Verse of the Day
Author Spotlight
Loading featured author...
Report Issue
See a formatting issue or error?
Let us know →
"Why wasn`t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?"
Verse Takeaways
1
A Year's Wages
Commentators consistently highlight that three hundred pence (denarii) was an immense sum, equivalent to a full year's wages for a common laborer. This context reveals that Mary's anointing of Jesus was not a small token of affection but an act of profound, sacrificial, and extravagant devotion.
See 3 Verse Takeaways
Book Overview
John
Author
Audience
Composition
Teaching Highlights
Outline
+ 5 more
See Overview
10
18th Century
Presbyterian
Three hundred pence. About forty dollars, or eight pounds and ten shillings.
And given to the poor. The proceeds …
Sold (επραθη). First aorist passive indicative of πιπρασκω, old verb to sell (Matthew 13:46).
For three…
19th Century
Anglican
Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence?—Both the earlier Gospels preface this estimate with a reference t…
Your support helps us maintain this resource for everyone
Baptist
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house wa…
Judas Iscariot reappears here (cf. 6:70–71, the only previous mention of him in this gospel). Jesus knew Judas’s tendencies and was well aware of h…
16th Century
Protestant
Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred denarii? A pound of ordinary ointment, Pliny tells us, cost not more than ten denarii; bu…
Get curated content & updates
17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence Meaning Roman pence, one of which is, of the value of our mon…
Christ had formerly blamed Martha for being troubled with much serving. But she did not stop serving, as some who, when criticized for going too fa…
13th Century
Catholic
Until now, the Evangelist has been showing the power of Christ’s divinity by what he did and taught during his public life. Now he begins…
