John 12:7

7. Insert ἵνα after αὐτήν and read τηρήσῃ for τετήρηκεν (changes to escape a difficulty), with אBDKLQX against AIa.

7. ἄφες αὐτήν, ἵνα. Let her alone, that for the day of the preparation for My burial she may preserve it: or, more simply, Suffer her to keep it for the day of My burial. But ἐνταφιασμός (here and Mark 14:8 only) means the embalming and other preparations rather than the actual entombment: comp. John 19:40. The meaning is not clear: (1) Suffer her to keep what remains of it; not, however, for the poor, but for My burial, which is close at hand.’ But was there any of it left? (2) ‘Let her alone; (she has not sold it for the poor) that she may keep it for My burial.’ (3) ‘Suffer her to keep it (for she intended to do so) for the day of My burial:’ i. e. do not find fault with a good intention which she has unwittingly carried out. The words are spoken from the point of view of the past, when Mary’s act was still only a purpose.