Bible Strands
Matthew 26:9
This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The disciples address Jesus after witnessing a woman anoint him, questioning the financial logic of the act.
The words — The Greek phrase ἐδύνατο πραθῆναι (edunato prathēnai) translates to "it was possible to be sold," framing the fragrant oil (muron) as a liquid asset.
The thread — This identical objection regarding the perfume's market value and the poor appears in Mark 14:5 and John 12:5.
Why it lands — The text states the perfume had a high market value that could fund the poor. It forces a reader to choose between measurable economic utility and unmeasured devotion.
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
For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
Cross-references
- Mark 14:5 It could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her.
- John 12:5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”
- Joshua 7:20 “It is true,” Achan replied, “I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did:
- 1 Samuel 15:9 Saul and his troops spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and the best of everything else. They were unwilling to devote them to destruction, but they devoted to destruction all that was despised and worthless.
- 1 Samuel 15:21 The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the things devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”
- 2 Kings 5:20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, by not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”
- 2 Peter 2:15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.