Luke 7:38

Luke 7:38 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
• New International Version (NIV)As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.

Context of Luke 7:38

36One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. Jesus went to the Pharisee’s house and was eating at the table. 37A woman who lived a sinful life in that city found out that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So she took a bottle of perfume and knelt at his feet. She was crying and washed his feet with her tears. Then she dried his feet with her hair, kissed them over and over again, and poured the perfume on them. 39The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and thought, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know what sort of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner.” 40Jesus spoke up, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” Simon replied, “Teacher, you’re free to speak.”

Luke 7:38 word by word

καὶ στᾶσα ὀπίσω παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, κλαίουσα τοῖς δάκρυσιν ἤρξατο βρέχειν τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ καὶ ταῖς θριξὶν τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτῆς ἐξέμασσεν καὶ κατεφίλει τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤλειφεν τῷ μύρῳ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• stoodἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• atπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• feetὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• feetπούςpous · footG4228
• behindὀπίσωopisō · afterG3694
• weepingκλαίωklaiō · to weepG2799
• and beganἄρχομαιarchomai · to rule/beginG756
• to washβρέχωbrechō · to rain downG1026
• with tearsδάκρυ, δάκρυονdakru dakruon · teardropG1144
• did wipeἐκμάσσωekmassō · to wipe offG1591
• with the hairsθρίξthrix trichos · hairG2359
• headκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776
• kissedκαταφιλέωkataphileō · to kissG2705
• anointedἀλείφωaleiphō · to anointG218
• with the ointmentμύρονmuron · ointmentG3464

Cross-references for Luke 7:38

• Luke 6:21Blessed are those who are hungry. They will be satisfied. Blessed are those who are crying. They will laugh.
• Luke 22:62Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly.
• Judges 2:4While the Messenger of the Lord was saying this to all the people of Israel, they began to cry loudly.
• Ezra 10:1While Ezra was praying, confessing ⌞these sins⌟, crying, and throwing himself down in front of God’s temple, a large crowd of Israelite men, women, and children gathered around him. They also began to cry bitterly.
• Psalms 6:6I am worn out from my groaning. My eyes flood my bed every night. I soak my couch with tears.
• Psalms 38:18I confess my guilt. My sin troubles me.
• Psalms 51:17The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. O God, you do not despise a broken and sorrowful heart.
• Psalms 126:5Those who cry while they plant will joyfully sing while they harvest.
• Isaiah 61:3⌞He has sent me⌟ to provide for all those who grieve in Zion, to give them crowns instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of ⌞tears of⌟ grief, and clothes of praise instead of a spirit of weakness. They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, the Plantings of the Lord, so that he might display his glory.
• Jeremiah 31:9They will cry as they return. They will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams on a level path where they will not stumble. I will be a Father to Israel, and Ephraim will be my firstborn.
• Joel 2:12“But even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart— with fasting, crying, and mourning.”
• Zechariah 12:10“I will pour out the Spirit of blessing and mercy on David’s family and on those who live in Jerusalem. They will look at me, whom they have stabbed. Then they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they will cry bitterly for him as one cries for a firstborn son.
• Matthew 5:4Blessed are those who mourn. They will be comforted.
• 2 Corinthians 7:10In fact, to be distressed in a godly way causes people to change the way they think and act and leads them to be saved. No one can regret that. But the distress that the world causes brings only death.
• James 4:9Be miserable, mourn, and cry. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into gloom.
• Luke 7:44Then, turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “You see this woman, don’t you? I came into your house. You didn’t wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.

Commentaries on Luke 7:38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38Stood at his feet behind him - In taking their meals, the eastern people reclined on one side; the loins and knees being bent to make the more room, the feet of each person were turned outwards behind him. This is the meaning of standing Behind at his Feet. Began to wash his feet with tears - - , She began to water his feet - to let a shower of tears fall on them. As the Jews wore nothing like our shoes, (theirs being a mere sole, bound about the foot and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 38Stood at his feet behind him - They reclined, at their meals, on their left side, and their feet, therefore, were extended from the table, so that persons could easily approach them. See the notes at Matthew 23:6. Began to wash his feet - The Jews wore sandals. These were taken off when they entered a house. It was an act of hospitality and kindness to wash the feet of a guest. “She” therefore began to show her love for the Saviour, and at the same time…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 36-50Verses 36-50 None can truly perceive how precious Christ is, and the glory of the gospel, except the broken-hearted. But while they feel they cannot enough express self-abhorrence on account of sin, and admiration of his mercy, the self-sufficient will be disgusted, because the gospel encourages such repenting sinners. The Pharisee, instead of rejoicing in the tokens of the woman's repentance, confined his thoughts to her former bad character. But without…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 38she stood behind Him: At a banquet, people ate while lying on their sides around a low table, with their feet stretched out behind them. Because of this, the woman could not reach the head of Jesus to anoint him (to pour oil on him as a sign of honor), so she poured the perfume on his feet. wipe them with her hair: In that culture, a woman normally kept her hair covered in public. Letting her hair down could bring shame and even give a husband reason for…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 36-5037-38. a sinner--one who had led a profligate life. Note.--There is no ground whatever for the popular notion that this woman was Mary Magdalene, nor do we know what her name was. (See on Lu 8:2.) an alabaster box of ointment--a perfume vessel, in some cases very costly (Joh 12:5). "The ointment has here a peculiar interest, as the offering by a penitent of what had been an accessory in her unhallowed work of sin" [Alford].Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 7:38

• Ablution
• Anointing
• Eating
• Faith
• Feasts
• Jesus, the Christ
• Kiss
• Repentance
• Self-Righteousness
• Simon
• Weeping

In the dictionaries

• Anoint
• Apparel
• Banquet
• Delicately
• Eating
• Frankly
• Hair
• Instantly
• Kiss
• Magdalene

Commentaries on Luke 7

• 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