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Mary's Anointing of Jesus as a Burial Preparation

The anointing of Jesus by Mary of Bethany, as recorded in the Gospels, is interpreted by Jesus himself as a preparation for his burial [1, 2]. This act, occurring shortly before his crucifixion, highlights the significance of anointing in Jewish burial customs and foreshadows Jesus' death.

Anointing with oil was a common practice in ancient Israel and the broader Near East, serving various purposes [3, 4]. It was used for ordinary hygiene, as a mark of respect for guests, and for medicinal purposes [3, 4]. More significantly, anointing held official and sacred connotations, used for consecrating priests, kings, and prophets, symbolizing their dedication to a holy purpose [5]. In the context of death, anointing the body with perfumed oils or ointments was a customary part of preparing the deceased for burial [4, 7]. The Jewish practice involved washing the body, anointing it, and then wrapping it in linen with spices [7, 10].

In Matthew's account, Jesus explicitly states, "For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial" [2]. Mark's Gospel similarly records Jesus saying, "She has done what she could to anoint My body in advance of My burial" [1]. These statements from Jesus indicate that, regardless of Mary's conscious intent, her action served a prophetic purpose in relation to his impending death and burial [8]. Some commentators suggest that Mary may have been divinely inspired or had a revelation about Jesus' imminent death, leading her to perform this act of devotion [9].

The act itself involved a costly alabaster flask of pure nard, a very expensive perfume [1, 2]. The disciples, particularly Judas Iscariot, questioned the extravagance, suggesting the ointment could have been sold to help the poor [2]. However, Jesus defended Mary, emphasizing the unique and timely nature of her act as a preparation for his burial, noting that "the poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me" [2].

The practice of anointing the dead was a crucial part of Jewish funeral rites, as cremation was generally not practiced, except in specific punitive circumstances [6]. The meticulous preparation of the body, including anointing and wrapping with spices, was a sign of respect and care for the deceased [10]. The women who followed Jesus also intended to anoint his body after his death, bringing spices to the tomb on the first day of the week, only to find it empty [4]. This further underscores the cultural significance of anointing as a post-mortem ritual.

The interpretation of Mary's anointing as a burial preparation is consistent across various theological traditions. John Gill, a Baptist/Reformed commentator, notes that Mary "came before hand to anoint him, and, as it were, to perform the funeral rites before he was dead" [9]. Matthew Henry, a Nonconformist/Puritan expositor, also emphasizes the solemnity of Jesus' funeral preparations [11]. Adam Clarke, a Methodist/Wesleyan commentator, even suggests that a "pot of oil" mentioned in 2 Kings 4:2 might have been kept by a widow for her own burial, illustrating the common understanding of oil's use in death preparations [12]. The Tyndale House commentary on Mark 14:8 acknowledges that while Mary's conscious motivation might be unclear, Jesus assigned her loving act the purpose of preparing him for burial [8]. This event, therefore, serves as a poignant anticipation of Jesus' death and burial, highlighting both Mary's devotion and Jesus' awareness of his destiny.

Sources

  1. Mark “Mark 14:8 (BSB) — She has done what she could to anoint My body in advance of My burial.”
  2. Matthew “For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. -- Matthew 26:12”
  3. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Anointing — in Holy Scripture, is either, I. Material--with oil--or II. Spiritual--with the Holy Ghost. I. MATERIAL.-- + Ordinary . Anointing the body or head with oil was a common practice with the Jews, as with other Oriental nations. (28:40; Ruth 3:3; Micah 6:15) Anointing the head with oil or ointment seems also to have been a mark of respect sometimes paid by a host to his guests. (Luke 7:46) and Psal 23:5 + Official . It was a rite of inauguration into each of the three typical offices of the Jewish commonwealth. a. Prophets were occasionally anointed to their o”
  4. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Anointing — With oil -- Ps 92:10. With ointment -- Joh 11:2. Was used for Decorating the person. -- Ru 3:3. Refreshing the body. -- 2Ch 28:15. Purifying the body. -- Es 2:12; Isa 57:9. Curing the sick. -- Mr 6:13; Jas 5:14. Healing wounds. -- Isa 1:6; Lu 10:34. Preparing weapons for war. -- Isa 21:5. Preparing the dead for burial. -- Mt 26:12; Mr 16:1; Lu 23:56. The Jews were very fond of. -- Pr 27:9; Am 6:6. Was applied to The head. -- Ps 23:5; Ec 9:8. The face. -- Ps 104:15. The feet. -- Lu 7:38,39; Joh 12:3. The eyes. -- Re 3:18. Ointment for Richly perfumed. -- S”
  5. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Anoint — The practice of anointing with perfumed oil was common among the Hebrews. (1.) The act of anointing was significant of consecration to a holy or sacred use; hence the anointing of the high priest (Ex. 29:29; Lev. 4:3) and of the sacred vessels (Ex. 30:26). The high priest and the king are thus called "the anointed" (Lev. 4:3, 5, 16; 6:20; Ps. 132:10). Anointing a king was equivalent to crowning him (1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Sam. 2:4, etc.). Prophets were also anointed (1 Kings 19:16; 1 Chr. 16:22; Ps. 105:15). The expression, "anoint the shield" (Isa. 21:5), refers t”
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Funeral — Burying was among the Jews the only mode of disposing of corpses (Gen. 23:19; 25:9; 35:8, 9, etc.). The first traces of burning the dead are found in 1 Sam. 31:12. The burning of the body was affixed by the law of Moses as a penalty to certain crimes (Lev. 20:14; 21:9). To leave the dead unburied was regarded with horror (1 Kings 13:22; 14:11; 16:4; 21:24, etc.). In the earliest times of which we have record kinsmen carried their dead to the grave (Gen. 25:9; 35:29; Judg. 16:31), but in later times this was done by others (Amos 6:16). Immediately after dece”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Burial — Probable origin of -- Ge 4:9,10. Design of -- Ge 23:3,4. Attended by Family of the dead. -- Ge 50:5,6,8; Mt 8:21. Numbers of friends, &c. -- Ge 50:7,9; 2Sa 3:31; Lu 7:12. Female friends. -- Mr 15:47; Lu 7:13. Hired mourners. -- Jer 9:17,18. Great lamentation at. -- Ge 50:10,11; 2Sa 3:31,32. Orations sometimes made at -- 2Sa 3:33,34. The body was Washed before. -- Ac 9:37. Anointed for. -- Mt 26:12. Wound in linen for. -- Joh 11:44; 19:40. Preserved with spices. -- Joh 19:39,40. Sometimes burned before. -- 1Sa 31:12. Carried on a bier to. -- 2Sa 3:31; Lu 7:14”
  8. Mark (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Mark 14:8: 14:8 Jesus interprets the woman’s action. She had anointed his body in preparation for his burial. Whether the woman was consciously motivated by Jesus’ imminent death is unclear; her loving act served the purpose Jesus assigned it.”
  9. Mark (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Mark 14:8: She hath done what she could,.... What she had in her heart, and in the power of her hands to do; she hath done according to her ability, and her good will; and if she had not done it now, she could not have done it at all. She is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying; or, "as if it was to bury me", as the Syriac version renders it. Christ signifies by this, that he should shortly die, and that this woman came before hand to anoint him, and, as it were, to perform the funeral rites before he was dead; it being revealed to her by the Spirit, that Jesus would ”
  10. John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on John 19:40: Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury--the mixed and pulverized myrrh and aloes shaken into the folds, and the entire body, thus swathed, wrapt in an outer covering of "clean linen cloth" (Mat 27:59). Had the Lord's own friends had the least reason to think that the spark of life was still in Him, would they have done this? But even if one could conceive them mistaken, could anyone have lain thus enveloped for the period during which He was in the grave, and life still remai”
  11. Mark (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Mark 15:42: We are here attending the funeral of our Lord Jesus, a solemn, mournful funeral. O that we may by grace be planted in the likeness of it! Observe, I. How the body of Christ was begged. It was, as the dead bodies of malefactors are, at the disposal of the government. Those that hurried him to the cross, designed that he should make his grave with the wicked; but God designed he should make it with the rich (Isa 53:9), and so he did. We are here told, 1. When the body of Christ was begged, in order to its being buried, and why such haste was made with the funeral; Th”
  12. 2 Kings (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 2 Kings 4:2: Save a pot of oil - Oil was used as aliment, for anointing the body after bathing, and to anoint the dead. Some think that this pot of oil was what this widow had kept for her burial: see Mat 26:12.”
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