12:3 very costly. The cost of the ointment was almost equal to the annual wages of a laborer (see note on Matthew 26:12).

12:3 the feet of Jesus. This act was similar to that of the sinful woman recorded in Luke 7:37-38. However, the time and place were quite different, as was the unnamed woman. Mary’s act of devotion is also described in Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9, though her name was not given in these. The dinner was actually held in the house of Simon the leper (Mark 14:3). It is unlikely that Mary Magdalene (that is, Mary of Magdala, or Mary the Magdalene) could have either been Mary of Bethany or the unnamed woman of Luke 7:37-38 (Mary Magdalene appears immediately after in Luke 8:2).