Charles Ellicott Commentary Luke 7:46

"My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but she hath anointed my feet with ointment." — Luke 7:46 (ASV)

My head with oil thou didst not anoint.—This also, though not as common as the kiss and the washing of the feet, was still a mark of courtesy due to an honored guest. For one who had journeyed to a feast under the burning sun of Syria, it brought with it a sense of comfort and refreshment that made it a fit type of spiritual realities. For the usage, see Psalms 23:5; Psalms 45:7; Ecclesiastes 9:8.

Partly because the use of oil or chrism became more directly symbolic in the ritual of the Christian Church—as in baptism, confirmation, extreme unction, the coronation of kings—partly because in other climates its necessity was not felt, the practice, as belonging to common life, has dropped into disuse. Note the contrast between the olive "oil," which was commonly used, and the more costly "ointment."