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)
The alabaster flask itself is significant; these were often sealed, and the act of breaking it to pour out the ointment was a deliberate, costly act, signifying the complete and irreversible offering of this precious substance. It wasn't just what she poured, but the act of shattering the vessel that underscored the total devotion of her most valuable possession.
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)
Jesus is in Bethany, about to be arrested and crucified, and He’s sharing a meal in the house of Simon the leper. As Jesus speaks of His impending betrayal, a woman, later identified as Mary, breaks open an expensive alabaster jar and pours its precious contents over Him. This act is met with indignation by some disciples, who view it as a wasteful extravagance.
Why was the ointment so special, and what does the 'alabaster box' tell us about the act itself?
The verse describes "an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment." This wasn't just any perfume; it was a costly unguent, likely pure nard, sourced from distant lands like India.
The Alabaster Box:
Extreme Costliness:
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Jesus saw this extravagant act not just as worship, but as a profound message about His imminent future. What was He seeing?
While the disciples focused on the perceived waste, Jesus understood the deeper meaning behind the woman's action. He interpreted it as an act of loving preparation for His death and burial.
Anointing for Burial:
Divine Foreknowledge and Acceptance:
Jesus declared that this single act would echo through history. How did this moment become a permanent part of the Gospel story?
Jesus declared that this woman's act of devotion would not be forgotten but would be proclaimed wherever the Gospel is preached. This elevates the event from a private moment of worship to a public testament to Christ and His work.
The Global Reach of the Story:
Challenging the Disciples' Perspective:
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 by Mary occurred just days before Jesus's crucifixion, a stark contrast to the plots against him and a prophetic anointing for his burial.
c. AD 30— this verse
Supper in Bethany
Jesus dines at the home of Simon the leper in Bethany, where Mary, sister of Lazarus, anoints his head with expensive ointment.
c. AD 30
Plot Against Jesus
The chief priests and elders plot to arrest and kill Jesus, but decide against doing so during the Passover feast to avoid public unrest.
c. AD 30
Judas's Agreement to Betray Jesus
Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus's disciples, agrees with the chief priests to betray Jesus for money, likely prompted by this event.
c. AD 30
Jesus Enters Jerusalem
Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem for the Passover, knowing his betrayal and crucifixion are imminent.
This passage directly corresponds, identifying the woman as Mary, the sister of Lazarus, and elaborating on the preciousness and quantity of the ointment. It adds a layer of personal devotion to Jesus' prediction of his own burial.
Mark 14:3Mark's account aligns closely, also highlighting the immense value of the ointment and the act of breaking the alabaster flask, which emphasizes the woman's extravagant devotion and the definitive nature of her action.
Luke 7:37-38While debated whether it's the same event, this passage shows another woman anointing Jesus with ointment, but with tears and wiping his feet, illustrating a similar theme of a sinner's profound gratitude expressed through a costly act of worship.
Matthew 26:12Jesus' immediate interpretation of the act as being 'to prepare me for burial' in the following verse connects this outpouring of precious ointment directly to the sacrificial death and burial that were central to his mission.
1 Samuel 16:1This passage describes Samuel anointing David with oil, a significant act of consecration and recognition of God's chosen king, paralleling the anointing of Jesus as the ultimate King and Messiah, though Jesus' anointing signifies his path to suffering and redemption.
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 alabaster flask itself is significant; these were often sealed, and the act of breaking it to pour out the ointment was a deliberate, costly act, signifying the complete and irreversible offering of this precious substance. It wasn't just what she poured, but the act of shattering the vessel that underscored the total devotion of her most valuable possession.
Jesus is in Bethany, about to be arrested and crucified, and He’s sharing a meal in the house of Simon the leper. As Jesus speaks of His impending betrayal, a woman, later identified as Mary, breaks open an expensive alabaster jar and pours its precious contents over Him. This act is met with indignation by some disciples, who view it as a wasteful extravagance.
Jesus is in Bethany, about to be arrested and crucified, and He’s sharing a meal in the house of Simon the leper. As Jesus speaks of His impending betrayal, a woman, later identified as Mary, breaks open an expensive alabaster jar and pours its precious contents over Him. This act is met with indignation by some disciples, who view it as a wasteful extravagance.
"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 alabaster flask itself is significant; these were often sealed, and the act of breaking it to pour out the ointment was a deliberate, costly act, signifying the complete and irreversible offering…
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Last reviewed October 2026