Mark 14:2-12

2 For they said, Not in the feast, lest perhaps there be a tumult of the people.
3 And when he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he lay at table, there came a woman having an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly; and having broken the alabaster flask, she poured it out upon his head.
4 And there were some indignant in themselves, and saying, Why has this waste been made of the ointment?
5 for this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor. And they spoke very angrily at her.
6 But Jesus said, Let her alone; why do ye trouble her? she has wrought a good work as to me;
7 for ye have the poor always with you, and whenever ye would ye can do them good; but me ye have not always.
8 What *she* could she has done. She has beforehand anointed my body for the burial.
9 And verily I say unto you, Wheresoever these glad tidings may be preached in the whole world, what this [woman] has done shall be also spoken of for a memorial of her.
10 And Judas Iscariote, one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests that he might deliver him up to them;
11 and they, when they heard it, rejoiced, and promised him to give money. And he sought how he could opportunely deliver him up.
12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they slew the passover, his disciples say to him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare, that thou mayest eat the passover?

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. See Note, Matt. 5.25.
  • [b]. Perhaps 'liquid.' The word is only found here and John 12.3, evidently a known kind of nard. It is by no means impossible it may be derived from the Latin spicatae, which was the best kind of nard; hence, doubtless, the English translation 'spikenard.' The sense is plain: that it was of the best and most precious kind. See Note, John 12.3.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.