Matthäus 26:8

8 Als aber die Jünger es sahen, wurden sie unwillig und sprachen: Wozu diese Verschwendung?

Matthäus 26:8 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 26:8

But when his disciples saw it
What the woman did, what a costly box of ointment it was, and with what profusion she used it,

they had indignation:
Mark says, "within themselves", ( Mark 14:4 ) ; either among themselves, or their indignation was secret in their breasts; their resentment was private, though it might be betrayed by their looks, and afterwards showed itself in words. This indignation was either at the woman, for the Evangelist Mark observes, that "they murmured against her", ( Mark 14:5 ) , that she should act such an imprudent part, and be guilty of such extravagance; or at Christ himself, for suffering such an action to be done unto him; for so the Syriac version reads the above clause in Mark, and "they murmured (wb) , against him"; so De Dieu observes it should be rendered; though Tremellius, Boderianus, and others, translate it, "against her": or else their indignation was neither at Christ, whom they dearly loved; nor at the woman, they being taught to love their enemies, and much more the friends of Christ; but at the action, which they looked upon as an ill judged thing, that sprung from misguided zeal, and which they thought could never be acceptable to their master, who was not used to encourage such profuseness and extravagance.

Saying, to what purpose is this waste,
or "loss?" They call that waste, or loss, which was spent on Christ himself; whereas, whatever is laid out for the honour of Christ, or the good of his interest, ought not to be reckoned loss, for it will be returned with great increase and advantage; but they could not see what end was to be answered by this expense. It is easy to observe the variableness and inconstancy of the disciples: one time, because the inhabitants of a certain village did not receive Christ, they were for calling for fire from heaven to destroy them; and here is a poor woman that exceeds, as they thought, in her respects to him, and they are filled with indignation.

Matthäus 26:8 In-Context

6 Als aber Jesus in Bethanien war, im Hause Simons, des Aussätzigen,

7 kam ein Weib zu ihm, die ein Alabasterfläschchen mit sehr kostbarer Salbe hatte, und goß es auf sein Haupt, als er zu Tische lag.

8 Als aber die Jünger es sahen, wurden sie unwillig und sprachen: Wozu diese Verschwendung?

9 Denn dieses hätte um vieles verkauft und den Armen gegeben werden können.

10 Als aber Jesus es erkannte, sprach er zu ihnen: Was machet ihr dem Weibe Mühe? Denn sie hat ein gutes Werk an mir getan;