Matthew 26:7
a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The ancient Greek word for "alabaster flask" can also describe the shape of the vessel, implying a container with a long, narrow neck. This detail suggests the deliberate, slow pour of the precious ointment onto Jesus' head, making the extravagant act even more pronounced.
Jesus is in Bethany at a meal with Simon the Leper, just two days before the Passover. This intimate moment happens as plotting against Jesus by the religious leaders intensifies, and Jesus has just predicted his betrayal and crucifixion to his disciples. A woman then approaches Jesus and pours a very expensive ointment on his head, an act that sparks anger and confusion among the disciples.
Imagine the scene: a dinner party, Jesus reclining at table. Suddenly, a woman approaches, not with a polite greeting, but with a precious, expensive vial. What does this act reveal about her heart and the value she placed on Jesus?
The woman's action is not just a simple gesture; it's a powerful declaration. She comes with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment.
The Vessel and its Contents
This wasn't a gift of convenience or excess; it was a deliberate, costly offering. Her approach, the nature of the gift, and its application all speak of a heart overflowing with devotion.
The disciples were furious, seeing this as a waste. But Jesus saw something far deeper. What was the true, prophetic meaning behind this fragrant anointing?
While the disciples saw only extravagance, Jesus understood the profound, symbolic act that was taking place.
A Foreshadowing of Sacrifice
Understand the original words
alabastron · Greek Noun
A container made of a translucent stone often used for costly perfumes or ointments; it symbolizes high value and honor in an act of devotion.
myron · Greek Noun
A substance used for medicinal, aromatic, or ritual purposes (like anointing for burial); in Scripture, it often symbolizes an act of extravagant worship or preparation for death.
This intimate act of devotion occurs just days before Jesus' crucifixion, during a tense period of plotting against Him. The contrast between the woman's extravagant love and the disciples' practical objections, and the priests' deadly plotting, highlights the different values and priorities at play.
c. 1st century AD
Mary Anoints Jesus' Feet
Six days before Passover, Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus' feet with expensive spikenard ointment and wipes them with her hair, an act of devotion and anticipation of His burial. This event is recorded by John.
c. 1st century AD
Plot to Arrest Jesus
The chief priests and elders, fearing Jesus' popularity, meet in the high priest Caiaphas's palace to strategize how to arrest and kill Him. They decide against doing so during Passover to avoid public unrest.
c. 1st century AD— this verse
Supper in Bethany
Jesus attends a supper in Bethany, likely at the home of Simon the leper. A woman, identified by John as Mary, anoints Jesus' head with very expensive ointment from an alabaster flask.
c. 1st century AD
Disciples' Objection to the Ointment
Some disciples, led by Judas, protest the anointing, calling it a waste of precious ointment that could have been sold to help the poor. Jesus rebukes them, stating the woman has done a good deed and that He will not always be with them.
This passage directly corresponds, identifying the woman as Mary, the sister of Lazarus, and specifying the type and quantity of the ointment, adding richness to Matthew's account.
Mark 14:3Mark's parallel account further details the act, noting that Mary 'broke the jar' and emphasizing the exceeding costliness of the spikenard ointment.
Luke 7:37-38This passage describes another woman anointing Jesus' feet with perfume. While debated if it's the same event, it highlights the theme of extravagant devotion and a woman's costly gift to Jesus, drawing a strong thematic parallel.
Matthew 26:10-12Jesus' own words here reveal the purpose behind the woman's action – not mere extravagance, but a specific, divinely inspired act preparing Him for burial, giving profound meaning to the gesture.
1 Samuel 16:1This passage shows the anointing of David with oil by Samuel. It provides a significant Old Testament parallel for the concept of anointing with precious oil as a sacred act, though in David's case it was for kingship, and here for burial and devotion.
vincentMatthew 26:7: "There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat."
An alabaster box (ἀλάβαστρον)Rev., cruse; flask in margin. Lit., an alabaster, just as we call a drinking-vessel made of glass a glass. Luther renders glass. It was a kind of cruet, having a cylindrical form at the top. Pliny compares these vessels to a closed rosebud, and says that ointments are best preserved in them.
calvinMatthew 26:1-13: "And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,"
- And it happened when Jesus had finished all these discourses, he said to his disciples, 2. You know that after two days is the passover; and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. 3. Then were assembled the chief priests, and scribes, and elders of the people, in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4. And entered into consultation how they would take Jesus b…
The ancient Greek word for "alabaster flask" can also describe the shape of the vessel, implying a container with a long, narrow neck. This detail suggests the deliberate, slow pour of the precious ointment onto Jesus' head, making the extravagant act even more pronounced.
Jesus is in Bethany at a meal with Simon the Leper, just two days before the Passover. This intimate moment happens as plotting against Jesus by the religious leaders intensifies, and Jesus has just predicted his betrayal and crucifixion to his disciples. A woman then approaches Jesus and pours a very expensive ointment on his head, an act that sparks anger and confusion among the disciples.
Jesus is in Bethany at a meal with Simon the Leper, just two days before the Passover. This intimate moment happens as plotting against Jesus by the religious leaders intensifies, and Jesus has just predicted his betrayal and crucifixion to his disciples. A woman then approaches Jesus and pours a very expensive ointment on his head, an act that sparks anger and confusion among the disciples.
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This anointing, therefore, becomes a beautiful, albeit somber, testament to Jesus' mission – His willing sacrifice for the sins of the world.
The disciples grumbled about 'waste,' but Jesus countered with a powerful statement about remembrance. What makes this act worthy of being told throughout the world?
Jesus didn't just defend the woman; He elevated her act to a global proclamation.
The Enduring Witness of the Gospel
This act of extravagant love, seen through Jesus' eyes, becomes an eternal testimony to the power of devotion that recognizes Him for who He is – the Messiah, willing to lay down His life.
c. 1st century AD
Jesus Interprets the Anointing
Jesus explains that the woman has anointed His body in preparation for His burial, linking the act to His impending death and resurrection.
"a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table." — The ancient Greek word for "alabaster flask" can also describe the shape of the vessel, implying a container with a long, narrow neck. This detail suggests the deliberate, slow pour of the precious…
