John 12:7

7 Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for ¹the day of My burial.

John 12:7 Meaning and Commentary

John 12:7

Then said Jesus, let her alone
Do not disturb her in what she does, or hinder her, or blame her for it:

against the day of my burial hath she kept this;
this ointment, which she now poured on Christ; it was usual to embalm the dead with ointments and spices: Christ suggests, that the time of his death and burial were nigh, and that this woman had kept this ointment till now, for such a purpose; and whereas she would not be able to make use of it at the time of his interment, she had embalmed his body with it now, beforehand; though without any knowledge of his death, or any such intention and design in her, but the Holy Ghost so directing her: for this is not to be understood of her keeping any part of it till that time, which it does not appear she did.

John 12:7 In-Context

5 "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?"

6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.

7 Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.

8 "For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me."

9 The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead.

Cross References

• 1. John 19:40

Footnotes

• [a]. I.e. the custom of preparing the body for burial