Mark 14:5

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her.

King James Version (1611)
For it might haue bene solde for more then three hundred pence, and haue bene giuen to the poore: and they murmured against her.

King James Version
For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

English Standard Version
For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they scolded her.

New American Standard Bible
"For this perfume could have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they were scolding her.

New Century Version
It was worth a full year's work. It could have been sold and the money given to the poor." And they got very angry with the woman.

Amplified Bible
"For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii [a laborer's wages for almost a year], and the money given to the poor." And they scolded her.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they were scolding her.

Legacy Standard Bible
For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they were scolding her.

Berean Standard Bible
It could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor." And they scolded her.

Contemporary English Version
We could have sold this perfume for more than three hundred silver coins and given the money to the poor!" So they started saying cruel things to the woman.

Complete Jewish Bible
It could have been sold for a year's wages and given to the poor!" And they scolded her.

Darby Translation
for this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor. And they spoke very angrily at her.

Easy-to-Read Version
It was worth a full year's pay. It could have been sold and the money given to those who are poor." And they told the woman what a bad thing she had done.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For it might haue bene sold for more then three hundreth pence, and bene giuen vnto the poore, and they murmured against her.

George Lamsa Translation
For it could have been sold for more than three hundred pennies and given to the poor. So they annoyed her.

Good News Translation
It could have been sold for more than three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor!" And they criticized her harshly.

Lexham English Bible
For this perfumed oil could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor!" And they began to scold her.

Literal Translation
For this could be sold for over three hundred denarii, and to be given to the poor. And they were incensed with her.

American Standard Version
For this ointment might have been sold for above three hundred shillings, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

Bible in Basic English
We might have got more than three hundred pence for it, and given the money to the poor. And they said things against her among themselves.

Hebrew Names Version
For this might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor." They grumbled against her.

International Standard Version
This perfume could have been sold for more than 300 denarii[fn] and the moneythe money">[fn] given to the destitute." So they got extremely angry with her.

Etheridge Translation
for it could have been sold for more than three hundred dinoreen, and given to the poor. And they were angry with her.

Murdock Translation
For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and been given to the poor. And they were indignant at her.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For it myght haue ben solde for more then three hundred pence, and haue ben geuen to the poore. And they grudged agaynst her.

English Revised Version
For this ointment might have been sold for above three hundred pence, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

World English Bible
For this might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor." They grumbled against her.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence and given to the poor. And they murmured at her.

Weymouth's New Testament
For that ointment might have been sold for fifteen pounds or more, and the money have been given to the poor." And they were exceedingly angry with her.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For this oynement myyte haue be seld more than for thre hundrid pens, and be youun to pore men. And thei groyneden ayens hir.

Update Bible Version
For this ointment might have been sold for over $30,000, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

Webster's Bible Translation
For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

New English Translation
It could have been sold for more than three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor!" So they spoke angrily to her.

New King James Version
For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they criticized her sharply.

New Living Translation
"It could have been sold for a year's wages and the money given to the poor!" So they scolded her harshly.

New Life Bible
This perfume could have been sold for much money and given to poor people." They spoke against her.

New Revised Standard
For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they scolded her.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For this perfume could have been sold for above three hundred denaries, and given unto the destitute! and they were indignant with her.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred pence and given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

Revised Standard Version
For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor." And they reproached her.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For it myght have bene soolde for more then thre hundred pens and bene geve vnto the poore. And they grudged agaynste hir.

Young's Literal Translation
for this could have been sold for more than three hundred denaries, and given to the poor;' and they were murmuring at her.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
This oyntment might haue bene solde for more then thre hundreth pens, & bene geue to ye poore. And they grudged agaynst her.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for we could have sold it for above two hundred denarys, and given them to the poor: and they inveighed against her.

Simplified Cowboy Version
That could have been sold for three hundred silver pieces and the money could have taken care of many poor people!" Then they all started giving the woman a hard time and scolding her.

Contextual Overview

¹In only two days the eight-day Festival of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread would begin. The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way they could seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. "We don't want the crowds up in arms," they said. ³Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. "That's criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year's wages and handed out to the poor." They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her. ⁶But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. 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. She did what she could when she could—she pre-anointed my body for burial. 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." ¹⁰Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the cabal of high priests, determined to betray him. They couldn't believe their ears, and promised to pay him well. He started looking for just the right moment to hand him over.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

pence: Matthew 18:28, *marg. John 6:7

have been given: John 12:5, John 12:6, John 13:29, Ephesians 4:28

And they: Exodus 16:7, Exodus 16:8, Deuteronomy 1:27, Psalms 106:25, Matthew 20:11, Luke 15:2, John 6:43, 1 Corinthians 10:10, Philippians 2:14, Jude 1:16

Reciprocal: Malachi 1:13 - Behold Matthew 26:9 - General Luke 3:11 - He that hath two

Cross-References

Genesis 14:10
The Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into the tar pits, but the rest escaped into the mountains. The four kings captured all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, all their food and equipment, and went on their way. They captured Lot, Abram's nephew who was living in Sodom at the time, taking everything he owned with them.

Deuteronomy 3:11
Og king of Bashan was the last remaining Rephaite. His bed, made of iron, was over thirteen feet long and six wide. You can still see it on display in Rabbah of the People of Ammon.

Joshua 12:4
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2 Samuel 5:22
Later there was a repeat performance. The Philistines came up again and deployed their troops in the Rephaim Valley. David again prayed to God . This time God said, "Don't attack them head-on. Instead, circle around behind them and ambush them from the grove of sacred trees. When you hear the sound of shuffling in the trees, get ready to move out. It's a signal that God is going ahead of you to smash the Philistine camp." David did exactly what God told him. He routed the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

2 Samuel 23:13
One day during harvest, the Three parted from the Thirty and joined David at the Cave of Adullam. A squad of Philistines had set up camp in the Valley of Rephaim. While David was holed up in the Cave, the Philistines had their base camp in Bethlehem. David had a sudden craving and said, "Would I ever like a drink of water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem!" So the Three penetrated the Philistine lines, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David wouldn't drink it; he poured it out as an offering to God , saying, "There is no way, God , that I'll drink this! This isn't mere water, it's their life-blood—they risked their very lives to bring it!" So David refused to drink it. This is the sort of thing that the Three did.

1 Chronicles 11:15
The Big Three from the Thirty made a rocky descent to David at the Cave of Adullam while a company of Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. David was holed up in the Cave while the Philistines were prepared for battle at Bethlehem. David had a sudden craving: "What I wouldn't give for a drink of water from the well in Bethlehem, the one at the gate!" The Three penetrated the Philistine camp, drew water from the well at the Bethlehem gate, shouldered it, and brought it to David. And then David wouldn't drink it! He poured it out as a sacred offering to God , saying, "I'd rather be damned by God than drink this! It would be like drinking the lifeblood of these men—they risked their lives to bring it." So he refused to drink it. These are the kinds of things that the Big Three of the Mighty Men did.

Psalms 105:23
Then Israel entered Egypt, Jacob immigrated to the Land of Ham. God gave his people lots of babies; soon their numbers alarmed their foes. He turned the Egyptians against his people; they abused and cheated God's servants. Then he sent his servant Moses, and Aaron, whom he also chose. They worked marvels in that spiritual wasteland, miracles in the Land of Ham. He spoke, "Darkness!" and it turned dark— they couldn't see what they were doing. He turned all their water to blood so that all their fish died; He made frogs swarm through the land, even into the king's bedroom; He gave the word and flies swarmed, gnats filled the air. He substituted hail for rain, he stabbed their land with lightning; He wasted their vines and fig trees, smashed their groves of trees to splinters; With a word he brought in locusts, millions of locusts, armies of locusts; They consumed every blade of grass in the country and picked the ground clean of produce; He struck down every firstborn in the land, the first fruits of their virile powers. He led Israel out, their arms filled with loot, and not one among his tribes even stumbled. Egypt was glad to have them go— they were scared to death of them. God spread a cloud to keep them cool through the day and a fire to light their way through the night; They prayed and he brought quail, filled them with the bread of heaven; He opened the rock and water poured out; it flowed like a river through that desert— All because he remembered his Covenant, his promise to Abraham, his servant.

Jeremiah 48:1
The Message on Moab from God -of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: "Doom to Nebo! Leveled to the ground! Kiriathaim demeaned and defeated, The mighty fortress reduced to a molehill, Moab's glory—dust and ashes. Conspirators plot Heshbon's doom: ‘Come, let's wipe Moab off the map.' Dungface Dimon will loudly lament, as killing follows killing. Listen! A cry out of Horonaim: ‘Disaster—doom and more doom!' Moab will be shattered. Her cries will be heard clear down in Zoar. Up the ascent of Luhith climbers weep, And down the descent from Horonaim, cries of loss and devastation. Oh, run for your lives! Get out while you can! Survive by your wits in the wild! You trusted in thick walls and big money, yes? But it won't help you now. Your big god Chemosh will be hauled off, his priests and managers with him. A wrecker will wreck every city. Not a city will survive. The valley fields will be ruined, the plateau pastures destroyed, just as I told you. Cover the land of Moab with salt. Make sure nothing ever grows here again. Her towns will all be ghost towns. Nobody will ever live here again. Sloppy work in God 's name is cursed, and cursed all halfhearted use of the sword.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence,.... Which, was to the value of our money nine pounds, seven shillings, and sixpence:

and given to the poor; which was thought to be a better way of expending it, than by pouring it on the head of Christ:

and they murmured against her: that she should lavish so much money away in such an imprudent manner; they reproved her for it, expressed much resentment at it, and were very angry with, her upon the account of it; :-,

:-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 26:1-16.

Mark 14:1

And of unleavened bread - So called because at that feast no other bread was used but that which had been made without leaven or yeast.

By craft - By subtlety (Matthew); that is, by some secret plan that would secure possession of him without exciting the opposition of the people.

Mark 14:3

Ointment - This word does not convey quite the proper meaning. This was a perfume. It was used only to give a pleasant odor, and was liquid.

Of spikenard - The “nard,” from which this perfume was made, is a plant of the East Indies, with a small, slender stalk, and a heavy, thick root. The best perfume is obtained from the root, though the stalk and fruit are used for that purpose.

And she brake the box - This may mean no more than that she broke the “seal” of the box, so that it could be poured out. Boxes of perfumes are often sealed or made fast with wax, to prevent the perfume from escaping. It was not likely that she would break the box itself when it was unnecessary, and when the unguent, being liquid, would have been wasted; nor from a broken box or vial could she easily have “poured it” on his head.

Mark 14:5

Three hundred pence - About forty dollars (or 9 British pounds). See the notes at Matthew 26:7.

Mark 14:8

She hath done what she could - She has showed the highest attachment in her power; and it was, as it is now, a sufficient argument against there being any “real” waste, that it was done for the honor of Christ. See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 26:1-16.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Mark 14:5. It might have been sold — το μυρον, This ointment, is added by ABCDKL, thirty-five others, AEthiopic, Armenian, Gothic, all the Itala except one. Griesbach has received it into the text. The sum mentioned here would amount to nearly 10£ sterling.