Luke 7:38

New Century Version

and stood behind Jesus at his feet, crying. She began to wash his feet with her tears, and she dried them with her hair, kissing them many times and rubbing them with the perfume.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
She stood at Jesus' feet, crying. Then she began to wash his feet with her tears. She dried his feet with her hair. She kissed his feet many times and rubbed them with the perfume.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and she stode at his fete behynde him wepynge and beganne to wesshe his fete with teares and dyd wipe the with the heares of her heed and kyssed his fete and anoynted them with oyntment.

Hebrew Names Version
Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

International Standard Version
and knelt at his feet behind him. She was crying and began to wash his feet with her tears and dry them with her hair.the hair of her head">[fn] Then she kissed his feet over and over again, anointing them constantly with the perfume.

New American Standard Bible
and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, and began kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.

Update Bible Version
and standing behind at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Webster's Bible Translation
And stood at his feet behind [him] weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and wiped [them] with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed [them] with the ointment.

Amplified Bible
and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began wetting His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and [respectfully] kissed His feet [as an act signifying both affection and submission] and anointed them with the perfume.

English Standard Version
and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

World English Bible
Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
brought an alabaster box of ointment, And standing at his feet behind him weeping, watered his feet with a shower of tears, and wiped them, with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Weymouth's New Testament
and, standing behind close to His feet, weeping, began to wet His feet with her tears; and with her hair she wiped the tears away again, while she lovingly kissed His feet and poured the perfume over them.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and sche stood bihynde bysidis hise feet, and bigan to moiste hise feet with teeris, and wipide with the heeris of hir heed, and kiste hise feet, and anoyntide with oynement.

English Revised Version
and standing behind at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Berean Standard Bible
As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume.

Contemporary English Version
Then she came and stood behind Jesus. She cried and started washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. The woman kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them.

American Standard Version
and standing behind at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Bible in Basic English
And went in and took her place at the back of him, near his feet, weeping, so that his feet were washed with the drops from her eyes, and with her hair she made them dry, and kissing his feet she put the perfume on them.

Complete Jewish Bible
stood behind Yeshua at his feet and wept until her tears began to wet his feet. Then she wiped his feet with her own hair, kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them.

Darby Translation
and standing at his feet behind [him] weeping, began to wash his feet with tears; and she wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed [them] with the myrrh.

Etheridge Translation
and stood behind him at his feet and wept, and began with her tears to bedrop his feet, and with the hair of her head to wipe them, and she kissed his feet, and anointed (them) with the ointment.

Murdock Translation
and stood behind him, at his feet, and wept; and she began to bathe his feet with her tears, and to wipe them with the hair of her head; and she kissed his feet, and anointed [fn] with the perfume.

King James Version (1611)
And stood at his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feete with teares, and did wipe them with the haires of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the oyntment.

New Living Translation
Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.

New Life Bible
Then she stood behind Him by His feet and cried. Her tears wet His feet and she dried them with her hair. She kissed His feet and put the special perfume on them.

New Revised Standard
She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And shee stoode at his feete behinde him weeping, and began to wash his feete with teares, and did wipe them with the heares of her head, and kissed his feete, and anoynted them with the oyntment.

George Lamsa Translation
And she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and she began to wet his feet with her tears, and to wipe them with the hair of her head, and she kissed his feet, and anointed them with perfume.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and standing behind, near his feet, weeping, with the tears, began she to be wetting his feet, and, with the hair of her head, was wiping off the tears , and was tenderly kissing his feet, and anointing them with the perfume.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And standing behind at his feet. she began to wash his feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

Revised Standard Version
and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And stoode at his feete behynde hym, weepyng, and began to washe his feete with teares, & dyd wype them with the heeres of her head, and kyssed his feete, and anoynted them with the oyntment.

Good News Translation
and stood behind Jesus, by his feet, crying and wetting his feet with her tears. Then she dried his feet with her hair, kissed them, and poured the perfume on them.

Christian Standard Bible®
and stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to wash his feet with her tears. She wiped his feet with her hair, kissing them and anointing them with the perfume.

King James Version
And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Lexham English Bible
and standing behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and was wiping them with the hair of her head and was kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfumed oil.

Literal Translation
and standing at His feet, weeping behind Him , she began to wash His feet with tears. And she was wiping with the hairs of her head. And she ardently kissed His feet and was anointing them with the ointment.

Young's Literal Translation
and having stood behind, beside his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with the tears, and with the hairs of her head she was wiping, and was kissing his feet, and was anointing with the ointment.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& stode behynde at his fete, and wepte, and beganne to water his fete with teares, and to drye the wt the hayres of hir heade, and kyssed his fete, & anoynted the with oyntmet.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and stood behind at his feet weeping, bath'd them with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed his feet, and poured the perfume upon them.

New English Translation
As she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfumed oil.

New King James Version
and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.

Simplified Cowboy Version
She knelt down by his feet and sobbed at the plight of her life. Her tears fell on Jesus's boots and she wiped his boots clean with her hair. She even kissed them as she poured the perfume on them.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.

Legacy Standard Bible
And standing behind Him at His feet, crying, she began to wet His feet with her tears. And she kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.

Contextual Overview

³⁶ One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, so Jesus went into the Pharisee's house and sat at the table. ³⁷ A sinful woman in the town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house. So she brought an alabaster jar of perfume ³⁸ and stood behind Jesus at his feet, crying. She began to wash his feet with her tears, and she dried them with her hair, kissing them many times and rubbing them with the perfume. ³⁹ When the Pharisee who asked Jesus to come to his house saw this, he thought to himself, "If Jesus were a prophet, he would know that the woman touching him is a sinner!" ⁴⁰ Jesus said to the Pharisee, "Simon, I have something to say to you." Simon said, "Teacher, tell me." ⁴¹ Jesus said, "Two people owed money to the same banker. One owed five hundred coins and the other owed fifty. ⁴² They had no money to pay what they owed, but the banker told both of them they did not have to pay him. Which person will love the banker more?" ⁴³ Simon, the Pharisee, answered, "I think it would be the one who owed him the most money." Jesus said to Simon, "You are right." ⁴⁴ Then Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss of greeting, but she has been kissing my feet since I came in.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

weeping: Luke 6:21, Luke 22:62, Judges 2:4, Judges 2:5, Ezra 10:1, Psalms 6:6-8, Psalms 38:18, Psalms 51:17, Psalms 126:5, Psalms 126:6, Isaiah 61:3, Jeremiah 31:9, Jeremiah 31:18-20, Joel 2:12, Zechariah 12:10, Matthew 5:4, 2 Corinthians 7:10, 2 Corinthians 7:11, James 4:9

wash: Luke 7:44, Genesis 18:4, John 13:4, John 13:5

and anointed: Luke 7:45, Luke 7:46, Ecclesiastes 9:8, Song of Solomon 1:3, Isaiah 57:9

Reciprocal: Exodus 12:11 - shoes 2 Kings 4:27 - him by the feet Esther 2:12 - six months Matthew 26:7 - very Matthew 28:9 - and held Mark 9:24 - with Mark 14:3 - of ointment Luke 8:44 - behind John 11:2 - anointed John 12:3 - anointed 1 Timothy 5:10 - washed

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And stood at his feet behind him,.... Christ lay upon a bed, or couch, as was the custom of the ancients, both Jews and others, at meals, with his feet put out behind; and between the couches and the walls of the room, there was a space for servants to wait and serve, and such are therefore said to "stand at the feet"; and the phrase is used, as descriptive of servants in waiting n; and in such a situation this woman put herself, as being also ashamed and afraid to come before Christ, and look him in the face; and here she stood weeping for her sins, and melted down with the love of Christ to her soul, and at his discourse:

and began to wash his feet with tears: which fell from her eyes in such abundance upon his feet, as she stood by him that they were like a shower of rain, as the word signifies, with which his feet were as it were bathed and washed; his shoes or sandals being off, as was the custom at eating so to do, lest they should daub the couch or bed, on which they lay o. Her tears she used instead of water; for it was the custom first to wash the feet before they were anointed with oil, which she intended to do; and for which purpose she had brought with her an alabaster box of ointment: it is said p of one,

"when he came home, that his maid brought him a pot of hot water, and he washed his hands and his feet in it; then she brought him a golden basin full of oil, and he dipped his hands and his feet in it, to fulfil what is said,

Deuteronomy 33:24 and after they had eaten and drank, he measured out oil, c.''

And it is: a general rule with the Jews q,

"that whoever anoints his feet, is obliged to washing or dipping.''

And did wipe them with the hairs of her head which were long, and hung loose about her shoulders, it being usual and comely for women to wear long hair, 1 Corinthians 11:15. That which was her ornament and pride, and which she took great care of to nourish and put in proper form, to, render her desirable, she uses instead of a towel to wipe her Lord's feet, and her tears off of them. A like phrase is used of one by Apuleius,

"his verbis amplexibus mollibus decantatus maritus, lachrymasque ejus suis crinibus detergens, c. r:''

"and kissed his feet". This was no unusual practice with the Jews we often read of it s:

"R. Jonathan and R. Jannai were sitting together, there came a certain man, ונשק רגלוי, "and kissed the feet" of R. Jonathan.''

Again t

"R. Meir stood up, and Bar Chama, נשקיה אכרעיה, "kissed his knees", or "feet".''

This custom was also used by the Greeks and Romans among their civilities, and in their salutations u:

and anointed them with the ointment which she brought with her.

n Vid Alstorphium de lectis veterum, p. 106, 107. o Ib. p. 123, 124. p T. Bab. Meuachot, fol. 85. 2. q T. Bab. Zebachim, fol. 26. 2. Maimon. Hilchot Biath Harnikdash, c. 5. sect. 5. r Metamorph. l. 5. s T. Hieros. Peah, fol. 15. 4. & Kiddushin, fol. 61. 3. T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 49. 2. Vid. ib. fol. 63. 1. t T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol 27. 2. u Vid. Aristophanem in vespis, p. 473. Arvian Epictet. l. 3. c. 26. & Alex. ab. Alex. Gen. Dier. l. 2. c. 19.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Stood at his feet behind him - They reclined, at their meals, on their left side, and their feet, therefore, were extended from the table, so that persons could easily approach them. See the notes at Matthew 23:6.

Began to wash his feet - The Jews wore sandals. These were taken off when they entered a house. It was an act of hospitality and kindness to wash the feet of a guest. “She” therefore began to show her love for the Saviour, and at the same time her humility and penitence, by pouring forth a flood of tears, and washing his feet in the manner of a servant.

Kissed his feet - The kiss was an emblem of love and affection. In this manner she testified her love for the Lord Jesus, and at the same time her humility and sense of sin by kissing his feet. There could be few expressions of penitence more deep and tender than were these. A sense of all her sins rushed over her mind; her heart burst at the remembrance of them, and at the presence of the pure Redeemer; with deep sorrow she humbled herself and sought forgiveness. She showed her love for him by a kiss of affection; her humility, by bathing his feet; her veneration, by breaking a costly box - perhaps procured by a guilty life - and anointing his feet. In this way we should all come, embracing him as the loved Redeemer, humbled at his feet, and offering all we have - all that we have gained in lives of sin, in our professions, by merchandise and toil, while we were sinners - offering “all” to his service. Thus shall we show the sincerity of our repentance, and thus shall we hear his gracious voice pronounce our sins forgiven.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 38. Stood at his feet behind him — In taking their meals, the eastern people reclined on one side; the loins and knees being bent to make the more room, the feet of each person were turned outwards behind him. This is the meaning of standing BEHIND at his FEET.

Began to wash his feet with tears — Ηρξατο βρεχειν - τοις δακρυσι, She began to water his feet - to let a shower of tears fall on them. As the Jews wore nothing like our shoes, (theirs being a mere sole, bound about the foot and ancle with thongs,) their feet being so much exposed had frequent need of washing, and this they ordinarily did before taking their meals.

Kissed his feet — With affectionate tenderness, κατεφιλει, or kissed them again and again. Matthew 26:49.

The kiss was used in ancient times as the emblem of love, religious reverence, subjection, and supplication. It has the meaning of supplication, in the way of adoration, accompanied with subjection, in 1 Kings 19:18, Whose mouths have not kissed Baal; and in Job 31:27, My mouth hath not kissed my hand; I have paid no sort of adoration to false gods; and in Psalms 2:12, Kiss the Son lest he be angry,-close in with him, embrace affectionately, the offers of mercy made unto you through Christ Jesus, lest he (the Lord) be angry with you, and ye perish: which commandment this woman seems to have obeyed, both in the literal and spiritual sense. Kissing the feet was practised also among the heathens, to express subjection of spirit, and earnest supplication. See a long example in Raphelius, produced from Polybius, concerning the Carthaginian ambassadors when supplicating the Romans for peace. With an humble and abject mind, πεσοντες επι την γην, they fell down on the earth, τους ποδας καταφιλοιεν τῳ συνεδριῳ, and kissed the feet of the council. See also several examples in Kypke. Kissing the feet is a farther proof that this person had been educated a heathen. This was no part of a Jew's practice.