Mark 14:3

And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. AND BEING IN BETHANY, IN THE HOUSE OF SIMON THE LEPER, AS HE SAT AT MEAT, THERE CAME A WOMAN. It was "Mary," as we learn from John 12:3. HAVING AN ALABASTER BOX OF OINTMENT OF SPIKENARD, [ nardou (G3487)] - pure nard, a celebrated aromatic. (See Song of Solomon 1:12) VERY PRECIOUS - "very costly" (John 12:3), And she brake the b...

1-11 Did Christ pour out his soul unto death for us, and shall we think any thing too precious for him? Do we give him the precious ointment of our best affections? Let us love him with all the heart, though it is common for zeal and affection to be misunderstood and blamed; and remember that charity to the poor will not excuse any from particular acts of piety to the Lord Jesus. Christ commended this woman's pious attention to the notice of believers in all ages. Those who honour Christ he will honour. Covetousness was Judas' master lust, and that betrayed him to the sin of betraying his Master; the devil suited his temptation to that, and so conquered him. And see what wicked contrivances many have in their sinful pursuits; but what appears to forward their plans, will prove curses in the end....

Verse Mark 14:3. _ALABASTER BOX_] Among critics and learned men there are various conjectures concerning the alabaster mentioned by the evangelists: some think it means a _glass_ phial; others, that it signifies a small vessel _without a handle_, from α negative and λαβη, _a handle_; and others imagine that it merely signifies a _perfume_ or _essence bottle_. There are several species of the soft calcareous stone called _alabaster_, which are enumerated and described in different chemical works. _SPIKENARD_] Or _nard_. An Indian plant, whose root is very small and slender. It puts forth a long and small stalk, and has several ears or _spikes_ even with the ground, which has given it the name of _spikenard_: the taste is bitter, acrid, and aromatic, and the smell agreeable. CALMET. Very preciou

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 26:1. Mark 14:1 AND OF UNLEAVENED BREAD - So called because at that feast no other bread was used but that which had been made without leaven or yeast. BY CRAFT - By subtlety (Matthew); that is, by some secret plan that would secure possession of him without exciting the opposition of the people. Mark 14:3 OINTMENT - This word does not convey quite the proper meaning. This was a perfume. It was used only to give a pleasant odor, and was liquid. OF SPIKENARD - The “nard,” from

EXPOSITION MARK 14:1 NOW AFTER TWO DAYS WAS THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER AND THE UNLEAVENED BREAD; literally, _the passover and the unleavened _τό πάσχα καὶ τὰ ἄζυμα. It was one and the same festival. The killing of the Paschal lamb took place on the first of the seven days during which the festival lasted, and during the whole of which they used unleavened bread. Josephus describes it as "the festival of the unleavened, called _Phaska _by the Jews." THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE SCRIBES. St. Matthew (Matthew 26:3) says, "The chief priests and the elders of the people." The two classes in the Sanhedrim who actually combined to put our Lord to death were those here mentioned by St. Mark. They sought how th

AND BEING IN BETHANY,.... A place about two miles from Jerusalem, whither he retired after he had took his leave of the temple, and had predicted its destruction; a place he often went to, and from, the last week of his life; having some dear friends, and familiar acquaintance there, as Lazarus, and his two sisters, Martha and Mary, and the person next mentioned: IN THE HOUSE OF SIMON THE LEPER; so called because he had been one, and to distinguish him from Simon the Pharisee, and Simon Peter the apostle, and others; Matthew 26:6; AS HE SAT AT MEAT THERE CAME A WOMAN; generally thought to be Mary Magdalene, or Mary the sister of Lazarus: HAVING AN ALABASTER BOX OF OINTMENT OF SPIKENARD; or "pure nard", unmixed and genuine; or liquid nard, which was drinkable, and so easy to be poured out; or Pistic nard, called so, either from "Pista

Mark 14:1. _After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,_ A well-known person. There were plenty of Simons, and so they had to put another name to distinguish him. You remember Simon the Pharisee, in whose house Christ was anointed by a woman, who washed his feet with tears. This is another Simon. Not Simon the Pharisee, but Simon the Leper. A healed man, no doubt, or he could not have entertained guests. There can be no question by whom he was healed; for there was nobody else that could heal leprosy, except our Divine Lord. «And being at Bethany in the house of Simon the Leper.»...

WOMAN Mary of Bethany. HEAD (_ See Scofield) - (Matthew 26:7). _...

PART IV. GIVING HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR -- CHAPTER S 14-15. Chapter 14 _ 1. Seeking by Craft to put Him to Death. (Mark 14:1 .Matthew 26:2; Luke 22:1 .)_ 2. The Anointing. (Mark 14:3. Matthew 26:6; John 12:1) 3. Judas offers to betray Him. (Mark 14:10 .Matthew 26:14;...

THE ANOINTING OF JESUS. Lk. records a parallel incident (not an alternative version of the same story) earlier in the life of Jesus. Jn. (John 12:1) places the event six days before the Passover. This change may be motived by symbolism, as the Paschal lamb was chosen on 10th of Nisan. But Mk.'s date is not indisputable. He inserts the story here as a preparation for the death of Christ (see especially Mark 14:8). The alabaster vessel and its contents are alike precious. The woman makes her last use of both. She breaks the cruse, perhaps in honour of the guest. Renan seems to have found such a custom in the East (see Swete). Or it may be, that another practice of the Hellenistic age has suggested this detail. In anointing the dead, it was usual to break the flask and lay it in the coffin (HNT). More simply we may suppose