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

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

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

3Then 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.

4But 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?”

6Judas 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.

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

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

-οὖνG3767ConjunctionSixἓξG1803Adjective - Genitive Feminine PluraldaysἡμερῶνG2250Noun - Genitive Feminine PluralbeforeπρὸG4253PrepositiontheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingularPassoverπάσχαG3957Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularcameἦλθενG2064Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartoεἰςG1519PrepositionBethanyΒηθανίανG963Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular[the hometown of]ὅπουG3699Adverb. . .ἦνG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularLazarusΛάζαροςG2976Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularwhomὃνG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular[He]ἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularhad raisedἤγειρενG1453Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularfromἐκG1537Preposition[the] deadνεκρῶνG3498Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Verse 2

Original words

SoοὖνG3767Conjunctionthey hostedἐποίησανG4160Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plurala dinnerδεῖπνονG1173Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularfor [Jesus]αὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularthereἐκεῖG1563Adverb-καὶG2532Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularMarthaΜάρθαG3136Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularservedδιηκόνειG1247Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularandδὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularLazarusΛάζαροςG2976Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularwasἦνG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularamongεἷςG1520Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular. . .ἐκG1537PrepositionthoseτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralreclining at the tableἀνακειμένωνG345Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Masculine PluralwithσὺνG4862PrepositionHimαὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 3

Original words

ThenοὖνG3767Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularMaryΜαριὰμG3137Noun - Nominative Feminine SingulartookλαβοῦσαG2983Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singularabout a pintλίτρανG3046Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularof expensiveπολυτίμουG4186Adjective - Genitive Feminine SingularperfumeμύρουG3464Noun - Genitive Neuter Singularmade of pureπιστικῆςG4101Adjective - Genitive Feminine SingularnardνάρδουG3487Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular[and] she anointedἤλειψενG218Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularJesus’ἸησοῦG2424Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-τοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralfeetπόδαςG4228Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionwipedἐξέμαξενG1591Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-αὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular[them]πόδαςG4228Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralwithτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralherαὐτῆςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular-ταῖςG3588Article - Dative Feminine PluralhairθριξὶνG2359Noun - Dative Feminine PluralAndδὲG1161ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularhouseοἰκίαG3614Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularwas filledἐπληρώθηG4137Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularwithἐκG1537PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularfragranceὀσμῆςG3744Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingularperfumeμύρουG3464Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular

BSB notes

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

Original words

ButδὲG1161ConjunctiononeεἷςG1520Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularofἐκG1537PrepositionHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluraldisciplesμαθητῶνG3101Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralJudasἸούδαςG2455Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularIscariotἸσκαριώτηςG2469Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularwhoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singularwas goingμέλλωνG3195Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singularto betrayπαραδιδόναιG3860Verb - Present Infinitive ActiveHimαὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person SingularaskedΛέγειG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 5

Original words

WhyΔιὰG1223Preposition. . .τίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singularwasn’tοὐκG3756AdverbthisτοῦτοG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular-τὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularperfumeμύρονG3464Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularsoldἐπράθηG4097Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singularfor three hundredτριακοσίωνG5145Adjective - Genitive Neuter PluraldenariiδηναρίωνG1220Noun - Genitive Neuter Pluraland [the money]καὶG2532ConjunctiongivenἐδόθηG1325Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singularto [the] poorπτωχοῖςG4434Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural

BSB notes

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

Original words

-δὲG1161Conjunction[Judas] did not sayεἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .οὐχG3756AdverbthisτοῦτοG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter SingularbecauseὅτιG3754ConjunctionheαὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularcaredἔμελενG3199Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularaboutπερὶG4012PrepositiontheτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralpoorπτωχῶνG4434Adjective - Genitive Masculine Pluralbutἀλλ’G235ConjunctionbecauseὅτιG3754Conjunctionhe wasἦνG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singulara thiefκλέπτηςG2812Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionAs keeperἔχωνG2192Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singularof theτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Singularmoney bagγλωσσόκομονG1101Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularhe used to takeἐβάσταζενG941Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularfrom whatτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Pluralwas put into [it]βαλλόμεναG906Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter Plural
Verse 7

Original words

Leave her aloneἌφεςG863Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular. . .αὐτήνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular-οὖνG3767Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularrepliedΕἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularShe has keptτηρήσῃG5083Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular[this perfume]αὐτόG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Neuter 3rd Person Singularin preparationἵναG2443ConjunctionforεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingulardayἡμέρανG2250Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularofτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularMyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person SingularburialἐνταφιασμοῦG1780Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 8

Original words

-γὰρG1063ConjunctionTheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralpoorπτωχοὺςG4434Adjective - Accusative Masculine Pluralyou will always haveἔχετεG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural. . .πάντοτεG3842Adverbwithμεθ’G3326PrepositionyouἑαυτῶνG1438Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person PluralbutδὲG1161Conjunction{you will} notοὐG3756AdverbalwaysπάντοτεG3842AdverbhaveἔχετεG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralMeἐμὲG1473Personal / 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.