Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 26:12
For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did [it] for my burial.
12. for my burial ] For this use of perfumes cp. 2Ch 16:14, “They laid him (Asa) in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries’ art.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 12. She did it for my burial.] Or, She hath done it to embalm me – . The Septuagint use for the person whose office it was to embalm, Ge 50:2, and for the Hebrew which signifies to prepare with spices, or aromatics, Ge 50:3. Our Lord took this opportunity to tell them, once more, that he was shortly to die.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For in that she hath poured this ointment,…. Which was so very precious, and cost so much,
upon my body: for being poured on his head, it ran down all over his body.
She did it for my burial; not for the interment of his body, but for the embalming of it, previous to it: the Jews used to embalm their dead, to show their constant respect to the deceased, and their belief of the resurrection; at least not only used to wash them, but anoint them with oil; for so runs one of their canons i:
“they do all things necessary to the dead, (i.e. on the sabbath day,) , “they anoint him”: that is, as Bartenora adds, “with oil”; and they wash him;”
but the body of Christ, when dead, was not to be so used: the women intended it, and prepared materials for it, but the sabbath coming on, they rested according to the commandment; though, according to this canon, they might have anointed him, but they waited till the sabbath was over; and early on the first day, in the morning, they came to the sepulchre, in order to do it, but it was too late, Christ was risen; see Lu 23:56. Now either this woman had some revelation made to her, that the death of Christ was near at hand, and she feared, or knew, she should not be able to anoint him when dead; and therefore, as Mark has it, “she hath done what she could; she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying”,
Mr 14:8: or if she had no knowledge of all this, nor any such intention, yet the Holy Ghost directed her to this action, with this view, as it were, for the performing of these funeral rites before he was dead; and so the Syriac version renders it, “she hath done it, , as it were, to bury me”.
i Misn. Sabbat, c. 23. sect. 5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
To prepare me for burial ( ). Mary alone had understood what Jesus had repeatedly said about his approaching death. The disciples were so wrapped up in their own notions of a political kingdom that they failed utterly to sympathize with Jesus as he faced the cross. But Mary with the woman’s fine intuitions did begin to understand and this was her way of expressing her high emotions and loyalty. The word here is the same used in Joh 19:40 about what Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus did for the body of Jesus before burial with the addition of showing the purpose of Mary (the infinitive of purpose). Mary was vindicated by Jesus and her noble deed has become a “memorial of her” ( ) as well as of Jesus.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
12 She hath done it to bury me. By these words Christ confirms what we have said, that the precious ointment was not valued by him on account of its odor, but solely in reference to his burial. It was because he wished to testify by this symbol, that his grave would yield a sweet odor, as it breathed life and salvation through the whole world. Accordingly, we are told by John (Joh 12:7) that Christ praised Mary for having reserved that anointing till the day of his burial. But since the truth of this figure has been made fully apparent, and since Christ, in departing from the sepulcher, perfumed not one house, but the whole world, by the quickening odor of his death, it would be childish to repeat an action for which no reason and no advantage could be assigned.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) She did it for my burial.The words must have fallen with a strange sadness upon the ears of the disciples and the other guests. They were expecting that the kingdom of God should immediately appear (Luk. 19:11), and were looking forward to the dawn of the next day as the hour of its victory and triumph. The enthusiasm of the moment made them deaf to the real import of what they heard, and their Master, alone of all that company, knew that the fragrance of that perfume would not have died away when His body should be laid in the sepulchre.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12. Did it for my burial It is supposed by some that Mary had either been informed by our Lord of his approaching death, or even that she had some prophetic presentiment of it. It may be remarked that, for the sake of propriety, our Lord was regularly accompanied by twelve male disciples; but the Gospels take care to assure us that those who believed and loved him were not all men; but that woman in her place was not less true to his divine claims than man. Of this fact Mary is the most striking instance; and the meek, silent, and sudden manner in which she comes from her retirement, perhaps from her place of prayer, where the sad future of our Lord may have been intimated to her, into this feast, and performs this act of sorrowful affection, is a special exemplification. It may well be thought possible that our Lord communicated to her a clearer knowledge of his approaching death than to his disciples. Or it may be that to her, as to a divine love, was imparted the spiritual presentiment of the truth. And yet, finally, it is very possible that she acted from the simple impulse of love; and that our Lord himself, giving it a higher meaning, elevated the act into a prediction of his approaching burial. Just so the words of Caiaphas (Joh 11:49-53) had an unconscious prophetic import.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“For in that she poured this perfumed oil on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.”
Even as the woman had performed her act Jesus knew why His Father had arranged for this to happen. He was preparing His body for burial (as a condemned criminal His body would not be anointed when the time came). That she had also poured the perfumed oil ‘on His body’ comes out here. John tells us that this included the feet. Jesus thus pointed out that unknowingly she was preparing Him for His burial. It was a reminder to Him from His Father that all was well, and it was a pointer to the disciples that they must be ready for His coming death by violent means. For He knew now that His death would be by crucifixion as a criminal which might well result in His being buried unanointed.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
Ver. 12. She did it for my burial ] This Mary perhaps understood not. So things that we think come to pass by haphazard are preordained, and sweetly ordered by Almighty God in his secret counsel, and by his fatherly providence, to excellent ends many times, such as we never thought on.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
12. ] I can hardly think that our Lord would have said this, unless there had been in Mary’s mind a distinct reference to His burial, in doing the act. All the company surely knew well that His death, and that by crucifixion, was near at hand: can we suppose one who so closely observed His words as Mary, not to have been possessed with the thought of that which was about to happen? The of Mark ( Mar 14:8 ), and the . . of John ( Joh 12:7 ), point even more strongly to her intention .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 26:12 . ., to prepare for burial by embalming; so near is my death, though ye thought not of it: effect of the woman’s act, not her conscious purpose. The Syriac version introduces a quasi . She meant nothing but to show her love, quickened possibly by instinctive foreboding of ill. But an act done in that spirit was the best embalming of Christ’s body, or rather of His act in dying, for the two acts were kindred. Hence naturally the solemn declaration following, an essential part of the story, of indubitable authenticity.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
burial = embalming. Compare Joh 19:40. Should be the same as in Mar 14:8. Joh 12:7. It is the Septuagint for Hebrew. hanat, in Gen 50:2.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
12.] I can hardly think that our Lord would have said this, unless there had been in Marys mind a distinct reference to His burial, in doing the act. All the company surely knew well that His death, and that by crucifixion, was near at hand: can we suppose one who so closely observed His words as Mary, not to have been possessed with the thought of that which was about to happen? The of Mark (Mar 14:8), and the . . of John (Joh 12:7), point even more strongly to her intention.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 26:12. , in that she hath poured) The word implies profusion.- , for My burial) These words intimate that His death was certain and near at hand. The verb does not mean to place in the sepulchre, but to prepare for the sepulchre. The of Jacob (Gen 50:2, S. V.) took place in Egypt, his sepulture afterwards [in Canaan].
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
for my
Supply to prepare me.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
2Ch 16:14, Mar 14:8, Mar 16:1, Luk 23:56, Luk 24:1, Joh 12:7, Joh 19:39, Joh 19:40
Reciprocal: Gen 50:2 – embalmed Num 14:40 – rose up Son 4:16 – Let Mar 14:9 – Wheresoever
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6:12
For my burial. It was an old custom to anoint the dead and use spices at the time of burial. (See 2Ch 16:14; Joh 19:40; Luk 23:56). Mar 14:8 quotes Jesus as saying, “She is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.” Since it was customary to bestow such treatment on the human body it would be regarded as a good deed to perform it. Mary evidently believed that she would not have as good an opportunity for this service if she waited until after the death of Jesus. However, whether this tells the motive for her coming aforehand or not, the mere desire to do honor to the body of her Lord was regarded favorably. This subject furnishes us with some suggestions concerning an inquiry often heard as to whether the use of flowers and other items on funeral occasions is right. Of course all good things are liable to abuse, and the extravagant spending of money for flowers is wrong. But we have convincing proof that it is proper to give respectful attention to the body because it is made in the image of the Creator. Any unnecessary mutilation of the body, therefore, would be wrong, which would condemn the desecrating act of cremation.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
[She did it for my burial.] She had anointed his feet, Joh 12:3; out of love, duty, and honour to him; but this (which is added over and above to them) is upon account of his burial; and that not only in the interpretation of Christ, but in the design of the woman. She, and she first, believes that Christ should die; and, under that notion, she pours the ointment upon his head, as if she were now taking care of his body, and anointing it for burial: and it is as if Christ had said to those that took exceptions and complained, “You account her too officious and diligent for her doing this; and wasteful rather than prudent, in the immoderate profession of her friendship and respect; but a great and weighty reason moves her to it. She knows I shall die, and now takes care of my burial: what you approve of towards the dead, she hath done to one ready to die. Hence her fame shall be celebrated, in all ages, for this her faith, and this expression of it.”
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Mat 26:12. To prepare me for burial. Mary may have been aware of the predicted crucifixion, and thought of His actual burial when she anointed Him. If she was conscious of the meaning of her own act, then her love discerned what the disciples could not perceive; if she was not, then the Lord gives to acts of love a significance beyond the intention. The latter view seems the more probable one, if the earlier date be accepted. The expressions in Mar 14:8; Joh 12:7, imply that she had a presentiment of an impending crisis, after which anointing would be unnecessary or impossible.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 12
According to the customs of the Jews, it was a suitable preparation, though not so intended by Mary.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
26:12 For {f} in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did [it] for my burial.
(f) In that she poured this ointment upon my body, she did it to bury me.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Normally friends of the deceased would prepare the body for burial after death, but that was impossible in the case of criminals. [Note: D. Daube, "The Anointing at Bethany and Jesus’ Burial," Anglican Theological Review 32 (1950):187-88.] Mary may not have understood the full significance of what she was doing, but Jesus used the situation to remind His disciples of His coming crucifixion.