behoved Christ rather to be anointed whilst living : after His death it was needless.
8. 'A-7rwXe<a, waste) or perdition. — Nay, thou, Judas, art [the son] of Perdition j1 see John xvii. 12.
9. ' Hdwaroj might) The disciples exhibit in this instance great ignorance of comparative theology. — ro/g crrw^o/s, to the poor) Which is, generally speaking, a right employment of our means ;2 see ch. xix. 21, and Luke xix. 8.
10. T/ XOTOUJ <xaf>£%trt rr\ ywar/t<, Why trouble ye the woman ?) For it is a trouble to be doubtful in one's conscience, not only concerning a thing to be done hereafter (see Rom. xiv. 15), but also concerning a thing already done. — ry ywaiKl, the woman) The disciples acted with incivility towards the Lord Himself; but this He finds less fault with than the annoyance given to the woman. — xaXoi/, good) Although she was not herself aware that she had done so well. The simplicity of an action does not detract from its goodness.8 It was not waste with regard to the poor (ver. 11) nor the disciples (Mark xiv. 7, middle of the verse), nor the woman (ver. 13), nor the Lord Himself (ver. 12).
12. BaXoStfa, in that she liath poured) The word implies pro fusion. — *f>i>g rb svratpidaai Me, for My burial) These words inti mate that His death was certain and near at hand. The verb svTa<pid?etv does not mean " to place in the sepulchre" but " to prepare for the sepulchre" The Ivrapiaaftbg of Jacob (Gen. 1. 2, S. V.) took place in Egypt, his sepulture afterwards [in Canaan].
13. Tb euayysXiov rouro, this Gospel) i.e. which Christ preached.4 — XaXjj^fffra/, shall be spoken of) And so it is. This saying of our Lord was both heard and afterwards committed to writing by St Matthew. Its fulfilment furnishes a proof of the truth of
cients rather lay reclined at table than sat at it. They had couches fur nished with cushions, and they lay in such a posture as that their feet rested backwards. — V. g.
1 In the original, both Greek and Latin, the same word is used to express Waste and Perdition. — (I. B.)
2 And that such was the practice of the disciples is evident from this very passage. — V. g.
8 For often an action is either worse or better than the agent himself had supposed ; ch. xxv. 38, 44 ; Heb. xiii. 2. — V. g. 4 He speaks humbly and modestly. — V. g. VOL. I. F F