Mark 14:8

8 She did what she could; she poured perfume on my body to prepare it ahead of time for burial.

Mark 14:8 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 14:8

She hath done what she could
What she had in her heart, and in the power of her hands to do; she hath done according to her ability, and her good will; and if she had not done it now, she could not have done it at all.

She is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying;
or, "as if it was to bury me", as the Syriac version renders it. Christ signifies by this, that he should shortly die, and that this woman came before hand to anoint him, and, as it were, to perform the funeral rites before he was dead; it being revealed to her by the Spirit, that Jesus would quickly die, and she should not be able to perform this good work when dead, and therefore came to do it before; or, at least, she was directed by the Spirit of God, because she would be prevented doing it afterwards; (See Gill on Matthew 26:12).

Mark 14:8 In-Context

6 But Jesus said, "Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a fine and beautiful thing for me.
7 You will always have poor people with you, and any time you want to, you can help them. But you will not always have me.
8 She did what she could; she poured perfume on my body to prepare it ahead of time for burial.
9 Now, I assure you that wherever the gospel is preached all over the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus to them.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.