There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
Parallel translations
- WEB a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table.
- BSB a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table.
- NKJV a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.
- NASB a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very expensive perfume, and she poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table.
- NLT While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.
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
A woman pours very expensive ointment on Jesus's head as He reclines at table. Her lavish act expresses wholehearted devotion to Him.
Overview
Anointing the head was a gesture of honor, and the costly perfume signified an extravagant offering. John's Gospel identifies her as Mary of Bethany. Her sacrificial gift, given to Jesus alone, stands as a model of worship that holds nothing back, and Jesus will interpret it as a preparation for His burial.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- John 12:2–3There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
- Luke 7:46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
- Luke 7:37–38And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
- Eccl 9:8Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
- Song 1:3Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.
- Isa 57:9And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.
- Ps 133:2It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
- Exod 30:23–33Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
- Eccl 10:1Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 26:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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