Mark 14:8

8 She did that that she had; she came before to anoint my body into burying.

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, Suffer ye her; what be ye heavy to her? she hath wrought a good work in [into] me.
7 For evermore ye shall have poor men with you, and when ye will, ye may do well to them; but ye shall not evermore have me. [For ye have ever poor men with you, and when ye will, ye be able to do well to them; forsooth ye shall not ever have me.]
8 She did that that she had; she came before to anoint my body into burying.
9 Truly I say to you, where ever this gospel shall be preached in all the world, and that that this woman hath done, shall be told into mind of him [and this thing that this woman hath done, shall be told into mind of her].
10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the high priests [went to the highest priests], to betray him to them.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.