Bible Strands
Mark 14:4
Some of those present, however, expressed their indignation to one another: “Why this waste of perfume?
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Some present at the meal in Simon the Leper’s house turn to one another to voice their objection while the woman pours nard on Jesus’ head. Their complaint interrupts the anointing moment recorded in Mark 14:3.
The words — ἀγανακτοῦντες (aganaktōntes) denotes active indignation or resentment, and λέγοντες (legontes) marks the simple act of saying. The text records their emotional state and speech without qualifying their underlying motive.
The thread — This objection runs through Matthew 26:8 where the disciples voice the same complaint, and through John 12:4 where Judas Iscariot raises it. The parallel accounts preserve the identical challenge to the woman’s action.
Why it lands — The verse forces a reader to weigh practical calculation against present devotion. It asks whether future utility should dictate the value of a completed act.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
Cross-references
- John 12:4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray Him, asked,
- Matthew 26:8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, “Why this waste?
- Ecclesiastes 4:4 I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
- Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
- Malachi 1:12 “But you profane it when you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is contemptible.’