Mark 14:4
in Mark 14Some of those present, however, expressed their indignation to one another: “Why this waste of perfume?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But there were some that had indignation among themselves, saying, To what purpose hath this waste of the ointment been made?
KJV
And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
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This verse in Mark 14
Commentary
11 notes on this verseTo him [Judas], it seemed to be wasting the ointment because the jar is broken, but, for us, it was a great good because the perfume spread throughout the world. Why are you indignant, Judas, because the alabaster jar is broken? God, who made you and all the nations, is blessing us with that precious perfume. You wanted to keep the perfume sealed up so that it would not reach others.
This site's exposition
Why this waste of perfume?
on Mark 14:4-5
Some present said the perfume could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor. Mark leaves the objectors unnamed, while John’s Gospel names Judas and says he kept the money bag and was a thief.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church5 voices
For the fawn amongst the stags ever comes back to his couch, that is, the Son, obedient to the Father even unto death, seeks for obedience from us. Again in a mystic sense, Simon the leper means the world, first infidel, and afterwards converted, and the woman with the alabaster box, means the faith of the Church, who says, My spikenard sendeth forth its smell. It is called pistic nard, that is, faithful, and precious. (Cant. 1:12). The house filled with the smell of it is heaven and earth; the broken alabaster box is carnal desire, which is broken at the Head, from which the whole body is framed together, whilst He was reclining, that is, humbling Himself, that the faith of the sinner might be able to reach Him, for she went up from the feet to the head, and down from the head to the feet by faith, that is, to Christ and to His members. It goes on: And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this loss of the ointment? By the figure synecdoche, one is put for many, and many for one; for it is the lost Judas who finds loss in salvation; thus in the fruitful vine rises the snare of death. Under the cover of his avarice, however, the mystery of faith speaks; for our faith is bought for three hundred pence, in our ten senses, that is, (denarii i. e. ten asses.) our inward and outward senses which are again trebled by our body, soul, and spirit.
There were some who were indignantly saying among themselves, "Why has this waste of ointment been made? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor." Mark, like Matthew, speaks synecdochically, using the plural for the …
"And some were indignant," the evangelist remarks. But John says that Judas was indignant (Jn. 12:3–5). One may suppose that the other apostles also rebuked the woman, since they constantly heard from Christ teaching about almsgiving. But Judas was indignant at the woman not with …
And they rebuked her harshly. I do not believe it was said of the good and diligent apostles who loved Christ, but rather of the one who, under the plural number, was proven neither to have adhered faithfully to the Lord nor to his disciples, …
Or else, it appears to be aptly implied that many disciples murmured against the woman, because they had often heard our Lord talking of alms. Judas, however, was indignant, but not with the same feeling, but on account of his love of money, and filthy gain; wherefore John also records him alone, as accusing the woman with a fraudulent intent. But he says, They murmured against her, meaning that they troubled her with reproaches, and hard words.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And there were some that had indignation within themselves,.... The Syriac version reads, "some of the disciples": agreeably to Mat 26:8, particularly Judas, and others might be incensed by his means: and said, why was this waste of the ointment made? See Gill on Mat 26:8.
Because they could not have found their hearts to put themselves to such an expense for the honouring of Christ, they thought that she was prodigal, who did.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
This chapter begins that part of Mark's Gospel, which describes our Lord's sufferings and death. Hitherto we have chiefly seen our Savior as our prophet and teacher. We have now to see Him as our High Priest. Hitherto we have had to consider His miracles and sayings. We have now to consider His vicarious sacrifice on the cross. Let us first observe in these verses, how God can disappoint the designs of wicked men, and over-rule them to His own glory .
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
This chapter begins that part of Mark's Gospel, which describes our Lord's sufferings and death. Hitherto we have chiefly seen our Savior as our prophet and teacher. We have now to see Him as our High Priest. Hitherto we have had to consider His miracles and sayings. We have now to consider His vicarious sacrifice on the cross. Let us first observe in these verses, how God can disappoint the designs of wicked men, and over-rule them to His own glory . It is plain from Mark's words, and the parallel passage in Matthew, that our Lord's enemies did not intend to make His death a public transaction. "They sought to take Him secretly." "They said, not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people." In short, it would appear that their original plan was to do nothing until the feast of the passover was over, and the Passover-worshipers had returned to their own homes. The overruling providence of God completely defeated this political design. The betrayal of our Lord took place at an earlier time than the chief priests had expected. The death of our Lord took place on the very day when Jerusalem was most full of people, and the Passover feast was at its height. In every way the counsel of these wicked men was turned to foolishness. They thought they were going to put an end forever to Christ's spiritual kingdom; and in reality they were helping to establish it. They thought to have made Him vile and contemptible by the crucifixion; and in reality they made Him glorious. They thought to have put Him to death secretly and without observation; and instead, they were compelled to crucify Him publicly, and before the whole nation of the Jews. They thought to have silenced His disciples, and stopped their teaching — and instead, they supplied them with a text and a subject for evermore. So easy is it for God to cause the wrath of man to praise Him. (Psalm 76:10.)
The words behind it
14 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἦσαν | esan | Were | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| δέ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| τινες | tines | some | G5100 → | 528 times |
| ἀγανακτοῦντες | aganaktountes | indignant | G23 → | 7 times |
| πρὸς | pros | within | G4314 → | 700 times |
| ἑαυτούς | he'autous | themselves | G1438 → | 322 times |
| εἰς | eis | To | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τί | ti | why | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ἡ | he | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀπώλεια | apoleia | waste | G684 → | |
| αὕτη | haute | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μύρου | murou | fragrant oil | G3464 → | 14 times |
| γέγονεν; | gegonen | has been made? | G1096 → | 667 times |
ἦσανWere
esanG1510 →2333 times
δέnow
deG1161 →2765 times
τινεςsome
tinesG5100 →528 times
ἀγανακτοῦντεςindignant
aganaktountesG23 →7 times
πρὸςwithin
prosG4314 →700 times
ἑαυτούςthemselves
he'autousG1438 →322 times
εἰςTo
eisG1519 →1755 times
τίwhy
tiG5101 →563 times
ἡ<the>
heG3588 →19766 times
ἀπώλειαwaste
apoleiaG684 →
αὕτηthis
hauteG3778 →1381 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
μύρουfragrant oil
murouG3464 →14 times
γέγονεν;has been made?
gegonenG1096 →667 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ecclesiastes 4:4I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
it leads to
- 1 John 3:12
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.
- Ecclesiastes 2:21
When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a…
- Ecclesiastes 1:14
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
- Ecclesiastes 2:26
To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over…
- 1 Samuel 18:29–30
he grew even more afraid of David. So from then on Saul was David’s enemy.
- 1 John 3:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies23
- The Son of Man in 1 Enoch
- Abba, Father
- The Major Prophets
- Daniel the Prophet
- Gethsemane (The Garden Called the Oil Press)
- Jesus on Himself
Show the next 6 titles
About Mark
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, HOMILIES OF SAINT JEROME, HOMILY 84; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.