John 11 · Verse 2

John 11:2

(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, King James Version

John 11:2 in other translations

BSB(Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was to anoint the Lord with perfume and wipe His feet with her hair.)
WEBIt was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
ASVAnd it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
YLTand it was Mary who did anoint the Lord with ointment, and did wipe his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ailing--
DARBYIt was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
BBE(The Mary whose brother Lazarus was ill, was the Mary who put perfumed oil on the Lord and made his feet dry with her hair.)
Webster(It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

What does John 11:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, &c.--This, though not recorded by our Evangelist till Joh 12:3, was so well known in the teaching of all the churches, according to our Lord's prediction (Mt 26:13), that it is here alluded to by anticipation, as the most natural way of identifying her; and she is first named, though the younger, as the more distinguished of the two. She "anointed THE Lord," says the Evangelist--led doubtless to the use of this term here, as he was about to exhibit Him illustriously as the Lord of Life.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 2. It was that Mary, &c. Mt 26:6, Lk 7:36, also on Lk 7:37-50

(b) "which anointed the Lord" Mk 14:3, Jn 12:3

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 It was that Mary which anointed - There is much disagreement between learned men relative to the two anointings of our Lord, and the persons who performed these acts. The various conjectures concerning these points the reader will find in the notes on Mat 26:7, etc., but particularly at the end of that chapter. Dr. Lightfoot inquires, Why should Bethany be called the town of Martha and Mary, and not of Lazarus? And he thinks the reason is, that Martha and Mary had been well known by that anointing of our Lord, which is mentioned Luk 7:37; (see the note there); but the name of Lazarus had not been mentioned till now, there being no transaction by which he could properly be brought into view. He therefore thinks that the aorist αλειψασα, which we translate anointed, should have its full force, and be translated, who had formerly anointed; and this he thinks to have been the reason of that familiarity which subsisted between our Lord and this family; and, on this ground, they could confidently send for our Lord when Lazarus fell sick. This seems a very reasonable conjecture; and it is very likely that the familiarity arose out of the anointing. Others think that the anointing of which the evangelist speaks is that mentioned Joh 12:1, etc., and which happened about six days before the passover. St. John, therefore, is supposed to anticipate the account, because it served more particularly to designate the person of whom he was speaking.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 11:1-6

It is no new thing for those whom Christ loves, to be sick; bodily distempers correct the corruption, and try the graces of God's people. He came not to preserve his people from these afflictions, but to save them from their sins, and from the wrath to come; however, it behoves us to apply to Him in behalf of our friends and relatives when sick and afflicted. Let this reconcile us to the darkest dealings of…

Read the full comment on John 11:1-6 →

John 11:2 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἦνēnWasG1510
δὲdenowG1161
ΜαριὰμMariamMaryG3137
ἡhēthe [one]G3588
ἀλείψασαaleipsasahaving anointedG218
τὸνtontheG3588
κύριονkurionLordG2962
μύρῳmurōwith fragrant oilG3464
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐκμάξασαekmaxasahaving wipedG1591
τοὺςtoustheG3588
πόδαςpodasfeetG4228
αὐτοῦautouof HimG846
ταῖςtaiswith theG3588
θριξὶνthrixinhairG2359
αὐτῆς,autēsof her,G846
ἧςhēswhoseG3739
ὁho<the>G3588
ἀδελφὸςadelphosbrotherG80
ΛάζαροςLazarosLazarusG2976
ἠσθένει.ēstheneiwas sick.G770

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 11:2

  • John 12:3

    Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

  • Matthew 26:6-7

    Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.

  • Mark 14:3

    And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

  • Luke 7:37-38

    And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
that Mary.
12:3; Mt 26:6,7; Mr 14:3
anointed.
Lu 7:37,38

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 11:1

    Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

  • John 11:2

    (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

  • John 11:3

    Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

Read all of John 11

John 11:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		(Y María, cuyo hermano Lázaro estaba enfermo, era la que ungió al Señor con ungüento, y limpió sus pies con sus cabellos.)
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		(Et c’était la Marie qui oignit le Seigneur d’un parfum et qui lui essuya les pieds avec ses cheveux, de laquelle Lazare, le malade, était le frère.)
German
Elberfelder 1871		Maria aber war es, die den Herrn mit Salbe salbte und seine Füße mit ihren Haaren abtrocknete; deren Bruder Lazarus war krank.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		(Maria autem erat quæ unxit Dominum unguento, et extersit pedes ejus capillis suis: cujus frater Lazarus infirmabatur.)