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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar_14:3-9
3While 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. 4But some were indignantly remarking to one another, "Why has this perfume been wasted? 5For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they were scolding her. 6But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. 7For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. 8She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. 9Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."
Mar_14:3 "Bethany" A city on the ridge known as the Mt. of Olives, not far from Jerusalem, was a popular place for pilgrims to sleep during the three annual mandatory feasts. Every Jewish family who lived close to Jerusalem was culturally obligated to open their homes to pilgrims.
▣ "Simon the leper" In the OT leprosy was a sign of God's displeasure. It had terrible social ramifications. This man had apparently been cured, possibly by Jesus. Leprosy in the ancient world incorporated many different kinds of skin diseases (cf. Leviticus 13-14), not just our modern leprosy.
The parallel in Joh_12:2-8 implies that this was the home of Lazarus and that Mary, his sister, was the woman. Could it be that Simon was their father whom Jesus had previously healed?
▣ "reclining at the table" They did not use chairs, but reclined at three low tables forming a horseshoe-shape, on their left elbow with their feet behind them.
▣ "came a woman" Luk_7:36-50 records a very similar anointing experience in the same place, but by a sinful woman. Joh_12:3 names this woman as Mary, Lazarus' sister, but Mark gives no name. Mark, writing so early, possibly was afraid to identify her as a follower of Jesus, while John, writing much later, felt free to name her (cf. Lenski's St. Mark's Gospel).
This is surely a wonderful loving act which symbolized Jesus' soon to be burial.
NASB "an alabaster vial"
NKJV "alabaster flask"
NRSV, TEV,
NJB "alabaster jar"
This was a sealed container of white opaque stone from Alabastron, a city in Egypt. Once opened it could not be resealed. Joh_12:3 tells us it contained a whole pound. This could have been her marriage dowry. It was obviously an act of extravagant love and devotion.
Mar_14:3
NASB "costly perfume of pure nard"
NKJV "very costly oil of spikenard"
NRSV "very costly ointment of nard"
TEV "very expensive perfume made of pure nard"
NJB "very costly ointment, pure nard"
Nard was made from the root of a Himalayan plant. It had a very strong fragrance. The word "pure" is from pistikos, which implies a trustworthy quality (i.e., "genuine" or "unmixed," cf. Joh_12:3).
The term "nard" is probably from Latin (cf. A. T. Robertson Word Pictures in the New Testament vol. 1 p. 380). Mark's Gospel has more Latin words and phrases than any other Gospel. Apparently it is targeted to Romans.
▣ "over His head" John's Gospel tells us the nard was poured on His feet (cf. Joh_12:3). Probably both are true because a whole pound would have been too much for just His head, but would easily anoint His whole body.
It is possible that being anointed on the head would have reminded these Jews of the anointing of a King (cf. 1Sa_10:1; 2Ki_9:3; 2Ki_9:6 and implied in 1Sa_16:13). This may be a royal Messianic symbol as well as a burial procedure/prophecy (cf. Mar_15:46; Mar_16:1; Luk_23:56; Joh_19:39-40).
Mar_14:4 "some" Joh_12:4-5 identifies the questioner as Judas Iscariot. Apparently Jesus's disciples were discussing this among themselves (cf. Mar_9:10; Mar_10:26; Mar_11:31; Mar_12:7; Mar_16:3).
▣ "were indignantly remarking to one another" This is an imperfect periphrastic. The disciples were talking among themselves and deploring the woman's extravagance. They were angry, even indignant. This term is used of Jesus' attitude in Mar_10:14 about the disciples keeping the children away.
▣ "'might have been sold for over three hundred denarii'" Modern monetary equivalents are not helpful because of the changing purchasing power of money. A denarius was the daily wage of a soldier or laborer; therefore, this was almost a year's wage.
Mar_14:5 "'the money given to the poor'" Giving money to the poor during Passover was an important religious requirement of the rabbis (cf. Joh_13:29). It was called almsgiving.
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Mar_14:6 "'Let her alone'" This is an aorist active imperative. Jesus defends this loving, gracious act. He saw it as a prophetic act of preparation for His rapidly approaching death and burial (cf. Mar_14:8).
Mar_14:7 "'For you always have the poor with you'" This is not a disparaging comment about the poor (cf. Deu_15:4; Deu_15:11), but an emphasis on the uniqueness of Jesus and His special time on earth.
Mar_14:8 "'she has anointed My body beforehand'" Could she have understood what the disciples did not? The same type of perfume was used in burial preparations (cf. Joh_19:40).
Mar_14:9 "'Truly'" This is literally "amen." See Special Topic at Mar_3:28.
▣ "'whenever the gospel is preached'" The gospel refers to the message that Jesus taught about God, about humanity, about sin, about Himself, about salvation, and about the afterlife. Jesus revealed these truths to the inspired writers of the NT through the mediation of the Spirit. They are revelatory, not human discovery. It is primarily the revelation of a person and a relationship with that person, not only a creed or a system of doctrines about that person. It involves a personal relationship with Christ by faith and understanding of who He is and why He came, which leads to Christlike living in light of this new relationship with God and a totally new world view.
▣ "'in the whole world'" Jesus expected the gospel to permeate the entire globe (cf. Mar_13:27 and Mat_28:19-20; Luk_24:46-47; Act_1:8).
▣ "'what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her'" Jesus does not forget acts of kindness and devotion. This one is recorded in Scripture, but many others are kept in the heart of God and will be revealed on that great day (cf. Gal_6:7-9; 1Ti_5:25; Rev_14:13; also Mar_2:1; Mar_2:19; Mar_3:8).