John 12:3 - Exposition

Mary therefore took a pound of ointment ("liquid perfume," sometimes added to the more ordinary oil), of pure (or possibly; pistie ) nard . Mark uses this unusual word πιστικός , which belongs to later Greek. The derivation of πιστκτικός from πίνω , equivalent to "potable," is not appropriate in meaning, though this "nard" was used for perfuming wine. In Mark 14:3 also the Authorized version translates it "spikenard," as it does here (cf. also Song of Solomon 1:12 and Song of Solomon 4:13 , Song of Solomon 4:14 , where Hebrew דְּרְןֵ corresponds with νάρδος ). But the one place where the word was supposed to be found in Aristotle is now seen not to be πισττικός , but πειστικός , trustworthy, or unadulterated. It is possible that the word may have had a local geographical value, belonging to some proper name, and is untranslatable. Very precious. Mark ( Mark 14:3 ) uses the word πολυτελοῦς , and Matthew ( Matthew 26:7 ) βαρυτίμου . John appears to combine the idea of both words in his πολυτίμον . Each of the synoptists severally mentions a fact which John omits—that Mary broke the alabaster box, and poured the costly unguent on his head in rich abundance, as though hers had been the royal or high-priestly anointing (cf. Psalms 133:1-3 .); but John shows that this at least was not all she did. She anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Thoma thinks that, conformably with John's idea, the anointing of the head of the true High Priest was the work of God alone, quoting Philo's comment on Le John 21:10 , etc., "The head of the Loges, as High Priest, is anointed with oil, i.e. his innermost essence gleams with dazzling light;" and adds, that as the feet of the high priest were washed with water from recent defilement of the world's dust, so God's anointed Lamb and Priest was anointed on his feet with the spikenard of faith, the best and costliest thing that man could offer. So profound an analogy seems to us contrary to the simplicity of the narrative, which is perfectly natural in its form. The perfumed nard ran down to the Savior's feet and the skirts of his garments, and there accumulating, the significant act is further recounted how Mary wiped off the superfluous perfume from his feet with the tresses of her loosened hair. This simple act proclaimed the self-humiliation and adoration of her unbounded love, seeing that the loosening of a woman's hair was a mark of unusual self-abandonment, Many most unnecessary inferences have been drawn from this. John adds an interesting feature, revealing the sensitive eye-witness of the scene, "and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment; " and the whole house of God ever since has been fragrant with her immortal and prophetic act.