Mark 14:8

8 She did what she could when she could - she pre-anointed my body 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, "Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me.
7 You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives. Whenever you feel like it, you can do something for them. Not so with me.
8 She did what she could when she could - she pre-anointed my body for burial.
9 And you can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she just did is going to be talked about admiringly."
10 Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the cabal of high priests, determined to betray him.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.