, a woman came, having an alabaster vial of pure, costly ointment of nard. And breaking the alabaster vial, she poured it down His head.
American Standard Version
And while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster cruse of ointment of pure nard very costly; and she brake the cruse, and poured it over his head.
Bible in Basic English
And while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, seated at table, there came a woman with a bottle of perfumed oil of great price; and when the bottle was broken she put the perfume on his head.
Hebrew Names Version
While he was at Beit-Anyah, in the house of Shim`on the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard -- very costly. She broke the jar, and poured it over his head.
International Standard Version
While Jesushe
">[fn] was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper and sitting at the table, a woman arrived with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume on his head.Matthew 26:6; Luke 7:37; John 12:1,3;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And when he was at Bethania in the house of Shemun the leper, as he reclined, there came a woman who had with her a vase of the balsam of the choicest nard of great prices; and she opened it, and poured it upon the head of Jeshu.
Murdock Translation
And when he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he reclined, a woman came having an alabaster box of precious ointment of spikenard, of great price; and she opened and poured upon the head of Jesus.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when he was at Bethanie, in the house of Simon the leper, euen as he sate at meate, there came a woman hauyng an alabaster boxe of very precious oyntment, [called] Narde pisrike, and she brake the boxe, and powred it on his head.
English Revised Version
And while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster cruse of ointment of spikenard very costly; and she brake the cruse, and poured it over his head.
World English Bible
While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, there came a woman having an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard -- very costly. She broke the jar, and poured it over his head.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment, of spikenard, very costly; and shaking the box, she poured it on his head.
Weymouth's New Testament
Now when He was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the Leper, while He was at table, there came a woman with a jar of pure, sweet-scented ointment very costly: she broke the jar and poured the ointment over His head.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne he was at Betanye, in the hous of Symount leprous, and restide, a womman cam, that hadde a boxe of alabastre of precious oynement spikenard; and whanne the boxe of alabastre was brokun, sche helde it on his heed.
Update Bible Version
And while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat to eat, there came a woman having an alabaster cruse of ointment of pure nard very costly; [and] she broke the cruse, and poured it over his head.
Webster's Bible Translation
And being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very precious; and she broke the box, and poured [it] on his head.
New English Translation
Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of costly aromatic oil from pure nard. After breaking open the jar, she poured it on his head.
New King James Version
Matthew 26:6-13; John 12:1-8">[xr] And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.
New Living Translation
Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.
New Life Bible
Jesus was in the town of Bethany eating in the house of Simon. Simon was a man with a very bad skin disease. A woman came with a jar of special perfume. She had given much money for this. She broke the jar and poured the special perfume on the head of Jesus.
New Revised Standard
While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, he being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining, there came a woman, holding an alabaster-jar of perfume, pure spikenard, very costly; and breaking the jar she was pouring down the perfume , upon his head.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, and was at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of precious spikenard. And breaking the alabaster box, she poured it out upon his head.
Revised Standard Version
And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
When he was in Bethania in the housse of Simon the leper even as he sate at meate ther came a woma hauynge an alablaster boxe of oyntment called narde that was pure and costly: and she brake the boxe and powred it on is heed.
Young's Literal Translation
And he, being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, at his reclining (at meat), there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment, of spikenard, very precious, and having broken the alabaster box, did pour on his head;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And when he was at Bethanye in the house of Symon the leper, and sat at the table, there came a woman, which had a boxe of pure and costly Nardus oyntment. And she brake ye boxe, & poured it vpo his heade.
Mace New Testament (1729)
now being at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, while he was at table, there came a woman with a viol full of the perfume of spikenard, which was very costly; and she opened the viol, and poured it upon his head.
THE MESSAGE
Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. "That's criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year's wages and handed out to the poor." They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her.
Simplified Cowboy Version
While Jesus was staying in Bethany at the house of a fellow named Simon (who had a terrible skin disease), he relaxed at the table. A woman came by the house and had a small, but extremely expensive jar of aromatic oil. She opened it and poured the whole thing on Jesus's head (this was a great honor she was trying to give him).

Contextual Overview

1 After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. 2 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people. 3 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. 4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. 6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. 8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. 10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

being: Matthew 26:6, Matthew 26:7, John 11:2, John 12:1-3

of ointment: Song of Solomon 4:13, Song of Solomon 4:14, Song of Solomon 5:5, Luke 7:37, Luke 7:38

spikenard: or, pure nard, or liquid nard

Reciprocal: Psalms 106:31 - General Matthew 25:17 - he also Mark 16:1 - sweet Luke 7:36 - one John 12:2 - Martha John 12:3 - took

Cross-References

Genesis 19:24
Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;
Numbers 34:12
And the border shall go down to Jordan, and the goings out of it shall be at the salt sea: this shall be your land with the coasts thereof round about.
Deuteronomy 3:17
The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdothpisgah eastward.
Joshua 3:16
That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
Psalms 107:34
A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And being in Bethany,.... A place about two miles from Jerusalem, whither he retired after he had took his leave of the temple, and had predicted its destruction; a place he often went to, and from, the last week of his life; having some dear friends, and familiar acquaintance there, as Lazarus, and his two sisters, Martha and Mary, and the person next mentioned:

in the house of Simon the leper; so called because he had been one, and to distinguish him from Simon the Pharisee, and Simon Peter the apostle, and others; :-;

as he sat at meat there came a woman; generally thought to be Mary Magdalene, or Mary the sister of Lazarus:

having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard; or "pure nard", unmixed and genuine; or liquid nard, which was drinkable, and so easy to be poured out; or Pistic nard, called so, either from "Pista", the name of a place from whence it was brought, or from "Pistaca", which, with the Rabbins, signifies "maste"; of which, among other things, this ointment was made. Moreover, ointment of nard was made both of the leaves of nard, and called foliate nard, and of the spikes of it, and called, as here, spikenard. Now ointment made of nard was, as Pliny says w, the principal among ointments. The Syriac is, by him, said to be the best; this here is said to be

very precious, costly, and valuable:

and she brake the box. The Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it, "she opened it"; and the Persic version, "she opened the head", or "top of the bottle", or "vial":

and poured it on his head; on the head of Christ, as the same version presses it; :-.

w Nat. Hist. l. 12. c. 12.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 26:1-16.

Mark 14:1

And of unleavened bread - So called because at that feast no other bread was used but that which had been made without leaven or yeast.

By craft - By subtlety (Matthew); that is, by some secret plan that would secure possession of him without exciting the opposition of the people.

Mark 14:3

Ointment - This word does not convey quite the proper meaning. This was a perfume. It was used only to give a pleasant odor, and was liquid.

Of spikenard - The “nard,” from which this perfume was made, is a plant of the East Indies, with a small, slender stalk, and a heavy, thick root. The best perfume is obtained from the root, though the stalk and fruit are used for that purpose.

And she brake the box - This may mean no more than that she broke the “seal” of the box, so that it could be poured out. Boxes of perfumes are often sealed or made fast with wax, to prevent the perfume from escaping. It was not likely that she would break the box itself when it was unnecessary, and when the unguent, being liquid, would have been wasted; nor from a broken box or vial could she easily have “poured it” on his head.

Mark 14:5

Three hundred pence - About forty dollars (or 9 British pounds). See the notes at Matthew 26:7.

Mark 14:8

She hath done what she could - She has showed the highest attachment in her power; and it was, as it is now, a sufficient argument against there being any “real” waste, that it was done for the honor of Christ. See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 26:1-16.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Mark 14:3. Alabaster box — Among critics and learned men there are various conjectures concerning the alabaster mentioned by the evangelists: some think it means a glass phial; others, that it signifies a small vessel without a handle, from α negative and λαβη, a handle; and others imagine that it merely signifies a perfume or essence bottle. There are several species of the soft calcareous stone called alabaster, which are enumerated and described in different chemical works.

Spikenard — Or nard. An Indian plant, whose root is very small and slender. It puts forth a long and small stalk, and has several ears or spikes even with the ground, which has given it the name of spikenard: the taste is bitter, acrid, and aromatic, and the smell agreeable. CALMET.

Very precious — Or rather, unadulterated: this I think is the proper meaning of πιστικης. Theophylact gives this interpretation of the passage: "Unadulterated hard, and prepared with fidelity." Some think that πιστικη is a contraction of the Latin spicatae, and that it signifies the spicated nard, or what we commonly call the spikenard. But Dr. Lightfoot gives a different interpretation. πιστικη he supposes to come from the Syriac פיסתקא pistike, which signifies the acorn: he would therefore have it to signify an aromatic confection of nard, maste, or myrobalane. See his Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations; and see Scheuchzer's Physica Sacra.

She brake the box — Rather, she broke the seal. This is the best translation I can give of the place; and I give it for these reasons:

1. That it is not likely that a box exceedingly precious in itself should be broken to get out its contents.

2. That the broken pieces would be very inconvenient if not injurious to the head of our Lord, and to the hands of the woman.

3. That it would not be easy effectually to separate the oil from the broken pieces. And,

4. That it was a custom in the eastern countries to seal the bottles with wax that held the perfumes; so that to come at their contents no more was necessary than to break the seal, which this woman appears to have done; and when the seal was thus broken, she had no more to do than to pour out the liquid ointment, which she could not have done had she broken the bottle.

The bottles which contain the [Hindu] gul i attyr, or attyr of roses, which come from the east, are sealed in this manner. See a number of proofs relative to this point in HARMER'S Observations, vol. iv. 469. Pouring sweet-scented oil on the head is common in Bengal. At the close of the festival of the goddess Doorga, the Hindoos worship the unmarried daughters of Brahmins: and, among other ceremonies, pour sweet-scented oil on their heads. WARD'S Customs.


 
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