Matthew 26:12

26:12 to prepare my body for burial: It is not clear whether the woman fully understood the significance of her actions. In addition to preparation for burial, the anointing also speaks of Jesus as king (1 Sam 10:1; 2 Kgs 9:6) and priest (Exod 29:7).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mat 26:12. Βαλοῦσα, in that she hath poured) The word implies profusion.—πρὸς τὸ ἐνταφιάσαι Με, for My burial) These words intimate that His death was certain and near at hand. The verb ἐνταφιάζειν does not mean “to place in the sepulchre,” but “to prepare for the sepulchre.” The ἐνταφιασμὸς of Jacob (Gen 50:2, S. V.) took place in Egypt, his sepulture afterwards [in Canaan].

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 26:12 . πρὸς τὸ ἐνταφ ., to prepare for burial by embalming; so near is my death, though ye thought not of it: effect of the woman’s act, not her conscious purpose. The Syriac version introduces a quasi . She meant nothing but to show her love, quickened possibly by instinctive foreboding of ill. But an act done in that spirit was the best embalming of Christ’s body, or rather of His act in dying, for the two acts were kindred. Hence naturally the solemn declaration following, an essential part of the story, of indubitable authenticity.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In that she poured this ointment upon my body, she did it to bury me.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 12. She did it for my burial.] Or, She hath done it to embalm me - ενταφιασαι με. The Septuagint use ενταφιαστης for the person whose office it was to embalm, Ge 50:2, and ενταφιαζω for the Hebrew הנט which signifies to prepare with spices, or aromatics, Ge 50:3. Our Lord took this opportunity to tell them, once more, that he was shortly to die.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(12) She did it for my burial.—The words must have fallen with a strange sadness upon the ears of the disciples and the other guests. They were expecting that “the kingdom of God should immediately appear” (Luk_19:11), and were looking forward to the dawn of the next day as the hour of its victory and triumph. The enthusiasm of the moment made them deaf to the real import of what they heard, and their Master, alone of all that company, knew that the fragrance of that perfume would not have died away when His body should be laid in the sepulchre.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. for my burial] For this use of perfumes cp. 2Ch_16:14, “They laid him (Asa) in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries’ art.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For in that she hath poured this ointment,.... Which was so very precious, and cost so much,

upon my body: for being poured on his head, it ran down all over his body.

She did it for my burial; not for the interment of his body, but for the embalming of it, previous to it: the Jews used to embalm their dead, to show their constant respect to the deceased, and their belief of the resurrection; at least not only used to wash them, but anoint them with oil; for so runs one of their canons (i):

"they do all things necessary to the dead, (i.e. on the sabbath day,) "they anoint him": that is, as Bartenora adds, "with oil"; and they wash him;''

but the body of Christ, when dead, was not to be so used: the women intended it, and prepared materials for it, but the sabbath coming on, they rested according to the commandment; though, according to this canon, they might have anointed him, but they waited till the sabbath was over; and early on the first day, in the morning, they came to the sepulchre, in order to do it, but it was too late, Christ was risen; see Luk 23:56. Now either this woman had some revelation made to her, that the death of Christ was near at hand, and she feared, or knew, she should not be able to anoint him when dead; and therefore, as Mark has it, "she hath done what she could; she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying", Mar 14:8, or if she had no knowledge of all this, nor any such intention, yet the Holy Ghost directed her to this action, with this view, as it were, for the performing of these funeral rites before he was dead; and so the Syriac version renders it, "she hath done it, , as it were, to bury me".

(i) Misn. Sabbat, c. 23. sect. 5.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.

Ver. 12. She did it for my burial] This Mary perhaps understood not. So things that we think come to pass by haphazard are preordained, and sweetly ordered by Almighty God in his secret counsel, and by his fatherly providence, to excellent ends many times, such as we never thought on.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. Did it for my burial — It is supposed by some that Mary had either been informed by our Lord of his approaching death, or even that she had some prophetic presentiment of it. It may be remarked that, for the sake of propriety, our Lord was regularly accompanied by twelve male disciples; but the Gospels take care to assure us that those who believed and loved him were not all men; but that woman in her place was not less true to his divine claims than man. Of this fact Mary is the most striking instance; and the meek, silent, and sudden manner in which she comes from her retirement, perhaps from her place of prayer, where the sad future of our Lord may have been intimated to her, into this feast, and performs this act of sorrowful affection, is a special exemplification. It may well be thought possible that our Lord communicated to her a clearer knowledge of his approaching death than to his disciples. Or it may be that to her, as to a divine love, was imparted the spiritual presentiment of the truth. And yet, finally, it is very possible that she acted from the simple impulse of love; and that our Lord himself, giving it a higher meaning, elevated the act into a prediction of his approaching burial. Just so the words of Caiaphas (Joh_11:49-53) had an unconscious prophetic import.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

On my body, she did it for my burial (pro entafiasai me , to prepare me for burial). This doubtless was in some sort her intention (see on ver 10). She desired to offer what she could (Mar_14:8) of the offices and attentions due to the corpse of a beloved and revered Friend. Christ interpreted her act, and gave it a solemn significance. By this effusion of the precious unguent site anticipated the embalming of the Lord"s body; she showed her reverence for that body which was to be given for the life of the world not many days hence. The full meaning of the mystery of which she was the instrument Mary did not comprehend, but what she had consciously done received a wonderful commendation from the Lord, which has no parallel in the Gospel history.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

She hath done it for my burial - As it were for the embalming of my body. Indeed this was not her design: but our Lord puts this construction upon it, to confirm thereby what he had before said to his disciples, concerning his approaching death.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

for my

Supply to prepare me.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. To prepare me for burial. It was customary to anoint the dead and lay the body in spices. See John 19:40; Luke 23:56; 2 Chron. 16:14. Mary was probably impelled only by her love of the Lord and desire to do him honor; but Jesus, about to die and be buried, declares the anointing a fit preparation.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

ointment

This is oil that has a pleasing smell. See how you translated this in Matthew 26:7.

Truly I say to you

"I tell you the truth." This adds emphasis to what Jesus says next.

wherever this gospel is preached

This can be stated in active form. AT: "wherever people preach this gospel" (See: Active or Passive)

what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her

This can be stated in active form. AT: "they will remember what this woman has done and will tell others about her" or "people will remember what this woman has done and will tell others about her" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

bury

amen

good news

preach

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

12. πρὸς τὸ κ.τ.λ. For this use of perfumes cp. 2Ch 16:14, ‘They laid him (Asa) in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries’ art.’

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12.] I can hardly think that our Lord would have said this, unless there had been in Mary’s mind a distinct reference to His burial, in doing the act. All the company surely knew well that His death, and that by crucifixion, was near at hand: can we suppose one who so closely observed His words as Mary, not to have been possessed with the thought of that which was about to happen? The προέλαβεν μυρίσαι μου τὸ σῶμα of Mark (14:8), and the ἵνα εἰς τὴν ἡμ. τοῦ ἐνταφ. μου τηρήσῃ αὐτό of John (12:7), point even more strongly to her intention.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(M) 12. For in having cast this ointment upon My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.] Mk. has: “What she could she did. She anointed My body beforehand, with a view to preparation for burial.”—ἐνταφιάζειν] late and uncommon; cf. Gen 50:2; Plut. De Esu. Carnium, i. 995 C; Test. XII. Patr. Jud. 26.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.