Luke 7:37
New International Version
A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.

New Living Translation
When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume.

English Standard Version
And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment,

Berean Standard Bible
When a sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining there, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume.

Berean Literal Bible
And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner. And she having known that He had reclined in the Pharisee's house, having taken an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,

King James Bible
And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

New King James Version
And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,

New American Standard Bible
And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume,

NASB 1995
And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume,

NASB 1977
And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume,

Legacy Standard Bible
And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner. And when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume.

Amplified Bible
Now there was a woman in the city who was [known as] a sinner; and when she found out that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume;

Christian Standard Bible
And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of fragrant oil

American Standard Version
And behold, a woman who was in the city, a sinner; and when she knew that he was sitting at meat in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster cruse of ointment,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And a sinner woman who was in the city, when she knew that he was staying in the Pharisee's house, she took an alabaster vase of ointment.

Contemporary English Version
When a sinful woman in that town found out that Jesus was there, she bought an expensive bottle of perfume.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And behold a woman that was in the city, a sinner, when she knew that he sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment;

English Revised Version
And behold, a woman which was in the city, a sinner; and when she knew that he was sitting at meat in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster cruse of ointment,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A woman who lived a sinful life in that city found out that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house. So she took a bottle of perfume

Good News Translation
In that town was a woman who lived a sinful life. She heard that Jesus was eating in the Pharisee's house, so she brought an alabaster jar full of perfume

International Standard Version
There was a woman who was a notorious sinner in that city. When she learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's home, she took an alabaster jar of perfume

Literal Standard Version
and behold, a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having known that He reclines in the house of the Pharisee, having provided an alabaster box of ointment,

Majority Standard Bible
When a sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining there, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume.

New American Bible
Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,

NET Bible
Then when a woman of that town, who was a sinner, learned that Jesus was dining at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfumed oil.

New Revised Standard Version
And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment.

New Heart English Bible
And look, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of ointment.

Webster's Bible Translation
And behold, a woman in the city, who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster-box of ointment,

Weymouth New Testament
And there was a woman in the town who was a notorious sinner. Having learnt that Jesus was at table in the Pharisee's house she brought a flask of perfume,

World English Bible
Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment.

Young's Literal Translation
and lo, a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having known that he reclineth (at meat) in the house of the Pharisee, having provided an alabaster box of ointment,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Sinful Woman Anoints Jesus
36Then one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37When a sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining there, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. 38As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume.…

Cross References
Matthew 21:31
Which of the two did the will of his father?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.

Matthew 26:6
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper,

Matthew 26:7
a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table.

Mark 14:3
While Jesus was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured it on Jesus' head.

Luke 7:36
Then one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.

Luke 7:38
As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume.

John 12:1
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.


Treasury of Scripture

And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

which.

Luke 7:34,39
The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! …

Luke 5:30,32
But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? …

Luke 18:13
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

an.

Matthew 26:7
There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.

Mark 14:3
And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

John 11:2
(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

Jump to Previous
Alabaster Alabaster-Box Box City Cruse Eating Entered Flask Guest House Invited Jar Jesus Learned Meal Meat News Ointment Pharisee Pharisees Pharisee's Reclined Reclining Repeatedly Sat Sinful Sinner Sitting Table Vial
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Alabaster Alabaster-Box Box City Cruse Eating Entered Flask Guest House Invited Jar Jesus Learned Meal Meat News Ointment Pharisee Pharisees Pharisee's Reclined Reclining Repeatedly Sat Sinful Sinner Sitting Table Vial
Luke 7
1. Jesus finds a greater faith in the centurion;
10. heals his servant, being absent;
11. raises from death the widow's son at Nain;
18. answers John's messengers with the declaration of his miracles;
24. testifies to the people what opinion he held of John;
31. compares this generation to the children in the marketplaces,
36. and allowing his feet to be washed and anointed by a woman who was a sinner,
44. he shows how he is a friend to sinners, to forgive them their sins, upon their repentance.














(37) A woman in the city, which was a sinner.--The word is clearly used as pointing to the special sin of unchastity. The woman was known in the city as plying there her sinful and hateful calling. The question who she was must be left unanswered. Two answers have, however, been given. (1) The widespread belief that she was Mary Magdalene--shown in the popular application of the term "Magdalen" to a penitent of this class--has absolutely not a single jot or tittle of evidence in Scripture. Nor can there be said to be anything like even a tradition in its favour. The earliest Fathers of the Church are silent. Origen discusses and rejects it. Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine are doubtful. It first gained general acceptance through the authority of Gregory the Great. The choice of this narrative in the Gospel for the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene stamped it as with the sanction of the Western Church. The omission of that feast from the calendar of the Prayer Book of 1552 shows that the English Reformers at least hesitated, if they did not decide against it. We may note further (a) that if the popular belief were true we should have expected some hint of it on the occurrence of the name of Mary Magdalene in Luke 8:3; (b) that the description given of that Mary, as one out of whom had been cast "seven devils," though not incompatible with a life of impurity, does not naturally suggest it; (c) that, on the assumption of identity, it is difficult to say when the "devils" had been cast out. Was it before she came with the ointment, or when our Lord spake the words, "Thy sins are forgiven thee?" It is obvious that the conduct of the woman in the Pharisee's house was very different from the wild frenzy of a demoniac. (2) The belief adopted by some interpreters, and more or less generally received in the Church of Rome, that the woman was none other than Mary the sister of Lazarus, who, on this hypothesis, is identified also with Mary Magdalene, is even more baseless. The inference that when St. John speaks of Mary of Bethany as "that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment," must refer to the previous anointing which St. Luke narrates, and not to that which St. John himself records (John 12:3), is almost fantastic in its arbitrariness; and it will seem to most minds inconceivable that such a one as the sister of Lazarus, who appears in Luke 10:42 as "having chosen the good part," could so shortly before have been leading the life of a harlot of the streets. Occurring as the narrative does in St. Luke only, it is probable enough that the "woman which was a sinner" became known to the company of devout women named in Luke 8:1-3, and that the Evangelist derived his knowledge of the facts from them. His reticence--possibly their reticence--as to the name was, under the circumstances, at once natural and considerate.

When she knew that Jesus . . .--The words imply that she had heard of Him--perhaps had listened to Him. She may have heard of His compassion for the widow of Nain in her sorrow. She might have been drawn by the ineffable pity and tenderness of His words and looks. She would show her reverence as she could.

Brought an alabaster box of ointment.--See Note on Matthew 26:7. There is not the same stress laid here, as in the anointing by Mary of Bethany, on the preciousness of the ointment; but we may believe that it was relatively as costly. Passages like Proverbs 7:17, Isaiah 3:24, suggest the thought that then, as perhaps in all ages, the lavish and luxurious use of perfumes characterised the unhappy class to which the woman belonged. The ointment may have been purchased for far other uses than that to which it was now applied. . . .

Verse 37. - And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house. The text in the older authorities is more forcible: "a woman which was a sinner in that city." Her miserable way of life would thus be well known to Simon and other of the guests. This sad detail would serve to bring out the contrast in more vivid colours. In these Oriental feasts the houses were often left open, and uninvited strangers frequently passed in through the open courtyard into the guest-chamber, and looked on. She had heard Jesus already, perhaps often, and had drunk in his pleading words, begging sinners to turn and to come to him for peace. Perhaps what had decided her to take this step of boldly seeking out the Master were words apparently spoken about this time (in St. Matthew's Gospel they follow directly after the discourse respecting the Baptist just related), "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," etc. (Matthew 11:28-30). It was a bold step for one like her to press uninvited, in broad daylight, into the house of a rigid purist like Simon; but the knowledge that Jesus (though personally, as she thought, she was unknown to him) was there, gave her courage; she felt no one would dare to thrust her out of the presence of the strange loving Master, who so earnestly had bidden the sin-weary come to him, and he would give them rest! Brought an alabaster box of ointment. Pliny mentions alabaster as the best material for pots or vessels intended for these precious ointments. It was softer than marble, and easily scooped into pots or bottles. These costly unguents and cosmetics were much used by the wealthy Roman ladies. The precious ointment poured over the Redeemer's feet had probably been originally procured for a very different purpose. The word μύρον, translated "ointment," was used for any kind of sweet-smelling vegetable essence, especially that of the myrtle.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
When
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

a sinful
ἁμαρτωλός (hamartōlos)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 268: Sinning, sinful, depraved, detestable. From hamartano; sinful, i.e. A sinner.

woman
γυνὴ (gynē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1135: A woman, wife, my lady. Probably from the base of ginomai; a woman; specially, a wife.

from
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

[that]
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

town
πόλει (polei)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4172: A city, the inhabitants of a city. Probably from the same as polemos, or perhaps from polus; a town.

learned
ἐπιγνοῦσα (epignousa)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1921: From epi and ginosko; to know upon some mark, i.e. Recognize; by implication, to become fully acquainted with, to acknowledge.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

[Jesus] was dining
κατάκειται (katakeitai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2621: From kata and keimai; to lie down, i.e. be sick; specially, to recline at a meal.

[there],
οἰκίᾳ (oikia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3614: From oikos; properly, residence, but usually an abode; by implication, a family.

she brought
κομίσασα (komisasa)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2865: From a primary komeo; properly, to provide for, i.e. to carry off.

an alabaster jar
ἀλάβαστρον (alabastron)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 211: Neuter of alabastros, the name of a stone; properly, an 'alabaster' box, i.e. a perfume vase.

of perfume.
μύρου (myrou)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 3464: Anointing-oil, ointment. Probably of foreign origin; 'myrrh', i.e. perfumed oil.


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NT Gospels: Luke 7:37 Behold a woman in the city who (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 7:36
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