John Calvin Commentary Matthew 26:6

"Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper," — Matthew 26:6 (ASV)

And when Jesus was in Bethany. What the Evangelist now relates had happened a little before Christ came to Jerusalem, but is here introduced fittingly, to inform us what reason suddenly drove the priests to hurry. They did not venture to attack Christ by open violence, and to overcome him by stratagem was no easy matter. However, now that Judas suggests to them a plan they had not considered, the very ease of execution leads them to adopt a different opinion.

Regarding some slight diversity between John’s narrative and those of Matthew and Mark, it is easy to resolve the apparent inconsistency, which has led some commentators mistakenly to imagine that it is a different narrative. John 12:3 states the name of the woman who anointed Christ, which is omitted by the other two Evangelists. However, John does not mention the person who received Christ as a guest, while Matthew 26:6 and Mark 14:3 explicitly state that he was then at supper in the house of Simon the leper.

As for John saying that his feet were anointed, while the other two Evangelists say that she anointed his head, this involves no contradiction. Unquestionably, we know that anointments were not poured on the feet; but as it was then poured in greater abundance than usual, John, by way of amplification, informs us that Christ’s very feet were moistened with the oil.

Mark also relates that she broke the alabaster-box, and poured the whole of the ointment on his head; and it agrees very well with this to say that it flowed down to his feet. Therefore, let us hold it as a settled point that all three Evangelists relate the same narrative.