Mark

14:1-11

Entering the promised land, 11:1-16:20

4. Victory, 14:1-16:20

i] The anointing

Mark introduces the passion narrative by contrasting the devotion of an unnamed woman with the deceitfulness of the religious authorities and the disloyalty of one of Jesus' disciples.

From Mark's account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem onward we are presented with the theme of Jesus' knowledge and determination to comply with the divine will - Jesus' death is framed within the sovereign will of God, which fact he prophesies and sets his face toward. Mark draws out these themes in his account of the anointing of Jesus, setting the story within the religious authorities' plot to kill Jesus and the compliance of Judas to that end. The devotion of the woman is set within the plotting of the righteous and the betrayal of a disciple - faith and treachery. As France notes, the "sandwich" actually has another layer: v1a, the Passover is coming, and v12ff, preparing for the Passover. So, within the Passover festival and its sacrificial meal, within hostility and treachery, there sits "the extravagant love and loyalty of one of the least of his followers."

The substantive truth revealed in the story is found in v9. The exact intent of Jesus' words is somewhat unclear due to the Gk., see below, but the point seems to be that, along with the gospel, what this woman did will also be proclaimed and so serve as a reminder from her of the way of salvation, namely, of reliance on the substitutionary death of Christ.

The story of the anointing is recorded in all four gospels. Matthew's account is very similar to Mark's, while both John and Luke present interesting differences to that of Mark's account. Luke sets the story during Jesus' ministry rather than at the Passover, and it is set in the house of Simon the Pharisee, not Simon the man with a skin disease. The woman is "a sinner" rather than just "a woman", and she weeps on Jesus' feet, dries them with her hair and then anoints his feet, rather than anoints his head with oil. Jesus is critical of Simon rather than just generally angry, and forgives the woman rather than defends her. John, on the other hand, says that the event took place six days before the Passover, not two, and that the woman is Mary of Bethany. John says that the ointment weighed a pound, and that it was Jesus' feet which were anointed rather than his head, and that Judas is the one who gets angry rather than "some who were there" (disciples??). Unlike Luke, John records the two sayings referring to Jesus' burial and the poor, but reverses Mark's order.

These fascinating differences can probably be put down to differences in the source tradition along with the particular intent of the gospel writer. Brown suggests that two similar stories were carried in the oral tradition, a repentant woman who weeps at Jesus' feet (Luke) and a woman who anoints Jesus' head, and that there has been some melding of the stories during their transmission. Such an idea always touches on the issue of scriptural authority, but inevitably, as an act of faith, most believers hold that scripture is inspired such that the truth revealed by the different authors is God's word to us.

The plot of the religious authorities, v1-2.

to pasca "the Passover" - Probably here the passover meal is meant, prepared on the afternoon of 14 Nisan and eaten between sunset and midnight of 15 Nisan.

ta azuma (oV) "the feast of unleavened bread" - "Feast of" implied. Celebrated between 15 and 21 Nisan and by now virtually part of the Passover festival.

meta + acc."were only [two days] away" - after [two days]. The timing here is difficult to work out, given that the new day begins at sunset and that a phrase like this could mean "tomorrow / the next day" (the count can include today). It probably means "tomorrow evening". Counting to the feast of Unleavened Bread is further complicated because the first day of the feast is sometimes reckoned as 14 Nisan, the killing of the lambs. None-the-less, the day of the anointing is likely to be Wednesday, Nisan 13.

ezhtoun (zhtew) imperf. "looking" - were seeking, searching. The imperfect giving a durative sense, "a purpose entertained for some time", Taylor.

en + dat. "for [some sly way]" - in, by [deceit, guile]. Possibly instrumental, "through, by means of"; "the chief priests and scribes plotted how they might arrest and execute Him through treachery", Berkeley. Yet, adverbial, expressing manner, seems better, ie. the authorities were intent on arresting Jesus, but in a way that would not cause them any embarrassment.

krathsanteV (kratew) aor. part. "to arrest" - having sized, taken hold of, grasped. The participle serves to form a dependent statement of perception expressing what the authorities were "looking / seeking" to do, namely "how they might arrest and kill him." pwV + subj. "kill" forms an indefinite clause.

gar "but" - for. Expressing cause/reason, here introducing a reason for the guile of the religious authorities; "for they were saying ...."

mh "not" - The sentence is elliptical, "we will not arrest him at the feast .....". Given that the negation mh in used in prohibitions they may be saying "do not arrest him at the feast ....."

en + dat. "during [the feast]" - in [the feast/festival]. Probably temporal, as NIV, although a local sense is possible; "in the presence of the festival crowd", Jeremias. The authorities do not want Jesus arrested during the festival proper, the afternoon of 14 Nisan through to 21 Nisan, obviously due to the crowd, many of whom view Jesus at least as a prophet. Judas provides the opportunity to arrest Jesus at the commencement of 14 Nisan.

mhpote "or" - lest. This conjunction stands in for iJna mh + subj. (here with the fut. ind.) and so forms a negated purpose clause, "lest"; "It must not be during the festival, to make sure that (in order that) there is no uproar among the people", Cassirer.

tou laou (oV) gen. "the people" - of the people = crowd. The genitive is adjectival, attributive, limiting "disturbance"; "a people disturbance" = "a riot."

foruboV (oV) "riot" - disturbance, tumult, confusion, noise. "Because the people will riot", CEV.

The anointing of Jesus, 3-9.

ontoV (eimi) gen. "while [he] was" - being. The genitive absolute participle is adverbial, temporal, as NIV. So also "reclining", together serving to form two coordinate genitive absolute constructions. Interestingly, the presence of autou, "he", subject in agreement with the participle, a construction also paralleled in "he reclining", is the same autou, "he", of the main clause, "she poured [it on] his head", which means that technically the two participial constructions are not absolute.

en + dat. "in [Bethany]" - Expressing space/sphere.

SimwnoV (wn onoV) "of a man known as Simon [the Leper]" - of Simon [the leper]. The genitive is adjectival, possessive. Simon is a common name and would often carry a distinguishing descriptor. Obviously, Simon is not a leper as he would not be able to host a meal if he was. He may have been a leper, or the descriptor may be a nickname like scar-face.

katakeimenou (katakeimai) gen. part. "reclining at the table" - reclining. A second genitive absolute participle, concordant with "being / while he was"; "while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the Leper, [and] while he was reclining at table [having a meal], ....." The word indicates they were in an eating position, lying on cushions around a low coffee-style table. France suggests an evening meal before the commencement of the passover festival.

hlqen (ercomai) aor. "a [woman] came" - John has Mary of Bethany as a guest, but Mark, in agreement with Luke, has the woman coming in from outside. See notes above.

ecousa (ecw) pres. part. "with [an alabaster jar]" - having [the alabaster]. The participle is adjectival, limiting "woman"; "a woman who had ...."

murou (on) gen. "of very expensive perfume" - ointment. The genitive is adjectival, content; "a jar full of ointment." We are not actually told that it is expensive, but such a perfumed oil would be expensive, even up to a year's wage for a laborer.

pistikhV gen. adj. "pure [nard]" - pure, genuine / liquid [spikenard]. Genitive in agreement with nardou "of nard", attributive genitive describing/limiting the ointment; "nard ointment." Taylor suggests "pure", but Cranfield says it is likely to refer to the base oil of the perfume, usually pistachio nut oil, used to dilute the spikenard and make it usable, so "liquid nard."

suntriyasa (suntribw) aor. part. "she broke" - having broken, crushed. Probably just an attendant circumstance participle, "a woman came ...... and she broke the jar ...", or possibly temporal, "and after she broke the jar ..." Probably just broke the seal of the jar, but possibly something more dramatic, so Gundry: "breaking the flask makes it henceforth unusable and therefore dramatizes the completeness of the outpouring; not a drop is held back."

alabastron (oV) "alabaster jar" - "A long tube-like flask of the type sometimes called a tear-bottle; it might have been made of alabaster, but more probably of glass", Shermon E Johnson.

kateceen (katacew) aor. + gen. "poured the perfume on" - poured, poured down, poured over. Anointing is a general courtesy performed for a guest, although this is more a drenching than an anointing. Jesus explains the anointing in terms of an anointing for death. There is every indication that the woman understands it in these terms. Matthew agrees with Mark on what part of the anatomy Jesus is anointed.

thV kefalhV (h) gen. "[his] head" - of the head [of him]. Genitive of direct object after the verb "pour over - "of what (head) the liquid is poured over", BAGD. Elliott argues that the anointing is messianic such that the woman is hailing Jesus as the King-Messiah, cf. 2 Kings 9:1-13, but it is usually understood as an anointing for death and burial, so Gundry, France, ...

tineV pro. "some of those present" - some. Some of the disciples? Probably "some of the guests at the meal."

hsan .... aganaktounteV (aganaktew) pres. part. "were saying indignantly" - were being unwilling / angry, indignant. "Growling", Gundry. A periphrastic imperfect construction, possibly to accentuate the duration of the action. The action "saying" is implied; "some of the guest were annoyed at what she had done", Barclay.

proV + acc. "to [one another]" - with/to [themselves] = inwardly. "Were vexed / disturbed in themselves", or "commented /glanced indignantly one toward another."

eiV + acc. "why" - to [what]. Here expressing purpose; "for what reason, purpose, why?", BAGD. "What is the point", Barclay.

tou murou (on) gen. "of perfume" - of the ointment. The genitive is adjectival, attributed, "why this wasted perfume?", or attributive, limiting "waste". The context dictates that it is the perfume that is wasted, so "why this waste", Cassirer.

gegonen (ginomai) perf. "-" - [for what reason this destruction of the ointment] become = taken place, happened; "for what purpose has this waste occurred?"

gar "-" - for. Expressing cause/reason, explaining why the anointing was so wasteful.

to muron (on) "it" - [this] ointment. Properly taken as nominative, thus functioning as the subject of the sentence, although read as accusative by TH and thus serving as the subject of the two infinitives which together serve as the subject of the sentence (a neuter noun has the same ending for both the nominative and accusative case).

hdunato (dunamai) imperf. pas. "could have been" - [this ointment] was able. "This perfume might have been sold", Moffatt.

praqhnai (pipraskw) aor. inf. "sold" - to be sold. The infinitives, "to be sold" and "to be given" are complementary, completing the sense of the verb "was able."

epanw + gen. "for more than" - over, above. Variant missing in some manuscripts probably due to not being present in John's account, cf. Metzger. In this case the "three hundred denarii" is not governed by this preposition.

dhnariwn triakosiwn gen. "a year's wages" - three hundred denarii. Genitive of measure / price. The NIV dynamic equivalent is better than "three hundred sliver coins", CEV.

enebrimwnto (embrimaomai) imperf. "they rebuked [her] harshly" - they were reproaching, warning, expressing anger. Probably in the sense of gestures of reproach and disapproval, along with verbal murmurings and hisses.

de "-" - but, and. Here adversative; "but Jesus said."

afete (afihmi) aor. imp. "leave [her] alone" - leave, leave alone, leave someone alone. "let go, tolerate", BAGD. "Stop giving her a hard time", Boring.

parecete (parecw) pres. "[why] are you [bothering her?]" - [why] do you cause, bring, give [her trouble]. "Why distress her", Barclay.

kopouV (oV) "bothering" - troubles, difficulties.

kalon ergon "[she has done] a beautiful thing" - [she has worked] a good, noble, worthy, work. The phrase "a good work" implies something more than a kindness. In Jewish circles a good work was viewed by the rabbis as an honorable deed, done under God, of superior character to alms-giving. In Christian circles it is "an act of Christian ministry that did not have the pietistic and moralistic flavor of being a do-gooder", Boring. Given the context, it is likely that we have here a saving "good work", an act of faith - reliance on the saving work of Christ on the cross, see v9. Her actions certainly express self-giving love, but are also appropriate in that Christ is about to die. Of course, other interpretations are possible, eg., Danker suggests that Psalm 41 lies behind the incident. Christ represents the righteous suffering poor and the woman has recognized him and so anoints him as an act of love toward God's broken one; "she has done a beautiful deed / a noble act of love."

en "to [me]" - in, on [me]. Reflecting Aramaic usage, the sense of the preposition can be local, "in", or spacial, "to".

gar "-" - for. Expressing cause/reason. Jesus explains why they should leave her alone to perform her act of love, namely, "because you always have the poor with you ....." Jesus is raising the issue of time, not of compassion. Poverty will never cease and compassion toward the poor must never cease, but Jesus will not always be present in the flesh.

pantote adv. "always" - at all times. "You will always have the poor with you", CEV.

meq (meta) + gen. "with" - Association.

eJautwn ref. pro. "you" - yourselves. The 3rd. person used for 2nd.

eu\ poihsai "[you can] help" - [you are able] to do good. The infinitive "to do" is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "you are able", while the adverb eu\ functions as an improper object. This colloquial use, "you did good", is only used here in the NT, but appears a number of times in the LXX, eg. eu\ se poihsw, "I will do good to you", Gen.32:9. "You will be able to do good to them whenever you wish", Cassirer.

autoiV dat. pro. "them" - to them. Dative of indirect object, although an accusative variant autouV exists to serve as the proper object.

oJtan + subj. "any time [you want]" - whenever [you wish]. Forming an indefinite temporal clause. The reference to the poor is often used to justify ignoring their plight, but this is not Jesus' intention. They will always need our attention, but there will be occasions when other priorities will need to be addressed. This is one such occasion.

oJ escen epoihsen "she did what she could" - what she had she did. The verb escen, "had", is probably taking the sense "was able" with the assumed infinitive poihsai; "what she was able [to do] she did." "She has done all that she had it in her power to do", Barclay.

murisai (murizw) aor. inf. "she poured perfume [on my body]" - to anoint [the body of me]. The infinitive here is unwieldy and the clause compressed. It is probably epexegetic of proelaben, "she has anticipated", with the assumed object "my death"; "she has anticipated my death, that is, she has anointed my body with a view to my burial."

proelaben (prolambanw) aor. "beforehand" - she prepared beforehand, acted ahead of time, anticipated. Of taking action before it is necessary to do so, MM.

eiV "to prepare for" - to, toward. Here final, expressing end-view, "with a view to my burial"

entafiasmon (oV) "my burial" - the burial. Possibly the preparation for the burial (laying out the body), MM, although BAGD suggests the burial itself.

amhn de legw uJmin "I tell you the truth" - truly I say to you. A statement used to reinforce the following words. "You may be sure", CEV.

oJpou ean + subj. "wherever" - Forming an indefinite temporal conditional clause, 3rd. class, where the condition has the possibility of coming true; "whenever, as the case may be, ..... then ....."

khrucqh/ (khrussw) aor. pas. subj. "[the gospel] is preached" - [the important message] may be preached, proclaimed. This verse raises a number of questions. In what why is the anointing linked to the preaching of the gospel? Jeremias suggests that the "gospel" referred to in this verse concerns "the proclamation of the final victory of God", while the preaching refers to the shout of the angel on the last day as he announces the victory. On that day her act of love will be recounted before the thrown of God and stand to her favour; "this deed of hers will also be recounted, as her memorial to me", Phillips. This is a very original interpretation and overcomes the nagging question as to why the anointing should be integrally linked to the gospel and recounted throughout the centuries. In the end, the notion that the anointing serves as a reminder to God for the woman's account is questionable. Gundry takes a straightforward approach to the words when he says "that alongside the gospel itself, what the woman has done will be talked about throughout the world with the result that she will be remembered." What we can say for certain is that the story "serves as a vehicle for the proclamation of the good news of God's saving act in Christ", Boring.

eiV "throughout [the world]" - Here used instead of en, so "in the world."

kai "also" - and. Here adjunctive; "that which / what she herself / this one did will be spoken of also."

lalhqhsetai (lalew) fut. pas. "will [also] be told" - will be spoken. "Will also be recounted", Phillips.

eiV "in" - to. Here final / telic, expressing purpose; "with a view to."

mnhmosunon "memory" - reminder, memorial. "A reminder" in the sense of "an event in the past called into the present by its effects", Mann. Her act of love may serve as a reminder to God (Jeremias, see above), but better, serves as a reminder to us. "What she has done will be told too, and it will serve a reminder."

authV gen. pro. "of her" - Zerwick has "as a memorial to her", while Marcus opts for a verbal genitive, objective, "as a memorial for her", quoting numerous examples of this sense in funerary inscriptions. On the other hand it could be a subjective genitive / ablative, source, where the actions of the woman will be spoken / preached to serve as (eiV, telic - purpose) a reminder from her. That she is unnamed better serves a role performed as an example. Her actions define the "good work" necessary for salvation, namely a recognition of / dependence on / devotion to the substitutionary death of Christ. This approach has much in its favor, although it is depreciated by Gundry.

Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus, v10-11.

kai "then" - and. Coordinative.

Iskariwq "Iscariot" - An identifier for the man Judas, possibly a family name, but more likely of a place, "Judas, the man from [the village of] Karioth."

oJ ei|V "-" - that one. "One", ei|V, is used for the general, tiV, "someone / a certain person." The oJ is absent in some manuscripts, increasing the indefinite the indefinite nature of the phrase. Possibly even derogatory; "that person."

twn dwdeka gen. "one of the twelve" - of the twelve. The genitive is adjectival, partitive; "that one (namely Judas), who was one of the twelve." The definite article underlines the one betrayer, Judas, as against the rest of the disciples.

iJna + subj. "to [betray]" - that. Forming a final clause expressing purpose; "in order to deliver him over to them."

paradoi (paradidwmi) aor. subj. "betray" - hand over, betray, deliver over. "He went to the Chief Priests and offered to help them arrest Jesus", CEV.

autoiV dat. pro. "to them" - Dative of indirect object.

oiJ ... akousanteV (akouw) aor. part. "they" - the ones having heard. The participle serves as a substantive.

ecarhsan (cairw) aor. pas. "were delighted" - they rejoiced, were glad. "They were pleased", NAB.

ephggeilanto (epaggellomai) aor. mid. "promised" - In the middle voice the verb "announce / proclaim" becomes "promise".

dounai (didwmi) aor. inf. "to give" - The infinitive forms an object clause / dependent statement of indirect speech expressing what they "promised". There is no indication that Judas has asked for money, but rather that the authorities have offered it in response to their joy. They now have an opportunity to arrest Jesus before the commencement of the festival.

autw/ dat. pro. "him" - Dative of indirect object; "give money to him."

kai "so" - and. Consecutive use here, as NIV, BDF 442 [2].

ezhtei (zhtew) imperf. "he watched" - he was seeking, watching for. Judas was "working out / considering / thinking" how he might betray Jesus. The religious authorities were seeking an opportunity to arrest Jesus and Judas was seeking an opportunity to betray him.

eukairwV adv. "opportunity" - conveniently, opportunely. Mark does not supply a motive as to why Judas wanted to betray Jesus, although the mention of payment may hint at the explicit motive of greed given by Matthew, 26:15a. "Judas started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus", CEV.

pwV + subj. "to [hand him over]" - how [he might betray him]. The adverb pwV with the deliberative subjunctive forms an unstated interrogative clause; "how they might conveniently betray him", AV.

Mark Introduction.

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