John 12 7

John 12:7 kjv

Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

John 12:7 nkjv

But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.

John 12:7 niv

"Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.

John 12:7 esv

Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.

John 12:7 nlt

Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial.

John 12 verses

John 12 7 Meaning

John 12:7 records Jesus' protective defense of Mary after she anoints His feet with expensive perfume. Jesus interprets her extravagant act of worship as a prophetic and providential preparation for His impending burial. He silences the disciples' (specifically Judas's) criticism by asserting that Mary's selfless devotion served a unique and urgent divine purpose directly related to His coming death and interment. Her act was, in His eyes, an anticipatory anointing for His burial, which traditional Jewish practices of anointing a body before entombment would typically entail.

John 12 7 Context

John 12:7 takes place at a dinner in Bethany, at the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, six days before Passover, and shortly after Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. This miracle had significantly increased Jesus' popularity and hastened the Sanhedrin's plot to kill Him. Mary's act of anointing Jesus with expensive, fragrant nard filled the house with its aroma and served as a deeply intimate and humble gesture of worship and gratitude. Judas Iscariot immediately protested, questioning the expense and suggesting the perfume should have been sold for the poor. However, the text reveals his true motive was greed, as he was a thief. It is in this charged atmosphere of worship, protest, and imminent crucifixion that Jesus pronounces John 12:7, giving profound meaning to Mary's deed. Jewish custom included anointing bodies for burial, often as a practical means of preservation or honoring the deceased, though complete embalming was less common than in Egypt (Gen 50:2).

John 12 7 Word analysis

• Then Jesus said,: Introduces Jesus' authoritative and discerning response, cutting through the murmuring and misunderstanding.
• “Leave her alone, (Greek: ἀφίετε αὐτήν, aphiete autēn): An imperative verb, meaning "permit her," "let her be," or "desist from her." It is a strong command from Jesus, rebuking the critics, especially Judas. This shows Jesus' protection of genuine acts of devotion.
• so that she may keep it (Greek: ἵνα τηρήσῃ αὐτό, hina tērēsē auto): The particle hina introduces a purpose or result clause. The verb tērēsē means "to keep," "preserve," or "guard." This phrase has generated significant discussion.
  • One interpretation is that Mary had previously "kept" this very costly ointment for a specific purpose (perhaps His burial), and now, by pouring it, she was fulfilling that long-held purpose.
  • A more common and widely accepted interpretation is that Jesus is prophetically interpreting Mary's spontaneous act as if it were an intentional act of keeping/preserving the ointment for His burial. In essence, her act of anointing now serves the future purpose of preparing Him for burial, an action that His disciples had failed to grasp or anticipate. It means "Let her alone, that she may accomplish its use for the day of My burial."
• for the day (Greek: εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν, eis tēn hēmeran): A prepositional phrase indicating destination or time. It explicitly points to a future event, linking Mary's present act to an urgent future reality.
• of My burial;” (Greek: τοῦ ἐνταφιασμοῦ μου, tou entaphiasmou mou): entaphiasmou refers specifically to the preparation for burial, embalming, or entombment. This word confirms the literal, physical reality of Jesus' impending death and entombment, providing a chillingly specific prophetic context for Mary's action. Her anointing was a direct and unexpected fulfillment of a future, necessary funerary rite, made even more poignant by the disciples' general failure to comprehend Jesus' repeated predictions of His death.

Word-group analysis

• “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it”: This phrase functions as both a defense of Mary and a divine interpretation of her actions. Jesus is not merely condoning her use of the expensive oil but assigning it a profound, almost liturgical, significance. It demonstrates that her intuitive act of devotion was divinely perceived as serving a crucial prophetic purpose.
• “for the day of My burial”: This forms the core prophetic statement. Jesus directly connects Mary's seemingly spontaneous act to His soon-to-come death and interment, a truth the disciples were still struggling to comprehend (Mk 9:32, Lk 18:34). It highlights the impending reality of His sacrifice and resurrection, framing Mary's devotion within the larger divine plan of redemption. Her act was a unique anointing that occurred while He was still alive, preparing His body for what was about to transpire.

John 12 7 Bonus section

Mary's anointing served as a stark contrast to the common Jewish practice of washing the feet of guests, transforming a customary gesture into a lavish, intimate, and ultimately prophetic act. This also implies that Jesus, though anticipating His death, did not receive a formal embalming with numerous spices in the manner of highly honored deceased individuals after His crucifixion due to the swiftness of His burial (John 19:40-42). Mary's singular act, performed while He was alive, prophetically filled that void in the divine plan, highlighting its immense spiritual value.

John 12 7 Commentary

John 12:7 reveals several layers of truth. Firstly, it underscores Jesus' profound insight and sovereign control over His life and death. He recognized Mary's act not just as an expression of love but as a divinely appointed anticipatory preparation for His entombment, something His followers were either unaware of or unwilling to fully grasp. This foreshadowing made Mary an unwitting prophetess, performing a vital sacred rite that would, in the rush of events after His death, be partially or completely overlooked by others (Mk 16:1; Lk 24:1).

Secondly, it presents a stark contrast between true devotion and self-serving religiosity. Mary’s act was extravagant, spontaneous, and utterly sacrificial—a response of overwhelming love to Christ, who had raised her brother. Judas's objection, cloaked in concern for the poor, was revealed by Jesus and the narrator as hypocrisy driven by greed. Jesus' defense of Mary implicitly teaches that genuine, sacrificial worship of Christ holds ultimate priority over mere pragmatic concerns, especially when those concerns are not sincerely motivated. This is further highlighted by Jesus' statement that "the poor you always have with you," implying that opportunities to serve others would always be available, but the opportunity to physically anoint Christ was fleeting. Mary seized the unique moment.

Finally, the verse highlights the divine recognition of acts done in pure love for Jesus, even if the one performing the act does not fully understand its broader significance. Mary's act secured for her an eternal memorial (Matt 26:13), not because of what she knew but because of Whom she loved and What He would do.