Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 14:5
For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
5. for more than three hundred pence ] i. e. for more than 300 denarii, =300 7 d. = about 10. To Judas it was intolerable there should be such an utter waste of good money.
they murmured ] This word has already been explained in the note on chap. Mar 1:43. Wyclif renders it here “ei groyneden in to hir.” De Wette, “they scolded her.” The word “expresses a passionate feeling, which we strive to keep back in the utterance.” “St Mark, without a doubt, presents here the most accurate historic picture; St John defines most sharply the motive; St Matthew gives the especially practical historic form.” Lange.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 5. It might have been sold] , This ointment, is added by ABCDKL, thirty-five others, AEthiopic, Armenian, Gothic, all the Itala except one. Griesbach has received it into the text. The sum mentioned here would amount to nearly 10 sterling.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
5. For it might have been sold formore than three hundred pencebetween nine and ten poundssterling.
and have been given to thepoor. And they murmured against her“This he said,”remarks John (Joh 12:6), andthe remark is of exceeding importance, “not that he cared forthe poor but because he was a thief, and had the bag”thescrip or treasure chest”and bare what was put therein”not”bare it off” by theft, as some understand it. It is truethat he did this; but the expression means simply that he had chargeof it and its contents, or was treasurer to Jesus and the Twelve.What a remarkable arrangement was this, by which an avaricious anddishonest person was not only taken into the number of the Twelve,but entrusted with the custody of their little property! The purposeswhich this served are obvious enough; but it is further noticeable,that the remotest hint was never given to the Eleven of his truecharacter, nor did the disciples most favored with the intimacy ofJesus ever suspect him, till a few minutes before he voluntarilyseparated himself from their companyfor ever!
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence,…. Which, was to the value of our money nine pounds, seven shillings, and sixpence:
and given to the poor; which was thought to be a better way of expending it, than by pouring it on the head of Christ:
and they murmured against her: that she should lavish so much money away in such an imprudent manner; they reproved her for it, expressed much resentment at it, and were very angry with, her upon the account of it; [See comments on Mt 26:8],
[See comments on Mt 26:9].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Above three hundred pence ( ). Matthew has “for much” while Joh 12:5 has “for three hundred pence.” The use of “far above” may be a detail from Peter’s memory of Judas’ objection whose name in this connection is preserved in Joh 12:4.
And they murmured against her ( ). Imperfect tense of this striking word used of the snorting of horses and seen already in Mark 1:43; Mark 11:38. It occurs in the LXX in the sense of anger as here (Da 11:30). Judas made the complaint against Mary of Bethany, but all the apostles joined in the chorus of criticism of the wasteful extravagance.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Murmured [] . See on Mr 1:43.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For it might have been sold,” (edunato gar touto to mutou prathenai) “For this vial of ointment was able to have been sold,” traded or exchanged.
2) “For more than three hundred pence,” (epano denarion triakosion) “For over three hundred denari (pence),” above three hundred pence in price or value, (nine pounds), demonstrating that “The love of money is the root of all (all kinds of) evil,” 1Ti 6:10-11. Judas using other people’s money, would help the poor, to hide his own covetousness.
3) “And have been given to the poor.” (kai dothenai tois ptochois) “And that money could have been doled out, given to the poor.” They cared little or nothing for the poor – – Like cheap politicians they said whatever they thought would put the most people on their side, Mat 26:9.
4) “And they murmured against her,” (kai enebeimonto aute) “And they were indignant with her,” they murmured, complained, found fault with her, Much as .”social-dogooders,” communists, and infidels find fault with money and time given by others that is spent for the expense of church buildings, church equipment, teaching material, and even the elements of the Lord’s supper. Those who joined in this extended complaint with Judas Iscariot were the Jews (Pharisees) who had come to the feast as a guest of Simon, Joh 12:9-11; Luk 7:36-50.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(5) For more than three hundred pence.The specific mention of the sum, not given by St. Matthew, is one of the few points common to St. Mark and St. John (Joh. 12:5).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
Ver. 5. Three hundred pence ] That Isa 52:1-15 French pounds and more, as Budaeus computes it. She spared for no cost.
They murmured against her ] a But Judas began: so dangerous a thing it is to converse with hypocrites. One rotten sheep may rot the rest. Uvaque conspecta livorem ducit ab una. Great danger there is, if not of infection, yet of defection. Peter by his halting compelled others to do so too, Gal 2:13 , .
a Murmur et fremitus indignantium significatur. Beza.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mar 14:5 . , etc., for above three hundred pence. The cardinal number is here in the genitive of price after . In 1Co 15:6 is followed by a dative depending on .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
For Greek. gar, giving the reason.
pence. See App-51.
murmured = deeply moved. Occurs only in Mar 1:43, Mat 9:30, and Joh 11:33, Joh 11:38.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Mar 14:5. , above three hundred) It may be doubted whether they could have accurately estimated its value. It is a phrase, resembling an adage [At all events almost 5000 men might have been fed for two hundred denarii; therefore one may judge that that sum was to be estimated as of much higher value.-V. g.]
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
pence: Mat 18:28, *marg. Joh 6:7
have been given: Joh 12:5, Joh 12:6, Joh 13:29, Eph 4:28
And they: Exo 16:7, Exo 16:8, Deu 1:27, Psa 106:25, Mat 20:11, Luk 15:2, Joh 6:43, 1Co 10:10, Phi 2:14, Jud 1:16
Reciprocal: Mal 1:13 – Behold Mat 26:9 – General Luk 3:11 – He that hath two
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
5
Judas pretended to be concerned about the poor, but his real motive was covetousness (Joh 12:6).
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
[More than three hundred pence.] The prices of such precious ointments (as it seems in Pliny) were commonly known. For thus he, “The price of costus is sixteen pounds. The price of spike (nard) is ninety pounds. The leaves have made a difference in the value. From the broadness of them it is called Hadrosphaerum; with greater leaves it is worth X. Xxx,” that is, thirty pence. “That with a lesser leaf is called Mesosphaerum, it is sold at X. Lx,” sixty pence. “The most esteemed is that called Microsphaerum, having the least leaf, and the price of it is X. Lxxv,” seventy-five pence. And elsewhere: “To these the merchants have added that which they call Daphnois, surnamed Isocinnamon, and they make the price of it to be X. ccc” three hundred pence.
II. It is not easy to reduce this sum of three hundred pence to its proper sense; partly because a penny was two-fold, a silver penny, and a gold one: partly because there was a double value and estimation of money, namely, that of Jerusalem and that of Tyre, as we observed before. Let these be silver (which we believe), which are of much less value than gold: and let them be Jerusalem pence (which we also believe), which are cheaper than the Tyrian; yet they plainly speak the great wealth of Magdalene, who poured out an ointment of such a value, when before she had spent some such other.
Which brings to my mind those things which are spoken by the Masters concerning the box of spices; which the husband was bound to give the wife according to the proportion of her dowry: “But this is not spoken, saith Rabh Ishai, but of Jerusalem people. There is an example of a daughter of Nicodemus Ben Gorion, to whom the wise men appointed four hundred crowns of gold for a chest of spices for one day. She said to them, ‘I wish you may so appoint for their daughters’; and they answered after her, ‘Amen.’ ” The Gloss is, “The husband was to give to his wife ten zuzees for every manah; which she brought with her to buy spices, with which she used to wash herself,” etc. Behold! a most wealthy woman of Jerusalem, daughter of Nicodemus, in the contract and instrument of whose marriage was written, “A thousand thousand gold pence out of the house of her father, besides those she had out of the house of her father-in-law”: whom yet you have in the same story reduced to that extreme poverty, that she picked up barley-corns for her food out of the cattle’s dung.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Mar 14:5. And they murmured against her. Peculiar to Mark. The original seems to indicate a harsh address to Mary, though there was probably also a general murmur against her.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
14:5 For it might have been sold for more than {a} three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
(a) Which is about six English pounds.