John 11:2 kjv
(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
John 11:2 nkjv
It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
John 11:2 niv
(This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)
John 11:2 esv
It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.
John 11:2 nlt
This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick.
John 11 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 12:1-8 | Six days before the Passover, Jesus... came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead... Mary took a pound of expensive ointment... anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair... | Detailed account of Mary's anointing act. |
| Luke 7:37-38 | ...a woman... came with an alabaster flask of ointment... stood behind him weeping, and began to wet his feet with her tears and wipe them with the hair of her head and kiss his feet and anoint them with the ointment. | A different, earlier anointing by a repentant sinner. |
| Matt 26:6-7 | ...Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment... poured it on his head... | Anointing by an unnamed woman, potentially the same as Mark's account, on Jesus' head. |
| Mark 14:3-5 | And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment... she broke the flask and poured it over his head. | Parallel account to Matthew, identifying location, focuses on the head. |
| Luke 10:38-42 | Martha received him into her house... Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. | Mary of Bethany's devotion to Jesus's word. |
| Deut 21:12 | If you see among the captives a beautiful woman... and desire to take her to be your wife... you shall bring her home... she shall shave her head... | Shaving/unveiling hair as a sign of mourning or separation from prior life. |
| Num 6:5 | All the days of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. Until the days are completed, he shall be holy to the Lord... | Hair as a symbol of vow and devotion (Nazirite vow). |
| 1 Cor 11:15 | ...if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. | Hair as a woman's glory, highlighting the humility of using it for such an act. |
| Ps 23:5 | You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. | Anointing as a sign of honor and blessing. |
| Ps 45:7 | ...God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. | Messianic anointing for kingship/divine favor. |
| Ex 30:22-33 | ...fine spices... for a holy anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil... | Anointing oil for consecration of tabernacle and priests. |
| Matt 20:28 | ...the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. | Jesus' example of humility, mirrored by Mary's act. |
| Phil 2:6-8 | ...though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself... humbling himself by becoming obedient to the point of death... | Christ's ultimate humility, foreshadowed by devotion of followers. |
| Matt 25:35-40 | ...whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. | Service to Jesus extended through service to others. |
| Mark 9:41 | ...whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward. | Reward for acts of kindness and devotion to Jesus. |
| Rom 1:3-4 | ...concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. | Jesus identified as "Lord," affirming His divine authority. |
| Phil 2:9-11 | Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord... | Universal recognition of Jesus as "Lord." |
| Isa 45:22-23 | "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other... to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance." | OT basis for "Lord" as Yahweh, applied to Jesus in NT. |
| Ps 16:10 | For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. | Foreshadowing of Jesus's resurrection and victory over death, pertinent to Lazarus. |
| John 11:1-4 | Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany... Mary, his sister... | Immediate context, introducing Lazarus's illness as the setup. |
| John 10:29-30 | My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one. | Jesus's divine authority and power over life and death. |
| 1 Tim 2:9-10 | ...women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. | Emphasizes internal beauty and good works over outward show; Mary's act as good work. |
John 11 verses
John 11 2 Meaning
John 11:2 serves primarily as an identifying marker for Mary of Bethany, distinguishing her from other Marys in the biblical narrative. It anticipates and highlights a profoundly significant act of devotion she performed for Jesus: anointing His feet with expensive perfume and humbly wiping them with her own hair. This act, here referenced pre-emptively, underscores her unique relationship with and fervent love for the Lord, providing context for her family's prominent role in Jesus's ministry and the ensuing miraculous raising of Lazarus.
John 11 2 Context
John chapter 11 opens with the profound illness of Lazarus of Bethany. Verse 2 is an anaphoric reference, meaning it points backward or, more accurately, forward in John's narrative by referring to a widely known event as a means of identifying Mary. In the Gospel of John, the detailed account of Mary anointing Jesus' feet with costly perfume and wiping them with her hair appears in John 12:1-8, just six days before the Passover. This implies that the event described was either a common, highly memorable story among early Christians or that John is deliberately creating suspense by pre-referencing an event that will be fully elaborated soon after, thus highlighting the extraordinary nature of Mary's devotion. Historically and culturally, a woman letting down her hair in public was scandalous and intimate, making Mary's act a supreme expression of humble service and profound reverence. Anointing, often done with olive oil, carried great significance in Jewish culture for honor, hospitality, and consecration. The use of "perfume" (myrrh or spikenard, a costly substance) elevates this gesture beyond mere hospitality to an act of lavish love and prophetic acknowledgment of Jesus' impending death and burial.
John 11 2 Word analysis
- It was that Mary (Μαρία ἦν ἡ ἀλείψασα - Maria en hē aleipsasa): The Greek phrase, particularly the definite article "that" (ἡ - hē), signifies a well-known, specific Mary. It is not introducing a new character but identifying this Mary from Bethany through a memorable past action, which is yet to be fully narrated by John in Chapter 12. This literary device highlights her reputation and relationship with Jesus.
- who anointed (ἡ ἀλείψασα - hē aleipsasa): From the verb ἀλείφω (aleiphō), meaning "to anoint, smear, or rub with oil/ointment." This general term refers to the physical application. It differs from χρίω (chriō), "to consecrate or commission by anointing," often associated with the "Christ" (the Anointed One). Here, it emphasizes her physical, tangible act of devotion.
- the Lord (τὸν Κύριον - ton Kyrion): The use of "the Lord" rather than "Jesus" carries profound theological weight. Κύριος (Kyrios) is a significant title in the New Testament, frequently used as a divine name (replacing the Hebrew YHWH in the Septuagint) and an affirmation of Jesus's sovereignty and authority, underscoring Mary's recognition of His divine status and mastership.
- with perfume (μύρῳ - myrō): Refers to a fragrant ointment or costly balsam. This wasn't cheap oil but a very expensive, precious substance, signifying the immense value and depth of Mary's offering. It points to a selfless and sacrificial giving.
- and wiped (καὶ ἐξέμαξεν - kai exemaxen): From ἐκμάσσω (ekmassō), meaning "to wipe off thoroughly," "to dry." It emphasizes a complete, intentional wiping.
- his feet (τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ - tous podas autou): The lowest part of the body, often dusty from travel. Washing or anointing feet was a sign of humility and servitude (as seen with servants washing feet or Jesus washing disciples' feet), highlighting the servile, yet supremely worshipful, nature of Mary's act.
- with her hair (τοῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς - tois thrixin autēs): In Jewish culture, a woman's unbound hair was a sign of great personal beauty and dignity, often kept veiled in public. For Mary to unbind her hair and use it to wipe Jesus's feet was an act of extreme humility, self-abasement, and complete devotion, setting aside societal norms to demonstrate utter surrender and reverence.
- whose brother Lazarus (ἧς ἀδελφὸς Λάζαρος - hēs adelphos Lazaros): This phrase clarifies the familial connection, tying Mary to Lazarus, whose illness is the immediate subject of John 11. It solidifies the identification of this specific Mary within a known family prominent in Jesus's circle.
- was ill (ἠσθένει - ēsthenei): From ἀσθενέω (astheneō), meaning "to be weak," "to be sick." It sets the stage for the dramatic event of Lazarus's death and Jesus's subsequent miraculous raising of him from the dead.
John 11 2 Bonus section
- The timing: The event John 11:2 refers to (detailed in John 12:1-8) occurs six days before the Passover. This places Mary's act just days before Jesus's crucifixion, making it a prophetic anointing for His burial, a detail emphasized by Jesus Himself (Mark 14:8; John 12:7). This context enriches Mary's action, transforming it from a mere act of hospitality to one with deep eschatological significance.
- Contrast with Judas: In John 12, Judas Iscariot complains about the "wasted" perfume. This provides a stark contrast between Mary's selfless worship and Judas's materialistic and deceitful heart, highlighting devotion versus avarice. This contrast underlines a key theme in John's Gospel concerning genuine faith versus superficial or self-serving belief.
- Memory and Legacy: Jesus himself declared that "wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her" (Matt 26:13; Mark 14:9). This verse in John 11:2 is a direct fulfillment of that prophecy, cementing Mary's act as an everlasting testimony to her profound faith and sacrificial worship.
John 11 2 Commentary
John 11:2 acts as a concise but profound narrative aside, immediately identifying Mary of Bethany for the reader through a future, highly memorable event that showcases her exemplary devotion to Jesus. John strategically places this identification before describing Lazarus's death and resurrection, amplifying the anticipation for Mary's family. Her anointing Jesus's feet with costly perfume and wiping them with her hair signifies a profound act of humility, worship, and selfless love. This was an act both intimate and audacious, disregarding social norms for a powerful expression of reverence towards Jesus as "the Lord." It underscores Mary's deep personal relationship with Jesus, further solidified by her listening intently to His words (Luke 10:38-42), and foreshadows her role in witnessing the climactic miracle of her brother's resurrection. This verse encapsulates Mary's distinctive identity, defined by her lavish love and service, setting the emotional and spiritual backdrop for the divine drama about to unfold.