Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 26:13
Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, [there] shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
Verse 13. Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached] Another remarkable proof of the prescience of Christ. Such a matter as this, humanly speaking, depended on mere fortuitous circumstances, yet so has God disposed matters, that the thing has continued, hitherto, as firm and regular as the ordinances of heaven.
For a memorial of her.] As embalming preserves the body from corruption, and she has done this good work to embalm and preserve this body, so will I order every thing concerning this transaction to be carefully recorded, to preserve her memory to the latest ages. The actions which the world blames, through the spirit of envy, covetousness, or malice, God takes delight to distinguish and record.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Verily I say unto you,…. The following words are prefaced in this manner, to excite attention, and command belief:
wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world. The Syriac version reads it, , “my Gospel”; and so the Persic version; and has respect chiefly to the doctrine of his death, burial, and resurrection, which this action of the woman had relation to; for though the incarnation of Christ, and all the actions of his life, and whatsoever he did for the good, and in the room and stead of his people, are good news and glad tidings to the sons of men, and so the Gospel; yet his dying for sin, and making atonement for it, thereby satisfying justice, fulfilling the law, destroying death, and him that had the power of it, and his lying in the grave, and leaving the sins of his people behind him, and rising again for their justification, which were the ends of his coming into the world, make up the most glorious and principal part of the Gospel: and these words of Christ show that “this” Gospel should be preached; for which purpose he gave a commission and gifts to his disciples, and has done so, more or less, to men, ever since, for the conversion of sinners, and the edification of saints, and the glory of his name; and that this Gospel shall be preached all over the world, as it was by the apostles, agreeably to the commission; and will be again, towards the close of time, when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and then
there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her; of her faith, love, and gratitude; for the memory of the just is blessed, and the righteous are had in everlasting remembrance. Christ suggests, that, though the disciples blamed this action, it should be spoken of by others to her praise and commendation, in all succeeding ages, throughout the world: “a good name”, the wise man says, “is better than precious ointment”, Ec 7:1. This woman got a good name, and obtained a good report by her precious ointment; and if this woman’s action was to be told for a memorial of her, much more what Christ has done and suffered should be told as a memorial of him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
13. Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached. He says that this action will do honor to Mary, because it will be praised by the doctrine of the gospel. Hence we infer, that we ought to estimate our works not by the opinion of men, but by the testimony of the word of God. When he says that she will be held in honorable remembrance throughout the whole world, by this comparison he indirectly censures his disciples; for among strangers, and in distant parts of the world, all nations, with one consent, will applaud this action, which the members of his own household condemned with such bitterness. Christ gently reproves the disciples also, for not entertaining sufficiently honorable views of his future reign; but at the same time, by this expression he bears testimony to the calling of the Gentiles, on which our salvation is founded. In what sense the gospel must be preached throughout the whole world, we have explained under Mat 24:14
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached.The prediction tended, of course assuming the extension of the gospel, to bring about its own fulfilment, but the prevision at such a moment of that universal extension may well take its place among the proofs of a foreknowledge not less than divine. Others saw victory only, and that immediate; He saw condemnation and shame and death, yet not these only, but through them a victory and dominion over the souls of men beyond their wildest dreams.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. This gospel shall be preached That is, the Gospel of the dying Saviour, which he subsequently (Mar 16:15) commanded them to preach in all the world, and to every creature. The words here show that our Lord expected his Gospel to be diffused throughout the world. The fact that the mention of this deed of Mary was to be a memorial, shows that our Lord did not expect, as some say, that the world would soon terminate, but that the Gospel should be preached through future ages and to distant generations. So clearly was our Lord master of the great future that, while great deeds have been done and yet forgotten in all the world, this simple act of tender premonition is to be told through the world and through the lapse of time, and will be celebrated while the world lasts. In that Gospel history many an unhappy character and odious name would be transmitted to posterity; but this deed of Mary should be a precious memorial; and the very name of MARY should be sweet in the ears of mankind.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Truly I say to you, Wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, what this woman has also done will be spoken of for a memorial of her.”
Jesus then points out that this is so precious a moment that it will never be forgotten, and thereby takes the opportunity of reminding His disciples that the Gospel is to be preached throughout the whole world (compare Mat 24:14, and see Mat 28:19). Even though He must die they must recognise that that will not interfere with the future that He has promised. ‘This Gospel.’ The Good News of His death and burial as expressed in this anointing, good news because it would deal for ever with the problem of sin (Mat 20:28; Mat 26:28), will then lead on to His resurrection. Indeed it was because of the supreme importance of His death that this that she had done was so important, and that was why she would ever be remembered for it. It was a prophetic acting out of what was to come.
This remarkable account, followed as it is by an increasing emphasis on women, is a deliberate indication of the new worth being put on women by the Gospel (compare Matt. 14:38; Mat 15:21; where they shared the covenant meal, and see Mat 15:21-28; Mat 27:19; Mat 27:55-56; Mat 27:61; Mat 28:1-11). Just as Matthew had emphasised the move from ‘the lost sheep of the house of Israel’ to an interest in the Gentiles, so now he brings out the growing importance of women (something also very important to Luke).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 26:13 . . ] comp. on Mat 24:14 . In this instance, however, the emphasis is not on (as in Mat 24:14 ), but on : this message of redemption , where points to the subject of the message just hinted at, Mat 26:11-12 , viz. the death of Jesus ; and although the allusion may be but slight, still it is an allusion in living connection with the thoughts of death that filled His soul, and one that naturally springs from the sorrowful emotion of His heart. The thing to which refers is, when put in explicit terms, identical with . . (Act 20:24 ), . . (Eph 1:13 ), . . (Eph 6:15 ), (1Co 1:18 ).
] is not to be connected with . (Fritzsche, Kuinoel), but with . Comp. Mar 14:9 ; denotes the locality in its special , in its most comprehensive sense.
. .] belongs to . She has actually been remembered, and her memory is blessed .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
Ver. 13. Be told for a memorial of her ] Though now she be sharply censured by the traitor for a waster of goods. “Do well and hear ill is written upon heaven gates,” said that martyr. But God will both right his wronged and honour his disparaged. Mary’s name now smells as sweet in all God’s house as ever her ointment did; when Judas’ name rots, and shall do to all posterity. Yea, in the next world, Mary and such, we shall look upon, likely, with thoughts of extraordinary love and sweetness throughout all eternity: as Judas and such, with execrable and everlasting detestation.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
13. ] The only case in which our Lord has made such a promise. We cannot but be struck with the majesty of this prophetic announcement; introduced with the peculiar and weighty , conveying, by implication, the whole mystery of the which should go forth from His Death as its source, looking forward to the end of time, when it shall have been preached in the whole world, and specifying the fact that this deed should be recorded wherever it is preached. We may notice (1) that this announcement is a distinct prophetic recognition by our Lord of the existence of written records , in which the deed should be related; for in no other conceivable way could the universality of mention be brought about: (2) that we have here (if indeed we needed it) a convincing argument against that view of our three first Gospels which supposes them to have been compiled from an original document: for if there had been such a document, it must have contained this narrative, and no one using such a Gospel could have failed to insert this narrative, accompanied by such a promise, in his own work; which St. Luke has failed to do: (3) that the same consideration is equally decisive against Luke having used, or even seen, our present Gospels of Matthew and Mark. (See the English translation of Schleiermacher’s Essay on Luke, p. 121.) (4) As regards the practical use of the announcement, we see that though the honourable mention of a noble deed is thereby recognized by our Lord as a legitimate source of joy to us, yet by the very nature of the case all regard to such mention as a motive is excluded. The motive was Love alone .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 26:13 . . , this gospel, the gospel of my death of love. : after might seem superfluous; not so, however: it serves to indicate the range of the “wheresoever”: wide as the world, universality predicted for Christianity, and also for the heroine of the anointing. Chrysostom, illustrating Christ’s words, remarks: Even those dwelling in the British Isles ( ) speak of the deed done in a house in Judaea by a harlot ( Hom. lxxx.: Chrys. identifies the anointing here with that in Luk 7 ).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Verily. See note on Mat 5:18.
this gospel = the good news.
preached = proclaimed. App-121.
world. Greek. kosmos. App-129.
also this, that = this also which.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
13.] The only case in which our Lord has made such a promise. We cannot but be struck with the majesty of this prophetic announcement; introduced with the peculiar and weighty ,-conveying, by implication, the whole mystery of the which should go forth from His Death as its source,-looking forward to the end of time, when it shall have been preached in the whole world,-and specifying the fact that this deed should be recorded wherever it is preached. We may notice (1) that this announcement is a distinct prophetic recognition by our Lord of the existence of written records, in which the deed should be related; for in no other conceivable way could the universality of mention be brought about: (2) that we have here (if indeed we needed it) a convincing argument against that view of our three first Gospels which supposes them to have been compiled from an original document: for if there had been such a document, it must have contained this narrative, and no one using such a Gospel could have failed to insert this narrative, accompanied by such a promise, in his own work; which St. Luke has failed to do: (3) that the same consideration is equally decisive against Luke having used, or even seen, our present Gospels of Matthew and Mark. (See the English translation of Schleiermachers Essay on Luke, p. 121.) (4) As regards the practical use of the announcement, we see that though the honourable mention of a noble deed is thereby recognized by our Lord as a legitimate source of joy to us, yet by the very nature of the case all regard to such mention as a motive is excluded. The motive was Love alone.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 26:13. , this Gospel) i.e. which Christ preached.[1116]-, shall be spoken of) And so it is. This saving of our Lord was both heard and afterwards committed to writing by St Matthew. Its fulfilment furnishes a proof of the truth of Christianity. No earthly monarch can bestow immortality on any action, even though he employ all his wealth and power to do so.-, a memorial) The memory of the godly may flourish even though their names be unknown.[1117]
[1116] He speaks humbly and modestly.-V. g.
[1117] Comp., however, Joh 12:3 [from which it seems the name of the woman is known, viz. Mary], and footnote on Mat 26:6 above, extracted from the Harm. Ev.: and again, the Gnomon on Luk 24:18.-E. B.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Wheresoever: Mat 24:14, Mat 28:19, Psa 98:2, Psa 98:3, Isa 52:9, Mar 13:10, Mar 16:15, Luk 24:47, Rom 10:18, Rom 15:19, Col 1:6, Col 1:23, 1Ti 2:6, Rev 14:6
there: 1Sa 2:30, Psa 112:6, Mar 14:9, 2Co 10:18, Heb 6:10
Reciprocal: Exo 12:14 – memorial Psa 45:17 – I will Pro 11:16 – gracious Zec 6:14 – a memorial Mat 5:18 – verily 1Co 11:24 – in remembrance
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6:13
This means that the deed of the woman would become a part of the Gospel record and hence would be mentioned wherever the sacred book went.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 26:13. Verily, etc. A solemn, weighty preface.
This gospel. The tidings of salvation, with special reference to Christs death, just alluded to.
In the whole world. A prediction of the world-wide preaching of His death.
That also which this woman did shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. Fulfilled to the letter. John, before he tells of this, speaks of Mary as well known on this account (Joh 11:2). It is right to record and remember the good deeds of those who love Christ, but when the desire to be put on record enters, the ointment is spoiled. This is the only case where such a promise is made; therefore the incident has a weighty lesson and holds up a noble example. Alford suggests, that this prophecy points to a written record: that it shows the Gospels cannot have been made up from some original document now lost; since Luke omits this incident, and such a document would have contained it; Luke could not have seen the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, or he would have inserted this to aid in fulfilling the prophecy.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Our Saviour having defended this holy woman from the calumny of Judas in the foregoing verses, in this he declares, that she should be rewarded with an honourable memorial in all ages of the church: Wheresoever this gospel is preached, this shall be spoken of her. O what care doth Christ take to have the good deeds of his children not buried in the dust with them, but be had in everlasting remembrance. Though sin causes men to rot above ground, to stink alive, and, when they are dead, leave an inglorious memory upon their graves; yet will the actions of the just smell sweet, and blossom in the dust.
Learn hence, That we may laudably prosecute that which will procure us a good name, and spread our reputation to future ages.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
The "gospel" or good news to which Jesus referred was probably the good news about His death, namely, that it is the basis for salvation (Mat 26:12). This is probably not a reference to the gospel of the kingdom. In either case Mary’s act has become a part of the gospel story in the larger sense because the Holy Spirit preserved the record of it in Scripture. Jesus introduced this prediction with His characteristic phrase that highlighted something especially important: "Truly I say to you" or "I tell you the truth."