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Mar_14:3-9.[160] See on Mat_26:6-13. Comp. Joh_12:1-8, who also has the peculiar expression πιστικῆς , either directly from Mark, or from the form of tradition from which Mark also adopted it. Luke has at Mar_7:36 ff. a history of an anointing, but a different one.
μύρου νάρδου ] On the costliness of this, see Pliny, H. N. xiii. 2.
πιστικῆς ] See on this word, Fritzsche in loc. and in the Hall. Lit. Z. 1840, p. 179 ff.; Lücke on Joh_12:3; Winer, p. 89 [E. T. 121]; Wichelhaus, Leidensgesch. p. 74 f.; Stephani Thes., ed. Hase, VI. p. 1117. πιστικός , in demonstrable usage, means nothing else than (1) convincing, persuading (Xen. Cyrop. i. 6. 10 : πιστικωτέρους … λόγους , Plato, Gorg. p. 455 A: ὁ ῥήτωρ ἐστι … πιστικὸς μόνον ), thus being equivalent to πειστικός ; (2) faithful, trustworthy (Artemidorus, Oneir. ii. 32, p. 121: γυνὴ πιστικὴ καὶ οἰκουρός , comp. πιστικῶς , Plut. Pel. 8; Scymn. orb. descr. 42), thus equivalent to πιστός . The latter signification is here to be maintained: nard, on which one can rely, i.e. unadulterated genuine nard, as Eusebius, Demonstr. ev. 9, calls the gospel the εὐφροσύνη τοῦ πιστικοῦ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης κράματος (where the contextual reference to the drinking lies not in πιστικοῦ , but in κράματος ). The opposite is “pseudonardus” (Plin. H. N. xii. 12. 26), with which the genuine nard was often adulterated (comp. also Dioscor. mat. med. i. 6 f.). This is the explanation already given by Theophylact, Euthymius Zigabenus (both of whom, however, add that a special kind of nard may also be intended), and most of the older and more recent commentators (Lücke is not decided). But Eritzsche (following Casaubon, Beza, Erasmus Schmid, Maldonatus, and others of the older expositors quoted by Wolf, who deduce it from πίνω ) derives it from πιπίσκω , and explains it as nardus potabilis. Certainly anointing oils, and especially oil of spikenard, were drunk mingled with wine (Athen. xv. p. 689; Lucian, Nigrin. 31; Juvenal, Sat. vi. 303; Hirtius, de bell. Hisp. 33. 5; Plin. H. N. xiv. 19. 5; and see in general, Hermann, Privatalterth. § 26. 8, 9); but the actual usus loquendi stands decidedly opposed to this view, for according to it πιστός doubtless (Aesch. Prom. 478; Lobeck, Technol. p. 131) has the signification of drinkable, but not πιστικός , even apart from the facts that the context does not point to this quality, and that it is asserted not of the ointment, but of the nard (the plant). The usus loquendi, moreover, is decisive against all other explanations, such as that of the Vulgate (comp. Castalio, Hammond, Grotius, Wetstein, Rosenmüller): spicati;[161] and that of Scaliger: pounded nard (equivalent to πιστκῆς ), from πτίσσω , although this etymology in itself would be possible (Lobeck, Paralip. p. 31). Others have derived πιστικῆς from the proper name of some unknown place (Pistic nard), as did Augustine; but this was a cutting of the knot.[162]
πολυτελοῦς ] belongs to ΜΎΡΟΥ , not to ΝΆΡΔΟΥ , which has its epithet already, and see Mar_14:5. Comp. Mat_26:7.
ΣΥΝΤΡΊΨΑΣΑ ] neither: she rubbed it and poured, etc. (Kypke), nor: she shook the vessel (Knatchbull, Hammond, Wakefield, Silv. crit. V. p. 57), but: she broke it (Sir_21:14; Bar_6:17; Dem. 845, 18; Xen., et al.), namely, the narrow (Plin. H. N. ix. 35) neck of the vessel, for she had destined the entire contents for Jesus, nothing to be reserved.
τὴν ἀλάβ .] ἈΛΆΒΑΣΤΡΟς occurs in all the three genders, and the codices vary accordingly. See the critical remarks.
ΑὐΤΟῦ Τῆς ΚΕΦΑΛῆς ] (see the critical remarks) on him upon the head, without the preposition usual in other cases (Plato, Rep. iii. p. 397 E), κατά before Τῆς ΚΕΦΑΛῆς (Plato, Leg. vii. p. 814 D; Herod, iv. 62).
Mar_14:4. But there were some, who grumbled to one another (uttered grumblings to one another). πρὸς ἐαυτ ., as at Mar_11:31, Mar_10:26, al. What they murmured, is contained in what follows, without καὶ λέγοντες . Comp. the use of ΘΑΥΜΆΖΕΙΝ , mirabundum quaerere, in Sturz, Lex. Xen. II. p. 511 f.
Mar_14:5. ἐνεβριμ . αὐτῇ ] they were angry at her. Comp. Mar_1:43.
Mar_14:7. καὶ ὅταν θέλητε κ . τ . λ .] certainly an amplifying addition of tradition, found neither in Matthew nor in John.
Mar_14:8. What she was able (to do) she has done; the greatest work of love which was possible to her, she has done. Comp. Xen. Mem. ii. 1. 30: διὰ τὸ μηδὲν ἔχειν , ὅ τι ποιῇς .
ΠΡΟΈΛΑΒΕ Κ . Τ . Λ .] Beforehand she hath anointed my body on behalf of embalming (in order thereby to embalm it). A classical writer would have said προλαβοῦσα ἐμίρισε (Xen. Cyr. i. 2.3; Thuc. iii. 3; Dem. 44, 3, al.). Passages with the infinitive from Josephus may be seen in Kypke, I. 192. We may add that the expression in Mark already betrays the explanatory tradition.
Mar_14:9. εἰς ὅλον τ . κόσμον ] as in Mar_1:39. The relation to ὍΠΟΥ is as at Mat_26:13.
[160] Holtzmann, p. 95, attributes to this episode the significant purpose of introducing the attitude of the betrayer, whose psychological crisis had now set in, in making advances to meet the Sanhedrim. But this could only be the case, if Mark and Matthew had named Judas as the murmurer. Now Mark has τινές in general, and Matthew designates οἱ μαθηταί as the murmurers. John is the first to name Judas.
[161] Mark having retained the Latin word, but having given to it another form. See also Estius, Annot. p. 892.—Several codd. of the It., too, have the translation spicati; others: pistici, Verc.: optimi.
[162] Still the possibility of its being the adjective of a local name may not be called in question. In fact, the Scholiast, Aesch. Pers. 1, expressly says: τάδε μὲν Περσῶν πιστὰ καλεῖται … πόλις ἐστι Περσῶν Πίστενρα καλουμένη , ἥν συγκόψας ὁ ποιητὴς Πίστα ἔφη . Lobeck, Pathol. p. 282, remarks on this: “Somnium hoc est, sed nititur observatione licentiae popularis, qua nomina peregrina varie et multipliciter interpolantur.” On the taking of it as a local designation depends the translation pistici, which the Vulgate also, along with codd. of It., has in Joh_12:3, although in the present passage it gives spicati.