Mary then took a pound of very expensive perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Parallel translations
- WEB Mary, therefore, took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.
- KJV Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
- BSB Then Mary took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
- NKJV Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
- NLT Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Mary anoints Jesus' feet with costly nard and wipes them with her hair, filling the house with fragrance. Her act is extravagant worship.
Overview
Mary lavishes precious ointment on Jesus, an act of humble, sacrificial devotion symbolized by wiping his feet with her hair. The costly gift expresses wholehearted love and, as Jesus will explain, anticipates his burial. Her worship stands in stark contrast to Judas's greed in the verses that follow.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Mark 14:3–9While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon 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.
- John 11:2It was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus, was sick.
- Luke 10:38–39As they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
- Matt 26:6–13Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
- Luke 7:37–38Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of ointment.
- John 11:32Therefore when Mary came to where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”
- John 11:28When she had said this, she went away, and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, “The Teacher is here, and is calling you.”
- Luke 7:46You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
- Song 4:13–14Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits: henna with spikenard plants,
- Song 1:3Your oils have a pleasing fragrance. Your name is oil poured out, therefore the virgins love you.
- Song 1:12While the king sat at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance.
- Song 4:10How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine! The fragrance of your perfumes than all kinds of spices!
- Ps 132:2how he swore to Yahweh, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
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Original language
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