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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - John 12:7 - 12:7
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Suffer her to keep it against the day of my burying (Aphes autēn, hina eis tēn hēmeran tou entaphiasmou mou tērēsēi auto). This reading (hina tērēsēi, purpose clause with hina and first aorist active subjunctive of tēreō) rather than that of the Textus Receptus (just tetēreken, perfect active indicative) is correct. It is supported by Aleph B D L W Theta. The hina can be rendered as above after aphes according to Koiné idiom or more probably: “Let her alone: it was that,” etc. (supplying “it was”). Either makes good sense. The word entaphiasmos is a later and rare substantive from the late verb entaphiazō, to prepare for burial (Mat 26:12; Joh 19:40), and means preparation for burial. In N.T. only here and Mar 14:8. “Preparation for my burial” is the idea here and in Mark. The idea of Jesus is that Mary had saved this money to use in preparing his body for burial. She is giving him the flowers before the funeral. We can hardly take it that Mary did not use all of the ointment for Mark (Mar 14:3) says that she broke it and yet he adds (Mar 14:8) what John has here. It is a paradox, but Jesus is fond of paradoxes. Mary has kept this precious gift by giving it now beforehand as a preparation for my burial. We really keep what we give to Christ. This is Mary’s glory that she had some glimmering comprehension of Christ’s death which none of the disciples possessed.