John 12:7

7 Therefore Jesus said, Suffer ye her, that into the day of my burying she keep that;

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 is not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to poor men [and given to needy men]?

6 But he said this thing, not for it pertained to him of needy men, but for he was a thief, and had the purses, and bare those things that were sent.

7 Therefore Jesus said, Suffer ye her, that into the day of my burying she keep that;

8 for ye shall evermore have poor men with you, but ye shall not evermore have me. [+forsooth ye shall ever have poor with you, soothly ye shall not ever have me.]

9 Therefore much people of the Jews knew, that Jesus was there; and they came, not only for Jesus, but to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from death [whom he raised from dead].