Joh 12:7 | RWP | e4.org | Suffer her to keep it against the day of my burying ( Αφες αυτην, ινα εις την ημεραν του ενταφιασμου μου τηρηση αυτο ). This reading ( ινα τηρηση , purpose clause with ινα and first aorist active subjunctive of τηρεω ) rather than that of the Textus Receptus (just τετηρεκεν , perfect active indicative) is correct. It is supported by Aleph B D L W Theta. The ινα can be rendered as above after αφες according to Koine idiom or more probably: "Let her alone: it was that," etc. (supplying "it was"). Either makes good sense. The word ενταφιασμος is a later and rare substantive from the late verb ενταφιαζω , to prepare for burial ( ; ), and means preparation for burial. In N.T. only here and . "Preparation for my burial" is the idea here and in Mark. The idea of Jesus is that Mary had saved this money to use in preparing his body for burial. She is giving him the flowers before the funeral. We can hardly take it that Mary did not use all of the ointment for Mark ( ) says that she broke it and yet he adds ( ) what John has here. It is a paradox, but Jesus is fond of paradoxes. Mary has kept this precious gift by giving it now beforehand as a preparation for my burial. We really keep what we give to Christ. This is Mary's glory that she had some glimmering comprehension of Christ's death which none of the disciples possessed.

‏ John 12:7

Suffer her to keep it against the day of my burying ( Αφες αυτην, ινα εις την ημεραν του ενταφιασμου μου τηρηση αυτο ). This reading ( ινα τηρηση, purpose clause with ινα and first aorist active subjunctive of τηρεω ) rather than that of the Textus Receptus (just τετηρεκεν, perfect active indicative) is correct. It is supported by Aleph B D L W Theta. The ινα can be rendered as above after αφες according to Koine idiom or more probably: "Let her alone: it was that," etc. (supplying "it was"). Either makes good sense. The word ενταφιασμος is a later and rare substantive from the late verb ενταφιαζω, to prepare for burial (Mt 26:12; Joh 19:40), and means preparation for burial. In N.T. only here and Mr 14:8. "Preparation for my burial" is the idea here and in Mark. The idea of Jesus is that Mary had saved this money to use in preparing his body for burial. She is giving him the flowers before the funeral. We can hardly take it that Mary did not use all of the ointment for Mark (Mr 14:3) says that she broke it and yet he adds (Mr 14:8) what John has here. It is a paradox, but Jesus is fond of paradoxes. Mary has kept this precious gift by giving it now beforehand as a preparation for my burial. We really keep what we give to Christ. This is Mary's glory that she had some glimmering comprehension of Christ's death which none of the disciples possessed.