Focused Passage

John 12:1-8

The Anointed King, the Lifted-Up Son of Man, and the Hour of Glory

Jesus is honored at Bethany, enters Jerusalem as king, announces that his hour has come, interprets his death as fruitful glorification, warns against darkness and unbelief, and gives a final public summary of his sent mission and judging word.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.

2 So they hosted a dinner for Jesus there. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him.

3 Then Mary took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray Him, asked,

5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”

6 Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.

7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She has kept this perfume in preparation for the day of My burial.

8 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

- οὖν G3767 Conjunction Six ἓξ G1803 Adjective - Genitive Feminine Plural days ἡμερῶν G2250 Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural before πρὸ G4253 Preposition the τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Singular Passover πάσχα G3957 Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Jesus Ἰησοῦς G2424 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular came ἦλθεν G2064 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular to εἰς G1519 Preposition Bethany Βηθανίαν G963 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular [the hometown of] ὅπου G3699 Adverb . . . ἦν G1510 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Lazarus Λάζαρος G2976 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular whom ὃν G3739 Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular [He] Ἰησοῦς G2424 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular had raised ἤγειρεν G1453 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular from ἐκ G1537 Preposition [the] dead νεκρῶν G3498 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Verse 2

Original words

So οὖν G3767 Conjunction they hosted ἐποίησαν G4160 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural a dinner δεῖπνον G1173 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular for [Jesus] αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular there ἐκεῖ G1563 Adverb - καὶ G2532 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular Martha Μάρθα G3136 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular served διηκόνει G1247 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular and δὲ G1161 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Lazarus Λάζαρος G2976 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular was ἦν G1510 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular among εἷς G1520 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular . . . ἐκ G1537 Preposition those τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Plural reclining at the table ἀνακειμένων G345 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Masculine Plural with σὺν G4862 Preposition Him αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 3

Original words

Then οὖν G3767 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular Mary Μαριὰμ G3137 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular took λαβοῦσα G2983 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular about a pint λίτραν G3046 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular of expensive πολυτίμου G4186 Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular perfume μύρου G3464 Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular made of pure πιστικῆς G4101 Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular nard νάρδου G3487 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular [and] she anointed ἤλειψεν G218 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular Jesus’ Ἰησοῦ G2424 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular - τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural feet πόδας G4228 Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction wiped ἐξέμαξεν G1591 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular - αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular [them] πόδας G4228 Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural with τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural her αὐτῆς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular - ταῖς G3588 Article - Dative Feminine Plural hair θριξὶν G2359 Noun - Dative Feminine Plural And δὲ G1161 Conjunction the G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular house οἰκία G3614 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular was filled ἐπληρώθη G4137 Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular with ἐκ G1537 Preposition the τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular fragrance ὀσμῆς G3744 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular of the τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Singular perfume μύρου G3464 Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular

BSB notes

  • Greek a litra; that is, approximately 12 ounces or 340 grams
Verse 4

Original words

But δὲ G1161 Conjunction one εἷς G1520 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular of ἐκ G1537 Preposition His αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular - τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Plural disciples μαθητῶν G3101 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural Judas Ἰούδας G2455 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Iscariot Ἰσκαριώτης G2469 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular who G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular was going μέλλων G3195 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular to betray παραδιδόναι G3860 Verb - Present Infinitive Active Him αὐτὸν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular asked Λέγει G3004 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 5

Original words

Why Διὰ G1223 Preposition . . . τί G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular wasn’t οὐκ G3756 Adverb this τοῦτο G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular - τὸ G3588 Article - Nominative Neuter Singular perfume μύρον G3464 Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular sold ἐπράθη G4097 Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular for three hundred τριακοσίων G5145 Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural denarii δηναρίων G1220 Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural and [the money] καὶ G2532 Conjunction given ἐδόθη G1325 Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular to [the] poor πτωχοῖς G4434 Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural

BSB notes

  • A denarius was customarily a day’s wage for a laborer; see Matthew 20:2.
Verse 6

Original words

- δὲ G1161 Conjunction [Judas] did not say εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular . . . οὐχ G3756 Adverb this τοῦτο G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular because ὅτι G3754 Conjunction he αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular cared ἔμελεν G3199 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular about περὶ G4012 Preposition the τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Plural poor πτωχῶν G4434 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural but ἀλλ’ G235 Conjunction because ὅτι G3754 Conjunction he was ἦν G1510 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular a thief κλέπτης G2812 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular - καὶ G2532 Conjunction As keeper ἔχων G2192 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular of the τὸ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Singular money bag γλωσσόκομον G1101 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular he used to take ἐβάσταζεν G941 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular from what τὰ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Plural was put into [it] βαλλόμενα G906 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter Plural
Verse 7

Original words

Leave her alone Ἄφες G863 Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular . . . αὐτήν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular - οὖν G3767 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Jesus Ἰησοῦς G2424 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular replied Εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular She has kept τηρήσῃ G5083 Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular [this perfume] αὐτό G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Neuter 3rd Person Singular in preparation ἵνα G2443 Conjunction for εἰς G1519 Preposition the τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular day ἡμέραν G2250 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular of τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular My μου G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular burial ἐνταφιασμοῦ G1780 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 8

Original words

- γὰρ G1063 Conjunction The τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural poor πτωχοὺς G4434 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural you will always have ἔχετε G2192 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural . . . πάντοτε G3842 Adverb with μεθ’ G3326 Preposition you ἑαυτῶν G1438 Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural but δὲ G1161 Conjunction {you will} not οὐ G3756 Adverb always πάντοτε G3842 Adverb have ἔχετε G2192 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Me ἐμὲ G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular

BSB notes

  • See Deuteronomy 15:11.

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.