Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 26:7
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.]
7. a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment ] “Then took Mary a pound of ointment, very costly” (John). “Ointment of spikenard, very precious” (Mark). The “alabaster box” was “a flask of fragrant oil;” the special kind of ointment named by the Evangelists nard or spikenard was extracted from the blossoms of the Indian and Arabian nard-grass (Becker’s Gallus).
These alabastra or unguent-flasks were usually made of the Oriental or onyx alabaster, with long narrow necks, which let the oil escape drop by drop, and could easily be broken (Mar 14:3). But the shape and material varied. Herodotus (iii. 20) mentions an “ alabastron of fragrant oil” the precise expression in the text sent among other royal gifts of gold and purple by Cambyses to the king of thiopia.
The costliness of Mary’s offering may be judged from this. The other Evangelists name three hundred pence or denarii as the price; (St Mark says, “more than three hundred pence”). Now a denarius was a day’s wages for a labourer (see ch. Mat 20:2); equivalent, therefore, to two shillings at least of English money; hence, relatively to English ideas, Mary’s offering would amount to 30. It was probably the whole of her wealth.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 7. There came unto him a woman] There is much contention among commentators about the transaction mentioned here, and in Joh 12:3; some supposing them to be different, others to be the same. Bishop Newcome’s view of the subject I have placed at the end of the chapter.
Some think that the woman mentioned here was Mary, the sister of Lazarus; others Mary Magdalene; but against the former opinion it is argued that it is not likely, had this been Mary the sister of Lazarus, that Matthew and Mark would have suppressed her name. Besides, say they, we should not confound the repast which is mentioned here, with that mentioned by John, Joh 12:3. This one was made only two days before the passover, and that one six days before: the one was made at the house of Simon the leper, the other at the house of Lazarus, Joh 12:1-2. At this, the woman poured the oil on the head of Christ; at the other, Mary anointed Christ’s feet with it. See Clarke on Mr 14:3, and See Clarke on Mt 26:75
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
There came unto him a woman,…. By some thought to be the same that is spoken of in Lu 7:37, and by most, to be Mary, the sister of Lazarus, Joh 12:3, which may be true; for it is possible that one and the same woman, might perform a like action at different times; for to neither of the above, at the same time, will the following agree: not to the former, for though that was done in the house of one Simon, yet not Simon the leper, but Simon the Pharisee; who though he had a particular respect for Christ, which few of that sect had, yet appeared to be then of a Pharisaical spirit; that was done in Galilee, this near Jerusalem in Bethany; the woman there anointed the feet of Christ, but this woman poured the ointment on his head; nor did any such conversation as here follow upon it, between Christ and his disciples; but what discourse was had on that occasion, was between Simon and Christ. Not to the latter, for that does not appear to be done in Simon’s house, but rather in the house of Lazarus; no mention is made of the alabaster box, nor was the ointment poured on his head, but on his feet; besides, that was done six days before the passover, whereas this was but two; moreover, Judas only objected to that, but the disciples in general had indignation at this; and though the objections to it, and Christ’s defence of it, are much in the same language, in one place as in the other, yet it was no unusual thing with Christ, to make use of the same words on a like incident, or when the same objections were made. The fact here recorded, is the same as in Mr 14:3, where it stands in the same order as here, and seems to have been done at the supper, of which mention is made,
Joh 13:2, when Satan entered into Judas, and put it into his heart to betray his master, the account of which follows this here:
having an alabaster box of very precious ointment; Mark calls it, “ointment of spikenard”, Mr 14:3, which was very odorous, and of a very fragrant smell; see So 1:12. Some there render it, “pure nard”; unadulterated, unmixed, sincere and genuine; others, “liquid nard”, which was drinkable, and easy to be poured out; and some “Pistic” nard, so called, either from “Pista”, the name of a place in India, from whence it was brought, as some think; or as Dr. Lightfoot, from , “Pistaca”, which is the maste of a tree c, and of which, among other things, Pliny says d, the ointment of nard was made. The Persic version in both places read it, “ointment of Gallia”; and the just now mentioned writer e, speaks of “nardum Gallicum”, “Gallic nard”, which is what may be meant by that interpreter; but be it what ointment it will; it was ointment, very precious: very costly, and of a very great price; for the disciples observe, it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence: and for the better preserving of such ointments incorrupt, they used to be put into vessels made of “alabaster” f; though some think not the matter, but the form of these vessels is referred to; and observe, that vessels of gold, silver, and glass, for this use, being made in the form of “alabasters”, were called by that name; and that this might be made of the latter, since Mark says, that she brake the box; not into pieces, for then she could not be said to pour it out; but either the top, or side of it: though some critics observe, that the word signifies no more, than that she shook it, that the thicker parts of the ointment might liquify, and be the more easily poured out. The Arabic version has omitted that clause, and the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic, read it, “she opened it”; that is, as the Persic adds, “the top of the vessel”: she took off the covering of the box, or took out the stopple,
and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat: which was usually done at festivals, or at any considerable entertainments, as at weddings, c.
“Says Rab, they “pour ointment on the heads of the doctors” (the gloss is, the women put ointment on the heads of the scholars;) says R. Papa to Abai, does the doctor speak of the ointment of the bridechamber? He replies, thou orphan, did not thy mother cause for thee, that “they poured out ointment on the heads of the doctors”, at thy wedding? for lo! one of the Rabbins got a wife for his son, in the house of R. Bar Ula; and they say, that R. Bar Ula got a wife for his son in the house of one of the Rabbins, , “and poured ointment on the head of the doctors” g:”
to this custom are the allusions in Ps 23:5. The pouring of this ointment on the head of Christ was emblematical of his being anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows; of his having the holy Spirit, and his gifts and graces without measure; which, like the ointment poured on Aaron’s head, that ran down to his beard, and the skirts of his garments, descends to all the members of his mystical body: and was a symbol of the Gospel, which is like ointment poured forth; and of the sweet savour of the knowledge of Christ, which was to be diffused, throughout all the world, by the preaching of it; and was done by this woman in the faith of him, as the true Messiah, the Lord’s anointed, as the prophet, priest, and king of his church.
c T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 69. 1. Gloss. in ib. d Hist. Nat. l. 13. c. 1. e Ib. c. 2. & l. 12. c. 12. f Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 13. 2. & 36. 8. g T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 17. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
An alabaster cruse of exceeding precious ointment ( ). The flask was of alabaster, a carbonate of lime or sulphate of lime, white or yellow stone, named alabaster from the town in Egypt where it was chiefly found. It was used for a phial employed for precious ointments in ancient writers, inscriptions and papyri just as we speak of a glass for the vessel made of glass. It had a cylindrical form at the top, as a rule, like a closed rosebud (Pliny). Matthew does not say what the ointment () was, only saying that it was “exceeding precious” (), of weighty value, selling at a great price. Here only in the N.T. “An alabaster of nard () was a present for a king” (Bruce). It was one of five presents sent by Cambyses to the King of Ethiopia (Herodotus, iii. 20).
She poured it upon his head ( ). So Mark (Mr 14:3), while John (Joh 12:3) says that she “anointed the feet of Jesus.” Why not both? The verb is literally to pour down. It is the first aorist active indicative, unusual form.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
An alabaster box [] . Rev., cruse; flask in margin. Lit., an alabaster, just as we call a drinking – vessel made of glass a glass. Luther renders glass. It was a kind of cruet, having a cylindrical form at the top. Pliny compares these vessels to a closed rosebud, and says that ointments are best preserved in them.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
(7) There came unto him a woman.We learn from St. John (Joh. 12:3) that this was Mary the sister of Lazarus. It is hardly conceivable (unless we conjecture that she came in veiled, and that St. John alone knew her) that the writers of the first two Gospels, or those from whom they derived their knowledge, could have been ignorant who she was, and we can only see in their suppression of the name an example of the singular reticence which sealed their lips as to every member of the family at Bethany. A prevalent tradition or conjecture in the Western Church has identified the sister of Lazarus with the woman that was a sinner, of Luke 7, and, on this assumption what we now read was a repetition of an offering of love that had been made before. Of this, however, there is not the shadow of proof (see Notes on Luk. 7:37-38). It may well have been, on the other hand, that the household of Bethany had heard of that act, and that this suggested the way in which love and gratitude now manifested themselves.
An alabaster box of very precious ointment.The box was probably a vase of the material described as alabaster (according to one etymology, however, that word described originally the shape of the vase, as made without handles, and was subsequently extended to the material of which such vases were commonly made), with the lid cemented down, so as not to admit of extraction like a cork or stopper. St. John (Joh. 12:3) describes the quantity as a pound (litra=about twelve ounces); and both St. John and St. Mark add that it was of spikenard. The word so rendered, however (pistik), is found only in those two passages (Mar. 14:3, Joh. 12:3), and it is open to question whether it bears this meaning, or means pure, genuine, unadulterated. The nard so described is identified by botanists with the Nardostachys jatamansi, the sumbul of India, but was probably applied by Greeks and Romans to other perfumes. The value of the ointment is roughly estimated afterwards at three hundred denarii (Joh. 12:5). Such preparations, like genuine tar of roses in the modern East, consisting, as they did mainly, in the essential oils of carefully cultivated flowers, often fetched an almost fabulous price. The fact that Mary had such an unguent by her indicates that the household of Bethany belonged to the comparatively wealthy class, and so agrees with the general impression left by the record of John 11. It is a probable conjecture that a like costly unguent had been used in embalming the body of the brother who had so recently been raised from the dead, and that this gave a special point to our Lords comment on the act. St. Mark adds that she broke or crushed the vessel in order to pour out the ointment; St. John, that she anointed His feet, and wiped them with her hair.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Came a woman John informs us that she was Mary the sister of Lazarus. The other evangelists are less explicit, as they say but little about the family of Lazarus. It seems as if Mary was not at the feast, but entered unexpectedly.
Alabaster box Alabaster is a sort of white marble of much beauty and polish. It was a costly article, and was supposed to possess a special virtue for preserving ointment. Of this, ointment-boxes were first made. Afterward they retained the same name, even when the material was different, as glass or metal. The box was rather a vial with a long neck, and hence Mark says she poured the ointment, or rather oil, by breaking, namely, the neck of the vial; John says she anointed, additionally, his feet. This she could easily do, for it must be remembered that our Saviour did not sit in a modern chair, but reclined on a couch at meat.
Ointment This was the nardine unguent, made from the spikenard; and was of costly value, being customarily used for a perfuming application to give softness and agreeable odour to the skin.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘There came to him a woman having an alabaster cruse of very valuable perfumed oil, and she poured it on his head, as he reclined at meat.’
As they reclined at the table a woman came in with an alabaster cruse of very valuable perfumed oil (liquid spikenard) and poured it on His head. The thin-necked alabaster vessel, commonly used for such purposes, would be snapped at the neck in order to release the oil. The value of the oil would probably be the equivalent of what a working man could earn in a year (Joh 12:5).
Her aim in anointing His head was possibly in order to reveal that she saw Him as the Messiah (the Lord’s Anointed – compare 1Sa 15:17; 2Ki 9:3), but she may not have been fully conscious of that, and the stress therefore on the anointing of the head may rather be Matthew’s and Mark’s, who may also have had in mind His High Priesthood (Exo 29:7; Lev 8:12; Lev 21:10). They may well have seen this as God’s way of pointing ahead to His coronation (Mat 28:18). The fact that she also anointed His body (Mat 26:12) and His feet (Joh 12:3) suggests that for her it was an act of overwhelming love, made with a desire to pay Him due honour. But the emphasis here is in fact not on her love but on what she has done for Jesus. She has encouraged Him and prepared Him for a proper burial.
This is a rare example of someone doing something for Jesus. Perhaps it echoes Mat 25:35-36 with the thought that this was even more unique for it was actually done for Jesus Himself. And yet even then His disciples dared to criticise her!
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 26:7 . ] According to John, it was Mary .
] Among classical writers the neuter of this word does not occur except in the plural ; in the singular is masculine, as also in 2Ki 21:13 , and feminine. “Unguenta optime servantur in alabastris,” Plin. N. H . iii. 3; Herod, iii. 20; Theocr. Id . xv. 114; Anth. Pal . ix. 153. 3; Jacobs, ad Anthol . XI. p. 92.
. . ] A divergence from John’s account, not to be reconciled in the arbitrary manner in which Calvin and Ebrard have attempted, as though the oil had been so unsparingly poured on that it ran down and was used for the feet as well (comp. Morison). Matthew narrates an anointing of the head ; John, of the feet . The practice of anointing the heads of guests by way of showing them respect is well known (comp. Plat. Rep . p. 398 A, and Stallbaum thereon). Seeing, however, that the anointing of the feet was unusual (in opposition to Ebrard), and betokened a special and extraordinary amount of respect (as is, in fact, apparent from Luk 7:46 ), our passage would have been all the less likely to “ omit ” it (Lange), had it really formed part of the tradition.
] while He was reclining at table , a circumstance qualifying the .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
7 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 .
Ver. 7. An alabaster box of very precious, &c. ] Pliny telleth us that they were wont to keep the most costly ointments in boxes of alabaster. And Herodotus reckoneth , an alabaster box of ointment, among the precious things that Cambyses the Persian sent for a present to the king of Ethiopia. Mary thought nothing too costly for Christ. See Trapp on “ Joh 12:3 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
7. ] , , . Suidas. See Herod. iii. 20. It was the usual cruse or pot for ointment, with a long narrow neck, and sealed at the top. It was thought (Plin. xiii. 3) that the ointment kept best in these cruses. On the nature of the ointment, see note on , Mar 14:3 .
. . ] His feet , according to Joh 12:3 . See Luk 7:38 , and note there.
is not to be taken with , but is a separate gen. absol. by itself; on His head while He was reclining at table. See on this construction, Khner, Gr. Gr. ii. p. 368, where many examples are given.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 26:7 . , an “alabaster” (vase), the term, originally denoting the material, being transferred to the vessel made of it, like our word “glass” (Speaker’s Com. ), in common use for preserving ointments (Pliny, N.H., iii., 3). An alabaster of nard ( ) was a present for a king. Among five precious articles sent by Cambyses to the King of Ethiopia was included a . (Herod., iii., 20). On this ointment and its source vide Tristram, Natural History of the Bible , p. 484 (quoted in notes on Mk.). (here only in N. T.), of great price; this noted to explain the sequel. : she broke the vase and poured the contents on the head of Jesus, feet in John; both possible; must be combined, say the Harmonists.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
a woman. Unnamed. In the former anointing it was Mary. See App-158, and note on i Samaritan Pentateuch Mat 3:1.
box = flask.
very precious. Greek. barutimos. Occurs only here.
on = upon. Greek. epi.
His head. In the former anointing, by Mary, it was His feet. See App-158.
sat = reclined [at table].
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
7. ] , , . Suidas. See Herod. iii. 20. It was the usual cruse or pot for ointment, with a long narrow neck, and sealed at the top. It was thought (Plin. xiii. 3) that the ointment kept best in these cruses. On the nature of the ointment, see note on , Mar 14:3.
. .] His feet, according to Joh 12:3. See Luk 7:38, and note there.
is not to be taken with , but is a separate gen. absol. by itself; on His head while He was reclining at table. See on this construction, Khner, Gr. Gr. ii. p. 368, where many examples are given.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 26:7. , alabaster) Rather of thin stone than glass, otherwise it could not have been (see Mar 14:3) broken without inflicting wounds.-, having) She had one alabaster-box, and did not know how to employ it better.-, as He reclined) at table.[1112]-Others were anointed after death; it behoved Christ rather to be anointed whilst living: after His death it was needless.
[1112] E. V. As He sat at meat.-(I. B.)
, and poured it down) The mode of anointing in such a case is more readily understood, when it is taken into consideration that the ancients rather lay reclined at table than sat at it. They had couches furnished with cushions, and they lay in such a posture as that their feet rested backwards.-V. g.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
head
No contradiction of Joh 12:3 is implied. The ordinary anointing of hospitality and honour was of the feet Luk 7:38 and head Luk 7:46 But Mary of Bethany, who alone of our Lord’s disciples had comprehended His thrice repeated announcement of His coming death and resurrection, invested the anointing with the deeper meaning of the preparation of His body for burying. Mary of Bethany was not among the women who went to the sepulchre with intent to embalm the body of Jesus.
woman i.e. Mary of Bethany.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
came: Joh 12:2, Joh 12:3
very: Exo 30:23-33, Psa 133:2, Ecc 9:8, Ecc 10:1, Son 1:3, Isa 57:9, Luk 7:37, Luk 7:38, Luk 7:46
Reciprocal: Deu 28:21 – General Amo 6:6 – chief Mar 14:3 – being Joh 11:2 – that Mary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
26:7
According to Joh 12:3 this woman was Mary a sister of Lazarus. Funk and Wagnalls Standard Bible Dictionary says the following of this box. “Alabaster (origin of the word unknown): Mineral carbonate of lime. A white stone much used in antiquity to ornament buildings and for vases and small bottles for holding precious ointment.” Mar 14:3 says the woman broke the box and poured the ointment on his head. No reason is given for breaking the box, but at least it shows she intended to use all the ointment.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
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.
[Poured it upon his head, as he sat at meat.] Therefore, it was not the same supper with that in Joh 12:1; for then our Saviour’s feet were anointed, now his head. I admire that any one should be able to confound these two stories. Oil, perfumed with spices, was very usual in feasts, especially sacred; and it was wont to be poured upon the head of some one present.
“The school of Shammai saith, He holds sweet oil in his right hand, and a cup of wine in his left. He says grace first over the oil, and then over the wine. The school of Hillel saith, Oil in his right hand, and wine in his left. He blesseth the sweet oil, and anoints the head of him that serves: but if the waiter be a disciple of the wise, he anoints the wall; for it is a shame for a disciple of the wise to smell of perfumes.” Here the waiter anoints the head of him that sits down.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Mat 26:7. There came unto him a woman. Mary, the sister of Lazarus (comp. Mat 10:38-42; John 11); not the woman (in Luke 7), who was a sinner. The latter person is generally, but without reason, identified with Mary Magdalene, and the three women confounded.
Having an alabaster box, or vase. Alabaster cruses were considered by the ancients the best receptacle for valuable ointments or fragrant oils. The vessels usually had a long neck and were sealed at the top.
Of very precious ointment. A pound of ointment of spikenard, according to John; ointment of spikenard, very precious, according to Mark (Mar 14:3, see notes on that passage). It is supposed to have been a rare gum, from India, liquid when taken from the tree. The main point is its preciousness. Comp, the valuation put upon it by Judas (three hundred pence = 9 or $45, a large amount for those days.)
Poured it over his head. By breaking the neck of the flask, probably by compressing it in her hands. The quantity of ointment permitted her to anoint his feet also (Joh 12:3). The Oriental custom of reclining at table made the latter easier than the former. The expression used by Mark (Mar 14:3), hints that from the head it flowed over the whole body. It was also usual to wash the feet of honored guests with water, but the anointing of the feet would indicate the highest honor. Mary may have intended only to show this honor, but this action symbolized Christs Messiahship, and had a deeper significance, as our Lord points out (Mat 26:10; Mat 26:12).
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 7
Alabaster; a species of stone resembling marble.–Ointment; a fragrant oil.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
26:7 {b} There came unto him a woman having an alabaster {c} box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat [at meat].
(b) For these things were done before Christ came to Jerusalem: and yet some think that the evangelists have two differing accounts.
(c) These boxes were of alabaster, which in ancient times men made hollow to put in ointments: for some write that alabaster keeps ointment without changing it in any way; Pliny, book 13, chap. 1.