John 12:6

Εἶπε δὲ τοῦτο … ἐβάσταζεν. “This he said, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief.” Before John could make this accusation, he must have had proof; how or when we do not know. But the next clauses, being in the imperfect, imply that his pilfering was habitual. τὸ γλωσσόκομον, “the bag,” better “the purse,” or “box,” “loculos habens,” Vulgate. In the form γλωσσοκομεῖον (which Phrynichus declares to be the proper form, see Rutherford, p. 181) the word occurs in the Bacchae of Lysippus to denote a case for holding the tongue pieces of musical instruments (γλῶσσαι, κομέω). Hence it came to be used of any box, chest, or coffer. In Sept [79] it occurs in 2 Samuel 6:11 (Codd. A, 247, and Aquila) of the Art of the Lord; in 2 Chronicles 24:8 of the chest for collections in the Temple. This chest had a hole in the lid, and the people cast in (ἐνέβαλον, cf. τὰ βαλλόμενα here) their contributions. (Further see Hatch, Essays in Biblical Greek, p. 42, and Field's Otium Norvic., 68.) τὰ βαλλόμενα ἐβάσταζεν. The R.V [80] renders “took away what was put therein”. Certainly, to say that Judas had the money box and carried what was put therein is flat and tautological. And that ἐβάσταζεν can bear the sense of “take away” or “make away with” is beyond dispute. The passages cited by Kypke and Field (Soph., Philoct., 1105; Josephus, Antiq., ix. 2; Diog., Laert., iv. 59) prove that it was used of “taking away by stealth” or “purloining”; and cf. the use of φέρειν in Eur., Hec., 792. Liddell and Scott aptly compare the Scots use of “lift” in “cattle-lifting” and so forth. Mary found a prompt champion in Jesus: Ἄφες αὐτήν, “let her alone”. R.V [81] renders: “Suffer her to keep it against the day of my burying”; and in margin: “Let her alone: it was that she might keep it”. This Westcott understands as meaning “suffer her to keep it this was her purpose, and let it not be disturbed for my preparation for burial”. But, however we understand it, there is a palpable absurdity in our Lord's requesting that which had already been poured out to be kept for His burial. On the other hand, if the reading of [82] adopted in T.R. τετήρηκεν was the original reading, it might naturally be altered owing to the scribe's inability to perceive how this day of anointing could be called the day of His ἐνταφιασμός, and how the ointment could be said to have been kept till that day (cf. Field, Otium Norvic., p. 69). τετήρηκεν is opposed to ἐπράθη (John 12:5); she had not sold, but kept it; and she kept it, perhaps unconsciously, against the day of His entombment or preparation for burial. ἐνταφιασμός is rather the preparation for burial than the actual interment. Vide especially Kypke on Mark 14:8. This anointing was His true embalming. Mary's love was representative of the love of His intimate friends in whose loyal affection He was embalmed so that His memory could never die. The significance of the incident lies precisely in this, that Mary's action is the evidence that Jesus may now die, having already found an enduring place for Himself in the regard of His friends. It is possible that Mary herself, enlightened by her love, had a presentiment that this was the last tribute she could ever pay her Lord.

[79] Septuagint.

[80] Revised Version.

[81] Revised Version.

[82] Codex Alexandrinus of the fifth century, a chief representative of the “Syrian” text, that is, the revised text formed by judicious eclectic use of all existing texts, and meant to be the authoritative New Testament.