John 12:4-8 · Bible study
John 12:4-8 Commentary: Devotion vs. Hypocrisy at Bethany
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why John emphasizes Judas, the betrayer, in criticizing Mary's anointing, and what Jesus's defense reveals about worship, motive, and timing.
Research Summary
- Meaning: John contrasts Judas’s hypocrisy with Mary’s devotion, showing that true worship of Christ can be costly and may be misunderstood by those with hidden motives.
- Key words: μύρον (ointment), τριακόσιοι δηνάρια (three hundred denarii), γλωσσόκομον (money bag), βαστάζω (carry away/steal), ἐνταφιασμός (preparation for burial).
- Main debate: Whether the textual variant in v. 7 (“she has kept” vs. “that she may keep”) implies Mary intentionally reserved the ointment for Jesus’s burial, or that Jesus reinterprets her act on the spot.
- Theological theme: The intersection of worship, sacrifice, and the unique, unrepeatable claim of Christ’s person at the threshold of His passion.
- Best use: Teaching on motive discernment, the cost of discipleship, and the priority of Christ in a world of constant need.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
4But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray Him, asked,
5“Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”
6Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.
7“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She has kept this perfume in preparation for the day of My burial.
8The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
4Then Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, one of his disciples, who would betray him, said,
5“Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
6Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.
7But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial.
8For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me.”
KJV King James Version 1769
4Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,
5Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
7Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
8For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, that should betray him, saith,
5Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred shillings, and given to the poor?
6Now this he said, not because he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and having the bag took away what was put therein.
7Jesus therefore said, Suffer her to keep it against the day of my burying.
8For the poor ye have always with you; but me ye have not always.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
4Therefore saith one of his disciples--Judas Iscariot, of Simon, who is about to deliver him up--
5`Wherefore was not this ointment sold for three hundred denaries, and given to the poor?'
6and he said this, not because he was caring for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and what things were put in he was carrying.
7Jesus, therefore, said, `Suffer her; for the day of my embalming she hath kept it,
8for the poor ye have always with yourselves, and me ye have not always.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
4One of his disciples therefore, Judas [son] of Simon, Iscariote, who was about to deliver him up, says,
5Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?
6But he said this, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the bag, and carried what was put into [it].
7Jesus therefore said, Suffer her to have kept this for the day of my preparation for burial;
8for ye have the poor always with you, but me ye have not always.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
4Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, he that was about to betray him, said:
5Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor?
6Now he said this not because he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief and, having the purse, carried the things that were put therein.
7Jesus therefore said: Let her alone, that she may keep it against the day of my burial.
8For the poor you have always with you: but me you have not always.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · John 12:4
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that John’s account of the anointing at Bethany deliberately exposes Judas Iscariot’s hypocrisy. The critique of Mary’s offering is voiced not by an anonymous disciple but by the one who would betray Jesus. Barnes notes that John assigns the grumbling to the right person, while Calvin observes that Judas used a plausible pretext, care for the poor, to mask his greed. The sum in question, three hundred denarii (roughly a year’s wages for a laborer), is given by Mark as well; John alone reveals Judas’s motive: he was a thief who stole from the common purse (glōssokomon). Jesus’s reply reinterprets Mary’s act as preparation for His burial, a theme that echoes Matthew and Mark. The saying “the poor you always have with you” (see Deuteronomy 15:11) is not a dismissal of charity but a recognition that the opportunity to serve the poor is ongoing, while Jesus’s physical presence is ending. The consensus is that the passage contrasts wholehearted devotion with self-serving religion, and that John’s identification of Judas serves to underscore the betrayal that is imminent.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Prophetic foreknowledge view: Mary, possibly under divine prompting, intended her anointing as a burial rite, anticipating Jesus’s death (supported by the textual variant ‘that she may keep it’).
- Reinterpretation view: Mary acted purely out of love and gratitude; Jesus reinterprets her action in light of His coming death, giving it a meaning she did not consciously intend (Calvin, most modern commentators).
- Social conscience view: The passage warns against using concern for the poor as a mask for selfishness, but does not diminish the Christian duty to serve the poor (echoed by Barnes, Henry).
What is clear: Judas’s criticism is hypocritical and self-serving, Mary’s act is accepted and commended by Jesus, and the context is the imminence of Jesus’s death and burial.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Judas’s theft from the bag | John states plainly that Judas stole from the common purse; all commentators take this as a straightforward accusation of embezzlement. | Some (e.g., Barnes) focus on the sin as a violation of trust; others (e.g., Calvin) see it as evidence of a heart already hardened toward betrayal. |
| Jesus’s statement about the poor | Christians across traditions affirm that this verse does not command neglect of the poor; the opportunity to serve them remains constant. | Some interpreters emphasise that Jesus is establishing a unique, once-for-all moment of devotion, while others caution against using this verse to de-prioritise social justice. |
| Textual variant in verse 7 | The reading ‘that she may keep it’ (aorist subjunctive) is supported by major Greek manuscripts and is preferred by many commentators. | Conservative textual critics argue the ‘she has kept’ reading (perfect tense) was a later harmonisation with the Synoptics; some Reformed commentators defend the traditional reading as coherent with Mary’s intent. |
| Whether Mary intended her act as anointing for burial | Jesus clearly interprets the act in light of His impending death, giving it prophetic significance. | Catholic and Orthodox traditions often see Mary as receiving a special grace to anticipate the burial; Protestant commentators typically see Jesus’s words as a post-hoc reinterpretation rather than Mary’s conscious plan. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The scene takes place six days before the Passover (John 12:1), placing it in the final week of Jesus’s life. Bethany, a village about two miles east of Jerusalem, had become a natural refuge for Jesus after the raising of Lazarus (John 11). The supper is given in honour of Jesus; Martha serves, Lazarus reclines at table, and Mary performs an act of extraordinary generosity: she pours a pound of pure nard, worth three hundred denarii, on Jesus’s feet and wipes them with her hair.
A denarius was a typical day’s wage (Matthew 20:2); three hundred denarii thus represented the better part of a year’s income. The expense was substantial, and Judas’s protest would have sounded reasonable to many. The word used for the money bag, glōssokomon, originally referred to a case for mouthpieces of musical instruments; it appears in the Septuagint for the temple treasury chest (2 Chronicles 24:8). Judas was the keeper of this common fund, and John states plainly that he pilfered from it (ebastazen, lit. “carried away” as in theft).
Within Jewish burial customs, anointing a body with spices was a sign of honour and preparation for the tomb. Mary may not have consciously intended this for Jesus’s burial, but Jesus reinterprets her act as a prophetic anticipation of His death. The surrounding context of John 12, the plot against Lazarus and the triumphal entry, further intensifies the shadow of the cross.
Textual Notes
The primary textual variant in this passage occurs in John 12:7. The majority of early manuscripts, including P66 and Codex Sinaiticus, read “Leave her alone, that she may keep it for the day of my burial” (aorist subjunctive τηρήσῃ). A smaller group of witnesses, including some Old Latin versions and the Vulgate, read “she has kept it” (perfect tense τετήρηκεν). The former suggests that Mary is preserving the remaining ointment for the embalming; the latter treats her act as complete. Most modern critical editions adopt the subjunctive reading. The consulted sources note no other significant variants in these verses.
Reception History
From the early church onward, this passage has been used to illuminate the tension between devotion to Christ and care for the poor. Augustine contrasted Judas’s carnal concern for the money bag with Mary’s spiritual offering. Medieval commentators often saw Mary as a model of contemplative love, while the phrase “the poor you always have with you” was cited in debates about almsgiving and monastic poverty. During the Reformation, Luther and Calvin used the passage to argue that good works must flow from faith, not from a desire for reputation. John Wesley, in his Explanatory Notes, emphasised that Mary’s act was a “precious” preparation for the cross. In modern preaching, the story is frequently paired with Matthew 26:13 to affirm that sacrificial devotion to Christ will be remembered wherever the gospel is preached.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Pretext dressed as piety. Judas wraps his greed in concern for the poor (v. 5). His words sound noble, but John exposes the heart: a desire for gain, not generosity.
- Extravagance interpreted as waste. The disciples (in Matthew and Mark) and Judas (in John) see only the price tag. Jesus sees worship that costs everything, and calls it beautiful.
- Timing as a test of priorities. Jesus says the poor will always be present, but He will not be. The question is not whether to help the poor (one should), but whether we recognise the unique moment to honour Christ.
Five-point outline
- The cost of worship: Mary gives a year’s labour in one act (v. 3).
- The counterfeit of care: Judas’s objection sounds altruistic but masks a stealing heart (vv. 5, 6).
- The defence of devotion: Jesus commands, “Leave her alone” (v. 7).
- The meaning in the moment: her act is tied to His burial, linking anointing to atonement (v. 7).
- The enduring principle: service to the poor never ends; service to Christ in the flesh is once-for-all (v. 8).
Illustration hooks
- A church budget meeting where a large donation to a missions project is questioned because the money could have covered the heating bill.
- A teenager who spends savings on a gift for a parent and is accused of waste by a sibling, later the parent reveals it was the final gift before a terminal diagnosis.
- An office worker who consistently volunteers for an extra project while colleagues mutter about overtime pay; later it becomes clear the worker saw a chance to bless a retiring boss.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know whether my inner motive for giving is genuine love for Christ or a desire for approval?
- Does Jesus’s statement mean we should not prioritise helping the poor over worship?
- What does “extravagant worship” look like in ordinary life, is it about money, time, or something else?
Leading a Discussion
This passage holds a mirror to our motives. Judas criticises an act of love using a good cause, the poor, but John pulls back the curtain on his heart. As you read John 12:4, 8 together, ask yourselves: when do we use noble language to cover selfish ends? And when has someone else’s generosity made us uncomfortable?
Discussion questions
- Why does John specifically name Judas as the one who objects? What does this reveal about the way the Gospel writer shapes his narrative?
- Look at verse 5. Why would three hundred denarii have seemed like a shocking amount to the disciples? (Consider a labourer’s annual wage.)
- In verse 6, John states that Judas was a thief. How might this information change the way you read his question about the poor?
- Jesus says, “She has kept this for the day of my burial.” Did Mary know what she was doing, or is Jesus reinterpreting her act? What difference does it make?
- Verse 8 quotes Deuteronomy 15:11. How does that Old Testament context affect the meaning of Jesus’s words about the poor?
- When have you seen a generous act criticised as wasteful? How did that situation reveal something about the critic’s heart?
- What would it look like in your life to “keep something for Jesus’s burial”, that is, to hold back a resource or act for a moment of special devotion to Christ?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 17:28 | Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the evil of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle.” |
| I Samuel 17:29 | David said, “What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” |
| Ecclesiastes 4:4 | Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. |
| Matthew 10:4 | Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. |
| Luke 6:16 | Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who also became a traitor. |
| John 6:70 | Jesus answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” |
| John 6:71 | Now he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the twelve. |
| John 13:2 | During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the Greek word often translated as "bare" in verse 6 means "stole." He points to other biblical and historical uses of the same word to show that Judas regularly stole from the money bag, not merely carried what was put in it.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin distinguishes Judas from the other apostles by noting that Judas, a thief, hid his greed behind a false concern for the poor, while the others only spoke thoughtlessly. He also insists that Christ did not approve of costly worship as a regular practice; Mary's anointing was a one-time burial service, not a pattern for elaborate ceremonies.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that John alone names Judas as the source of the criticism against Mary, unlike the other Gospels which attribute it vaguely to disciples. John makes a point of exposing Judas's dishonest motives, using Greek wordplay to suggest Judas both carried the money box and stole from it.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that Judas's objection to the perfume's cost was pure hypocrisy: his real concern was not the poor but his own thievery, as he routinely stole from the disciples' money bag. Jesus' reply confirms Mary's act was a timely preparation for His burial, not waste.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that Judas's complaint about wasted ointment was pure hypocrisy. A thief who routinely stole from the common purse, Judas cared nothing for the poor and only wanted the money put into his own hands. His concern for charity was a mask for covetousness.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB emphasizes that Jesus honored Mary's lavish offering as a burial anointing performed in advance, even though she had no such intention, simply because His burial was so near. He also highlights that Jesus' words "she hath done what she could" establish a lasting principle: the Lord values the heart's loving devotion above the gift's size or practical utility.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the six days before Passover as a deliberate new creation work, where Mary's anointing begins Christ's passion just as God's work began the world. For him, the feast celebrates Lazarus's resurrection while simultaneously anticipating Jesus's death, with Mary's devotion and Judas's greed forming heaven and hell in close opposition.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees Jesus's visit to Bethany as a deliberate prelude to the Passover, placing the raising of Lazarus at the very doorstep of Jerusalem's festival crowds. The miracle is not finished with; it now becomes the magnet drawing people to Jesus and the reason the chief priests want Lazarus dead too.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Against the day of my burial - Which now draws nigh.