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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Yhn C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21
Yhn 12 V1 V3 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41 V43 V45 V47 V49
OET (OET-LV) for/because_ Why _reason this the ointment was_ not _sold for/because_three_hundred daʸnarion_coins, and was_given to_the_poor?
OET (OET-RV) “How come this lotion wasn’t sold for almost a year’s wages and then the money given to the poor?”
This section describes what happened at a dinner party in Bethany at the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. Mary anointed (poured perfume/oil on) Jesus’ feet. Judas thought that she wasted something very valuable, but Jesus said that it was for his burial. Here are some other possible titles for this section:
Jesus was anointed in Bethany
Mary anointed Jesus for his burial
This paragraph describes Judas’ reaction to what Mary had done. He said that she wasted something valuable that could have been sold and the money given to the poor. However, the truth was that he wanted to steal the money. But Jesus defended Mary. He understood that she had anointed him to prepare him for his death and burial.
“Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”
“Why was this perfume wasted? It could have been sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to poor people.”
“This perfume was worth a lot of money—almost a year’s wages! Mary should have sold it and given the money from the sale to poor people.”
Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?: This is a rhetorical question. It is used as a rebuke. Judas rebuked Mary and he also rebuked Jesus for allowing Mary to pour her perfume on his feet. Judas implied that Mary should have sold her perfume and given the money to the poor.
There are several ways to translate this rebuke:
Use a rhetorical question. For example:
Could not this perfume have been sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor? (REB)
Use a statement or statements. For example:
That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor. (NLT)
Use a combination of a rhetorical question and a statement. For example:
Why wasn’t this money sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages. (NIV)
Translate this rebuke in the way that is most natural in your language. Judas was being critical and did not approve of what Mary did. He indicated that it was a waste to pour the perfume on Jesus’ feet. Try to use expressions that imply this.
Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii…?: This clause implies three things. First, the perfume was worth three hundred (300) denarii. Second, Mary could have sold it for that much money. And third, she should have sold it. Judas implied that selling it would have been the right thing to do. The verb phrase wasn’t…sold is passive. There are at least two ways to translate it:
Use a passive verb. For example:
Could not this perfume have been sold for three hundred denarii? (REB)
Use an active verb. For example:
Why did Mary/she not sell this perfume? It was worth three hundred denarii/coins.
Mary could/should have sold this perfume for three hundred denarii/coins.
Use the verb form that is most natural in your language in this context.
three hundred denarii: The word denarii is the plural of “denarius.” The denarius was a Roman coin worth about a day’s wage for a worker. So three hundred (300) denarii were about a year’s wages. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
three hundred silver coins (NET)
a year’s wages (NIV)
In some languages it is more natural to say something general that means “lots of money.” For example:
a high price (GW)
a small fortune (NLT96)
You may want to put the exact amount in a footnote. For example:
The Greek says 300 denarii. A denarius was one day’s pay for the ordinary worker.
In some languages it may be natural to translate this as a separate sentence. For example:
This perfume was worth three hundred coins. Why wasn’t it sold…? (NCV)
Why didn’t Mary sell the perfume? Someone would have paid/given three hundred coins for it.
the money given to the poor: This is a short way of saying “why was the money from selling the perfume not given to poor people?” The verb given is passive. There are at least two ways to translate it:
Use a passive verb. For example:
the money should have been given to the poor
Use an active verb. For example:
why did she not give that money to the poor?
Mary should have given the money to the poor
Use the verb form that is most natural in your language. Also, use either a rhetorical question or a statement for the rebuke. Here are other ways to translate this idea:
poor people could/should have been helped
the poor could have received the money/blessing
Would it not have been better to give the money to the poor?
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
διὰ τί τοῦτο τὸ μύρον οὐκ ἐπράθη τριακοσίων δηναρίων, καὶ ἐδόθη πτωχοῖς?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: διά Τί τοῦτο τό μύρον οὐκ ἐπράθη τριακοσίων δηναρίων καί ἐδόθη πτωχοῖς)
Judas is using a rhetorical question here to emphasize that he thought the perfumed oil should not be poured on Jesus. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation, and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: [This perfume could have been sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor!]
Note 2 topic: translate-bmoney
τριακοσίων δηναρίων
˱for˲_three_hundred denarii
The word denarii is the plural form of “denarius.” It was a denomination of money in the Roman Empire that was equivalent to one days’ wages. Alternate translation: [for 300 days’ wages]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj
πτωχοῖς
˱to˲_˓the˒_poor
Judas is using the adjective poor as a noun in order to describe a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this with a noun phrase. Alternate translation: [to people who are poor]
12:5 a year’s wages: Judas may have been exaggerating, but Mary’s sacrifice was certainly very costly.
OET (OET-LV) for/because_ Why _reason this the ointment was_ not _sold for/because_three_hundred daʸnarion_coins, and was_given to_the_poor?
OET (OET-RV) “How come this lotion wasn’t sold for almost a year’s wages and then the money given to the poor?”
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.
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