What Does John 12:3 Mean in the King James?

Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

John 12:3 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The word translated “costly” also carries the sense of honor: Mary’s valued gift becomes honor made tangible, and its fragrance fills the house.

THE MEANING

Mary pours precious perfume on Jesus’ feet and wipes them with her hair; the whole house fills with its scent. The verse shows love taking bodily form, its value passing from one person into the shared space.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It undoes the belief that what is most valuable must be kept intact: here, the perfume’s worth is expressed as it is poured out.

THE ROOT

πολυτίμου

polytimou

GROWS FROM

τιμή

timē

Value, worth, price, and honor.

“very costly” in this verse is polytimou. The English phrase foregrounds the perfume’s price. Its Greek word also carries the sense of what is highly valued, while its root ⁨τιμή⁩ (timē, value or honor) lets price and honor resonate together: the gift’s material worth becomes an act of honor.

ALSO GROWS

timē: honor, value

τιμή

This root holds worth and honor together, so Mary’s costly gift is also an embodied honoring of Jesus.

timios: precious, held in honor

τίμιος

This related word shows how being valued can carry both preciousness and honor, as the perfume does in the scene.

THE PATTERN

What is poured out becomes a presence that reaches beyond the giver.

Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

Song of Solomon 1:3 · KJVThe fragrance of ointment poured forth becomes a presence that draws others.

It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;

Psalm 133:2 · KJVThe ointment’s flow carries its presence from the head down through the whole body.

For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

2 Corinthians 2:15 · KJVThe image of fragrance reaches beyond its source and is present among others.

THE THREAD

After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

John 13:5 · KJV

The verb ⁨ἐκμάσσω⁩ (ekmassō, to wipe or dry off) connects Mary wiping Jesus’ feet with her hair to Jesus wiping the disciples’ feet with a towel. The same act of intimate care moves from her toward him, then from him toward them.

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