Matthew 26:6-13 · Bible study
Matthew 26:6-13 Commentary: The Woman's Beautiful Act
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Matthew 26:6-13: the woman's costly anointing, Jesus' defense, and the promise of a global memorial. For Bible study.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus defends a woman’s lavish anointing as a beautiful work preparing him for burial, promising her global remembrance.
- Key words: καλόν (good/beautiful), ἀπώλεια (waste), ἐνταφιάσαι (to prepare for burial), μνημόσυνον (memorial).
- Main debate: Whether the woman is Mary of Bethany or the sinner of Luke 7; most commentators (Gill, Cambridge) identify her as Mary of Bethany based on John 11:2.
- Theological theme: Extravagant devotion to Christ in anticipation of his atoning death.
- Best use: Teaching that love for Christ can surpass pragmatic calculations, especially in the shadow of the cross.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
6While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper,
7a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table.
8When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, “Why this waste?
9This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.”
10Aware of this, Jesus asked, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me.
11The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.
12By pouring this perfume on Me, she has prepared My body for burial.
13Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
6Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
7a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table.
8But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?
9For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
10However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a good work for me.
11For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me.
12For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.
13Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her.”
KJV King James Version 1769
6Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
7There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
8But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
9For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
10When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
11For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
12For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
13Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
6Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
7there came unto him a woman having an alabaster cruse of exceeding precious ointment, and she poured it upon his head, as he sat at meat.
8But when the disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
9For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
10But Jesus perceiving it said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
11For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
12For in that she poured this ointment upon my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.
13Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
6And Jesus having been in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
7there came to him a woman having an alabaster box of ointment, very precious, and she poured on his head as he is reclining (at meat).
8And having seen it , his disciples were much displeased, saying, `To what purpose is this waste?
9for this ointment could have been sold for much, and given to the poor.'
10And Jesus having known, said to them, `Why do ye give trouble to the woman? for a good work she wrought for me;
11for the poor always ye have with you, and me ye have not always;
12for she having put this ointment on my body--for my burial she did it .
13Verily I say to you, Wherever this good news may be proclaimed in the whole world, what this one did shall also be spoken of--for a memorial of her.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
6But Jesus being in Bethany, in Simon the leper's house,
7a woman, having an alabaster flask of very precious ointment, came to him and poured it out upon his head as he lay at table.
8But the disciples seeing it became indignant, saying, To what end [was] this waste?
9for this might have been sold for much and been given to the poor.
10But Jesus knowing [it] said to them, Why do ye trouble the woman? for she has wrought a good work toward me.
11For ye have the poor always with you, but me ye have not always.
12For in pouring out this ointment on my body, she has done it for my burying.
13Verily I say to you, Wheresoever these glad tidings may be preached in the whole world, that also which this [woman] has done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
6And when Jesus was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper,
7There came to him a woman having an alabaster box of precious ointment and poured it on his head as he was at table.
8And the disciples seeing it had indignation, saying: To what purpose is this waste?
9For this might have been sold for much and given to the poor.
10And Jesus knowing it, said to them: Why do you trouble this woman? For she hath wrought a good work upon me.
11For the poor you have always with you: but me you have not always.
12For she in pouring this ointment on my body hath done it for my burial.
13Amen I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done shall be told for a memory of her.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 26:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this passage records a lavish act of devotion by a woman, most likely Mary of Bethany (John 12:3; Gill, Cambridge), in the house of Simon the leper, a man whom Jesus presumably healed of leprosy. The anointing using an alabaster jar of very costly ointment prompted indignation from the disciples, led by Judas (John 12:4; Calvin notes Matthew and Mark attribute it to the group because they consented). Jesus immediately defends the woman, calling her work καλόν ἔργον (kalon ergon), a morally beautiful, noble deed (Vincent). He reinterprets her gesture as an anointing for his burial, an act of prophetic insight into his approaching death (Matthew 26:2; Wesley). Christ’s famous statement, “You always have the poor with you,” is cited from Deuteronomy 15:11, not to dismiss the poor, but to stress that his physical presence is soon ending. The passage climaxes with Jesus’ promise that wherever the gospel is preached, her act will be spoken of in her memory, a pledge that has been fulfilled in the reading of this story worldwide.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Prophetic burial preparation: Jesus explicitly states this interpretation in v12; John 12:7 supports it.
- One-time exceptional devotion: Calvin argues that the unique timing of Jesus' death justifies the expense, not as a model for ordinary worship.
- Critique of pragmatic religion: The disciples' objection represents a calculating spirit that misses the moment; the woman's 'waste' is actually wise in light of the cross.
What is clear: Jesus blessed the woman's act as a beautiful work, connected it to his impending death, and promised that her story would be told wherever the gospel is preached.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the woman | All agree she performed a costly act of devotion at Bethany. | Some identify her as Mary of Bethany (John 12:3; Gill, Cambridge); others note similarities to the sinful woman in Luke 7:37 but point to different settings and timings. |
| Meaning of 'the poor you always have with you' | Jesus is not dismissing care for the poor; he quotes Deuteronomy 15:11. | Some interpret it as a limited, one-time exception for his burial preparation; others say it exemplifies prioritizing Christ above all needs. |
| Appropriateness of extravagant worship | The woman's act was uniquely timed to Jesus' imminent death. | Calvin stresses that this is not a model for ordinary worship but for exceptional circumstances; others see it as normative for wholehearted devotion. |
| Relationship to Judas's betrayal | The passage contrasts the woman's devotion with the disciples' criticism. | Calvin and Clarke note that Matthew attributes indignation to all disciples, while John specifies Judas; some see a poetic justice in the contrast between the expensive gift and Judas's thirty pieces of silver. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Bethany was a village about two miles from Jerusalem on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Jesus frequently stayed there with his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (John 11:1). The house of Simon the leper may have been Simon’s own home; the epithet ‘the leper’ was likely a lasting nickname despite his healing, as Clarke suggests. Leprosy made one ceremonially unclean and socially isolated, so Simon’s hosting a dinner testifies to Jesus’ restorative power. The anointing scene occurs around six days before Passover (John 12:1). Matthew places it here just after announcing the plot to kill Jesus (Matthew 26:3-5) and just before Judas’s betrayal (v.14-16), heightening the contrast between the woman’s devotion and the apostles’ failure.
Anointing with oil was a common honor at banquets (Psalm 23:5, Luke 7:46), but this woman’s act went far beyond custom. She used an alabaster flask of pure nard ointment valued at 300 denarii (Mark 14:5), nearly a year’s wages for a laborer. The flask had to be broken to pour out the costly contents, an irreversible gift. By pouring it on Jesus’ head, she performed a royal anointing (1 Samuel 10:1, 1 Kings 1:39) and simultaneously anticipated his burial, since bodies were anointed with spices for entombment. Jesus’ defense, “the poor you always have with you”, echoes Deuteronomy 15:11, which commands generosity but acknowledges that Israel will never lack poor people in the land. His point is not to devalue charity but to claim this moment as unique: his death is imminent, and her response fits the hour.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants in this passage. The account is consistent across Matthew, Mark (14:3-9), and John (12:1-8), with minor differences in wording and the precise cost of the ointment. All major Greek manuscripts contain the passage without dispute.
Reception History
From the early church onward, this story has been treasured as a pattern of costly worship. It is read during Holy Week in many Christian traditions, often paired with the Passion narrative. The woman’s act has been interpreted as a prophetic sign of Christ’s death and an example of love that breaks the bounds of prudence. In the medieval period, the alabaster jar was seen as a symbol of pure devotion. Reformers like Calvin used the passage to argue that extraordinary acts of worship are appropriate only when grounded in God’s specific calling. Today, the story continues to provoke questions about the place of lavish giving in worship and the priority of Christ in life.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Extravagant Gift: The woman’s costly anointing shows complete devotion. She holds back nothing. What does our worship cost us?
- The Objection and the Defense: The disciples call it waste; Jesus calls it a beautiful work. The cross changes the calculus of what is wasteful.
- The Enduring Memorial: Jesus promises that her story will be told with the gospel itself. Our acts of love for Christ are woven into the good news.
Five-point outline
- The Setting: Bethany, Simon’s house, the shadow of the cross.
- The Act: A woman pours extremely expensive ointment on Jesus’ head.
- The Reaction: The disciples are indignant; they see waste and missed charity.
- The Correction: Jesus reframes the act as burial preparation and a good work.
- The Promise: The story travels with the gospel; her devotion becomes a model.
Illustration hooks
- A couple saves for years to take a special trip, and some friends say they should have given the money to a mission. What makes an expense ‘waste’ vs. ‘worship’?
- A church spends a large sum on quality musical instruments for worship instead of giving it all to the poor. This passage raises the same tension.
- The gift of a single heirloom or a costly sacrifice that seems impractical to others but expresses deep love.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does Jesus mean we shouldn’t care for the poor? How do we balance worship and mercy?
- Is it ever right to spend money on ‘extravagant’ worship when people are in need?
- What would a “beautiful work” for Jesus look like in my life right now?
Leading a Discussion
This passage forces us to ask what we value most. The disciples saw waste; Jesus saw beauty. The woman gave what others thought excessive. As your group discusses, listen for where God might be calling you to a similar abandon.
Discussion questions
- Read Matthew 26:6-13. What do you notice about the woman’s actions? What details stand out?
- Why were the disciples indignant? Was their concern for the poor genuine, or was something else going on (see John 12:4-6)?
- Jesus calls her deed a “good work” (kalon ergon). What does that phrase suggest about how God evaluates our actions?
- How does Jesus connect her anointing to his burial? Why is that the key to understanding her act?
- What does the saying “the poor you always have with you” mean in this context? How does it relate to our calling to care for the needy?
- Jesus promises that this story will be told wherever the gospel is preached. Why do you think he attaches such significance to her act?
- What might a “beautiful work” for Jesus look like in your life or in your church community? How do we discern when an extraordinary gesture is called for?
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)
| Matthew 21:17 | He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and camped there. |
| Mark 11:12 | The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry. |
| Mark 14:3 | While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard—very costly. She broke the jar and poured it over his head. |
| Mark 14:9 | Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News may be preached throughout the whole world, that which this woman has done will also be spoken of for a memorial of her.” |
| Luke 7:37 | Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. |
| Luke 7:39 | Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.” |
| John 11:1 | Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister, Martha. |
| John 11:2 | It was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. |
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
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin interprets Mary's anointing as an extraordinary, Spirit-led act for Christ's burial, not a pattern for normal worship. He stresses Christ approved this single lavish expense due to its unique occasion, while ordinary devotion should focus on caring for the poor. Calvin warns against using this to justify elaborate ceremonies.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible for Schools emphasizes that Jesus calls Mary's act "a good work" using a Greek word meaning "a noble and beautiful work," denoting a refined sense of what was fitting. This is the highest commendation Jesus gives in the New Testament, for Mary alone perceived that He remained King even in His death.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight that the disciples' indignation at the woman's costly gift was misdirected. Jesus defends her act as a good work done directly for him, not waste. Her anointing anticipates his burial, and this devotion will be proclaimed as a memorial wherever the gospel is preached.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws a careful distinction between this anointing and similar events in other Gospels, noting that the woman poured the ointment on Jesus' head and that the Holy Spirit directed her action as a prophetic preparation for his burial. Without fully understanding, she performed the embalming rites in advance, since the other women would arrive too late at the tomb.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the anointing at Bethany as a living drama where two opposing spirits sharpen each other. The woman's self-sacrificing love rises in response to the lurking treachery of Judas, and her noble act becomes the decisive offence that pushes him toward betrayal. In
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent points out that Jesus perceived the disciples' complaint immediately, not after some time as the older English might suggest. He also notes that "alabaster box" literally means an alabaster, just as a glass vessel is called a glass, and that "good work" carries the sense of a morally beautiful deed.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that several disciples were angry at the woman, not only Judas, though Judas spoke most fiercely. He reads the phrase about the poor as God's wise provision, giving believers constant opportunities for charity that store up treasure in heaven. Christ's burial remark, Wesley explains, was his own interpretation of her act, confirming his coming death.