EasyEnglish Bible 2018
John 12:3
3Then Mary brought a pound of very expensive oil that had a very nice smell. They used nard to make it. She poured it over Jesus' feet and then she made his feet dry again with her hair. The nice smell of the oil filled the whole house.
John 12:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Context of John 12:3
1Six days before the Passover festival, Jesus went to Bethany, the village where Lazarus lived. He was the man who had been dead, but Jesus had raised him. 2Some friends prepared a special meal there for Jesus. Martha gave out the food, and Lazarus sat among the visitors, with Jesus. Then Mary brought a pound of very expensive oil that had a very nice smell. They used nard to make it. She poured it over Jesus' feet and then she made his feet dry again with her hair. The nice smell of the oil filled the whole house. 4Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' disciples, was there. He was the man who would sell Jesus to Jesus' enemies. 5Judas said, ‘We could have sold this oil for 300 coins. That is as much money as someone would get for a year's work. Then we could have given that money to poor people.’
Read all of John 12John 12:3 word by word
ἡ οὖν Μαριὰμ λαβοῦσα λίτραν μύρου νάρδου πιστικῆς πολυτίμου ἤλειψεν τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἐξέμαξεν ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ· ἡ δὲ οἰκία ἐπληρώθη ἐκ τῆς ὀσμῆς τοῦ μύρου.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- tookλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
- MaryΜαρίαMaria Mariam · MaryG3137
- a poundλίτραlitra · poundG3046
- of ointmentμύρονmuron · ointmentG3464
- of spikenardνάρδοςnardos · nardG3487
- very costlyπολύτιμοςpolutimos · valuableG4186
- and anointedἀλείφωaleiphō · to anointG218
- the feetὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the feetπούςpous · footG4228
- of JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- wipedἐκμάσσωekmassō · to wipe offG1591
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- withθρίξthrix trichos · hairG2359
- andδέde · thenG1161
- the houseοἰκίαoikia · homeG3614
- was filledπληρόωplēroō · to fulfillG4137
- withἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- the odourὀσμήosmē · aromaG3744
- ·πιστικόςpistikos · pureG4101
Cross-references for John 12:3
- John 11:2It was this Mary who had poured oil with a nice smell over the feet of the Lord Jesus. Then she had cleaned his feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was ill.
- Matthew 26:6Then Jesus went to Bethany and he visited Simon at his house. At one time, Simon had had a bad disease of the skin.
- Mark 14:3Then Jesus went to Bethany, and he visited Simon at his house. At one time, Simon had had a bad disease of the skin. While Jesus was eating a meal there, a woman came into the house. She brought a small stone jar that contained expensive oil with a very nice smell. They used nard to make it. The woman broke the jar to open it. Then she poured the oil over Jesus' head.
- Luke 10:38Jesus and his disciples continued their journey. They arrived at a certain village. There, a woman called Martha asked Jesus to come into her home.
- Psalms 132:2He made a special promise to the Lord. He promised you, the Mighty One of Jacob.
- Luke 7:37In that town was a woman who had done many wrong things. She heard that Jesus was eating a meal at the house of the Pharisee. So she took a small stone jar with oil in it, and she went there. The oil had a very nice smell.
Commentaries on John 12:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Then took Mary a pound of ointment - See the note on Matthew 26:7; see also Mark 14:3. It does not seem the most likely that this was the same transaction with that mentioned above. Some think that this was, notwithstanding that before is said to have been at the house of Simon the leper. The arguments, pro and con, are largely stated in the notes at the end of Matthew 26 (note), to which I beg leave to refer the reader.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2-8Verses 2-8 See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 26:3-16. John 12:2 A supper - At the house of Simon the leper, Matthew 26:6. Lazarus was - The names of Martha and Lazarus are mentioned because it was not in their own house, but in that of Simon. Lazarus is particularly mentioned, since it was so remarkable that one who had been once dead should be enjoying again the endearments of friendship. This shows, also, that his resurrection was no…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Mary … anointed Jesus' feet. This was not awkward because Jews reclined at formal meals, but it was still a dramatic gesture (compare Matthew 26:6–16; Mark 14:3–9). Nard was a valuable spice from North India. It was sweet, red, and smelled like the perfume made from the gladiola plant. Twelve ounces of nard cost one year's wages (John 12:5). According to Mark's Gospel, Mary also anointed the head of Jesus (Mark 14:3). The perfume ran down and made his…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-11(See on Mt 26:6-13). 1-8. six days before the passover--that is, on the sixth day before it; probably after sunset on Friday evening, or the commencement of the Jewish sabbath preceding the passover.Read the comment
Topics related to John 12:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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