YHN 12:5 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. διά
2. dia
3. for/because reason
4. -
5. 12230
6. P·······
7. for_reason
8. for_reason
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73853
1. Τί
2. ti
3. Why
4. -
5. 50845
6. D·······
7. why
8. why
9. D
10. Y33
11. 73854
1. τοῦτο
2. houtos
3. this
4. -
5. 37780
6. E····NNS
7. this
8. this
9. -
10. Y33; R73828
11. 73855
1. τό
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NNS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73856
1. μύρον
2. muron
3. ointment
4. -
5. 34640
6. N····NNS
7. ointment
8. ointment
9. -
10. Y33; F73907
11. 73857
1. οὐκ
2. ou
3. not
4. -
5. 37560
6. D·······
7. not
8. not
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73858
1. ἐπράθη
2. pipraskō
3. was sold
4. sold
5. 40970
6. VIAP3··S
7. ˓was˒ sold
8. ˓was˒ sold
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73859
1. τριακοσίων
2. triakosioi
3. for/because three hundred
4. -
5. 51450
6. E····GNP
7. ˱for/because˲ three_hundred
8. ˱for˲ three_hundred
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73860
1. δηναρίων
2. dēnarion
3. daʸnarion coins
4. -
5. 12200
6. N····GNP
7. daʸnarion_\add coins\add*
8. denarii
9. -
10. Y33; F73863
11. 73861
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. and
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73862
1. ἐδόθη
2. didōmi
3. was given
4. given
5. 13250
6. VIAP3··S
7. ˓was˒ given
8. ˓was˒ given
9. -
10. Y33; R73861
11. 73863
1. τοῖς
2. ho
3. -
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····DMP
7. ˱to˲ the
8. ˱to˲ the
9. -
10. -
11. 73864
1. πτωχοῖς
2. ptōχos
3. to +the poor
4. -
5. 44340
6. S····DMP
7. ˱to˲ ˓the˒ poor
8. ˱to˲ ˓the˒ poor
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73865

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 12:1–8: Mary anointed Jesus

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

Paragraph 12:4–8

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.

12:5

“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?

uW Translation Notes:

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]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strongs
4. Greek word
5. Greek lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. for/because
2. -
3. 12230
5. dia
6. P-·······
7. for_reason
8. for_reason
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73853
1. Why
2. -
3. 50845
4. D
5. ti
6. D-·······
7. why
8. why
9. D
10. Y33
11. 73854
1. reason
2. -
3. 12230
5. dia
6. P-·······
7. for_reason
8. for_reason
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73853
1. this
2. -
3. 37780
5. houtos
6. E-····NNS
7. this
8. this
9. -
10. Y33; R73828
11. 73855
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····NNS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73856
1. ointment
2. -
3. 34640
5. muron
6. N-····NNS
7. ointment
8. ointment
9. -
10. Y33; F73907
11. 73857
1. was
2. sold
3. 40970
5. pipraskō
6. V-IAP3··S
7. ˓was˒ sold
8. ˓was˒ sold
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73859
1. not
2. -
3. 37560
5. ou
6. D-·······
7. not
8. not
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73858
1. sold
2. sold
3. 40970
5. pipraskō
6. V-IAP3··S
7. ˓was˒ sold
8. ˓was˒ sold
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73859
1. for/because three hundred
2. -
3. 51450
5. triakosioi
6. E-····GNP
7. ˱for/because˲ three_hundred
8. ˱for˲ three_hundred
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73860
1. daʸnarion coins
2. -
3. 12200
5. dēnarion
6. N-····GNP
7. daʸnarion_\add coins\add*
8. denarii
9. -
10. Y33; F73863
11. 73861
1. and
2. and
3. 25320
5. kai
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73862
1. was given
2. given
3. 13250
5. didōmi
6. V-IAP3··S
7. ˓was˒ given
8. ˓was˒ given
9. -
10. Y33; R73861
11. 73863
1. to +the poor
2. -
3. 44340
5. ptōχos
6. S-····DMP
7. ˱to˲ ˓the˒ poor
8. ˱to˲ ˓the˒ poor
9. -
10. Y33
11. 73865

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.

OET interlinear YHN (JHN) 12:5

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 12:1–8: Mary anointed Jesus

Paragraph 12:4–8

12:5

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)