TEXT: BIB   |   AUDIO: MISLR - MISC - DAVIS - FOCHT   |   VIDEO: BIB

HELPS: KJS - KJV - ASV - DBY - DOU - WBS - YLT - HEB - BBE - WEB - NAS - SEV - TSK - CRK - WES - MHC - GILL - JFB

Mt 26:6,7 Joh 11:2; 12:1-3

Verse 3. Alabaster box] Among critics and learned men there are various conjectures concerning the alabaster mentioned by the evangelists: some think it means a glass phial; others, that it signifies a small vessel without a handle, from a negative and labh, a handle; and others imagine that it merely signifies a perfume or essence bottle. There are several species of the soft calcareous stone called alabaster, which are enumerated and described in different chemical works.

Spikenard] Or nard. An Indian plant, whose root is very small and slender. It puts forth a long and small stalk, and has several ears or spikes even with the ground, which has given it the name of spikenard: the taste is bitter, acrid, and aromatic, and the smell agreeable. CALMET.

Very precious] Or rather, unadulterated: this I think is the proper meaning of pistikhv. Theophylact gives this interpretation of the passage: "Unadulterated hard, and prepared with fidelity." Some think that pistikh is a contraction of the Latin spicatae, and that it signifies the spicated nard, or what we commonly call the spikenard. But Dr. Lightfoot gives a different interpretation. pistikh he supposes to come from the Syriac aqtoyp pistike, which signifies the acorn: he would therefore have it to signify an aromatic confection of nard, maste, or myrobalane. See his Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations; and see Scheuchzer's Physica Sacra.

She brake the box] Rather, she broke the seal. This is the best translation I can give of the place; and I give it for these reasons: 1. That it is not likely that a box exceedingly precious in itself should be broken to get out its contents. 2. That the broken pieces would be very inconvenient if not injurious to the head of our Lord, and to the hands of the woman. 3. That it would not be easy effectually to separate the oil from the broken pieces.

And, 4. That it was a custom in the eastern countries to seal the bottles with wax that held the perfumes; so that to come at their contents no more was necessary than to break the seal, which this woman appears to have done; and when the seal was thus broken, she had no more to do than to pour out the liquid ointment, which she could not have done had she broken the bottle. The bottles which contain the gul i attyr, or attyr of roses, which come from the east, are sealed in this manner. See a number of proofs relative to this point in HARMER'S Observations, vol. iv. 469.

Pouring sweet-scented oil on the head is common in Bengal. At the close of the festival of the goddess Doorga, the Hindoos worship the unmarried daughters of Brahmins: and, among other ceremonies, pour sweet-scented oil on their heads. WARD'S Customs.

Ver. 3. And being in Bethany , etc..] A place about two miles from Jerusalem, whither he retired after he had took his leave of the temple, and had predicted its destruction; a place he often went to, and from, the last week of his life; having some dear friends, and familiar acquaintance there, as Lazarus, and his two sisters, Martha and Mary, and the person next mentioned: in the house of Simon the leper ; so called because he had been one, and to distinguish him from Simon the Pharisee, and Simon Peter the apostle, and others; (see Gill on � Matthew 26:6�); as he sat at meat there came a woman ; generally thought to be Mary Magdalene, or Mary the sister of Lazarus: having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard ; or �pure nard�, unmixed and genuine; or liquid nard, which was drinkable, and so easy to be poured out; or Pistic nard, called so, either from �Pista�, the name of a place from whence it was brought, or from �Pistaca�, which, with the Rabbins, signifies �maste�; of which, among other things, this ointment was made. Moreover, ointment of nard was made both of the leaves of nard, and called foliate nard, and of the spikes of it, and called, as here, spikenard. Now ointment made of nard was, as Pliny says f239 , the principal among ointments. The Syriac is, by him, said to be the best; this here is said to be very precious , costly, and valuable: and she brake the box . The Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it, �she opened it�; and the Persic version, �she opened the head�, or �top of the bottle�, or �vial�: and poured it on his head ; on the head of Christ, as the same version presses it; (see Gill on � Matthew 26:7�).