Mark 14:7

For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me.

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Other translations

WEBBE

For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me.

BSB

The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have Me.

KJV

For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

ASV

For ye have the poor always with you, and whensoever ye will ye can do them good: but me ye have not always.

BBE

The poor you have ever with you, and whenever you have the desire you may do them good: but me you have not for ever.

Original Greek

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πάντοτε pantote Always G3842 γὰρ gar for G1063 τοὺς tous the G3588 πτωχοὺς ptōchous poor G4434 ἔχετε echete you have G2192 μεθ meth᾽ with G3326 ἑαυτῶν he'autōn yourselves G1438 καὶ kai and G2532 ὅταν hotan whenever G3752 θέλητε thelēte you may desire G2309 δύνασθε dunasthe you are able G1410 αὐτοῖς autois for them G846 πάντοτε pantote always G3842 εὖ eu good G2095 ποιῆσαι poiēsai to do G4160 ἐμὲ eme Me myself G1473 δὲ de however G1161 οὐ ou not G3756 πάντοτε pantote always G3842 ἔχετε echete do you have G2192

The early church

(ubi sup.) To me, indeed, He seems to speak of His bodily presence, that He should by no means be with them after His resurrection, as He then was living with them in all familiarity.
Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
(in Matt. 35.) For they were grieved at the waste of the ointment, which might be sold for a large sum and given to the poor. This however ought not to have been, for it was right that it should be poured over the head of Christ, with a holy and fitting stream; wherefore it goes on, She hath wrought a good work on me. And so effectual is the praise of this good work, that it ought to excite all of us to fill the head of the Lord with sweet smelling and rich offerings, that of us it may be said that we have done a good work over the head of the Lord. For we always have with us, as long as we remain in this life, the poor who have need of the care of those who have made progress in the word, and are enriched in the wisdom of God; they are not however able always day and night to have with them the Son of God, that is, the Word and Wisdom of God. For it goes on: For ye have the poor always with you, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good; but me ye have not always.
Origen of Alexandria · d. 253Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–11

Did Christ pour out his soul unto death for us, and shall we think any thing too precious for him? Do we give him the precious ointment of our best affections? Let us love him with all the heart, though it is common for zeal and affection to be misunderstood and blamed; and remember that charity to the poor will not excuse any from particular acts of piety to the Lord Jesus. Christ commended this woman's pious attention to the notice of believers in all ages. Those who honour Christ he will honour. Covetousness was Judas' master lust, and that betrayed him to the sin of betraying his Master; the devil suited his temptation to that, and so conquered him. And see what wicked contrivances many have in their sinful pursuits; but what appears to forward their plans, will prove curses in the end.

Read Matthew Henry on Mark 14 →

Parallel passages

2

The same words or events elsewhere.

Matthew 26:10–12John 12:7–8

Cross-references

13

Topics

Poor

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.