OET interlinear LUKE 7:38

Section 7:36–50: Jesus forgave a woman’s sins and taught a Pharisee about love

In this section a Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to be the guest of honor at a dinner in his home. While Jesus was there, a sinful woman came and washed his feet with her tears. She dried them with her hair, kissed them, and poured scented oil on them. By these unusual actions, the woman honored Jesus and showed that she loved him.

By contrast, Simon neglected common ways to honor a guest. He did not greet Jesus with a kiss or give him water to wash his feet or put oil on his head. Jesus said that the woman’s acts of love showed that her sins had been forgiven. Simon’s failure to show love showed that his sins had not been forgiven.

Certain Jewish customs help to explain some of the actions in this story:

1. For special meals, the Jews usually ate at low tables and reclined on couches or cushions with their feet extended away from the table. This made it easier for the woman to kiss Jesus’ feet and pour perfume on them. (See the notes at 7:36b.)

2. When a religious teacher such as Jesus was invited to a feast, he ate with the host and the other invited guests. People who had not been invited were allowed to come in quietly and listen to what the teacher said. They were not supposed to join the invited guests.

3. Often a slave washed the feet of the guests. People considered feet to be dirty. When the woman washed Jesus’ feet and kissed them, she humbled herself and honored Jesus.

This section is not explicitly connected to the preceding one, but it does illustrate some of the statements in 7:29–35. The woman was a person who “acknowledged God’s justice” (7:29). Simon the Pharisee was one of those who “rejected God’s purpose for themselves” (7:30).

Some other possible headings for this section are:

A sinful woman washes Jesus’ feet at the home of a Pharisee named Simon

Jesus compares a Pharisee and a sinful woman

As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping,

• and came to Jesus. As she stood behind him near his feet, she was crying so much that

• As she stood at Jesus’ feet, she was weeping and when she bent/kneeled down,

she began to wet His feet with her tears

• her tears began to make his feet wet.

• her tears fell onto his feet.

General Comment on 7:38a–b

In 7:38a the woman was standing, but the actions in the rest of the verse imply that she was kneeling or sitting at his feet. In some languages it may be helpful to make this information explicit. For example:

she stood behind him at his feet weeping. Then she knelt and began to wet his feet…

and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet

• Then she wiped his feet with her hair, kissed them,

• Over and over she dried them with her hair, kissed them to show her respect/gratitude to him,

and anointed them with the perfume.

• and rubbed the scented oil on them.

• and put/poured the scented oil on them and rubbed it in.

General Comment on 7:37b–38d

There are eight verbs in 7:37b–38d. They are all part of one sentence in Greek. In Greek the first four verbs are background information, and the last four are the main verbs that describe four important actions. Here is the structure in Greek:

Background actions:

knowing that Jesus was eating,

bringing an alabaster jar of scented oil,

standing behind him,

weeping,

Main actions:

she began to wet his feet,

and was drying them,

and was kissing his feet,

and was rubbing them with the oil.

Translate these actions in a natural way in your language.

General Comment on 7:38c–d

In 7:38c–d the woman wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair, kissed his feet, and put scented oil on them. These actions expressed reverence and love. The actions were unusual in Jewish culture, but they were not offensive. They did not express any wrong sexual connotations. If these gestures might be considered offensive in your culture, it may be helpful to include a footnote. For example:

What the woman did showed great humility on her part and honored Jesus. These gestures also showed the grateful love that the woman had for Jesus. These were unusual acts in Jewish culture.