Texts in Conversation
In Matthew 26:6, a woman anoints Jesus with oil in a private setting, an act that recalls royal anointing scenes such as 1 Samuel 10:1, where Samuel anoints Saul as king. All four Gospels intentionally reuse this imagery to depict Jesus as directly appointed.
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1 Samuel 10:1
Hebrew Bible
1 Then Samuel took a small container of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head. Samuel kissed him and said, “The Lord has chosen you to lead his people Israel! You will rule over the Lord’s people and you will deliver them from the power of the enemies who surround them. This will be your sign that the Lord has chosen you as leader over his inheritance. 2 When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah on Benjamin’s border. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you have gone looking for have been found. Your father is no longer concerned about the donkeys but has become anxious about you two! He is asking, “What should I do about my son?”’
Date: 6th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Matthew 26:6
New Testament
6 Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfumed oil, and she poured it on his head as he was at the table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they became indignant and said, “Why this waste? 9 It could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor!” 10 When Jesus learned of this, he said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a good service for me. 11 For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me! 12 When she poured this oil on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Date: 70-90 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The account of Jesus’ anointing is one of the few events recorded by all four Evangelists (Matthew 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; Luke 7:36–50; John 12:1–8). Although the Gospels agree in basic details, such as Jesus’ being anointed by a woman in the presence of others, they are inconsistent about where, with whom, how, and why the anointing happens ... The Septuagint records various types of anointing. It uses the term christo (Hebrew: mashach) exclusively to denote a ceremonial anointing, such as the ritual installation of kings and priests (see, e.g., Exodus 28:41; 29:36; Judges 9:8; 1 Samuel 9:16; 15:1). I have located no other example where a kiss is a part of the anointing ceremony of a king or priest; Samuel’s kiss is not a strong evocation of the woman sinner in Luke 7:38 who kisses Jesus ..."
Hornsby, Teresa J.
"Anointing Traditions" in Levine, Amy-Jill, et al. (eds.) The Historical Jesus in Context
(pp. 339-342) Princeton University Press, 2009
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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