Luke 7:38 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Luke 7:38
And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
to stand (transitively or intransitively) · verb — second aorist active participle, nominative singular feminine
at
παρὰpara
G3844
properly · preposition
his
αὐτοῦ,autou
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
feet
πόδαςpodas
G4228
a "foot" (figuratively or literally) · noun — accusative plural masculine
behind
ὀπίσωopisō
G3694
to the back · adverb
weeping
κλαίουσαklaiousa
G2799
to sob · verb — present active participle, nominative singular feminine
began
ἄρχομαιárchomai
G756
to commence (in order of time)
wash
βρέχεινbrechein
G1026
to moisten (especially by a shower) · verb — present active infinitive
his
αὐτοῦautou
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
feet
πόδαςpodas
G4228
a "foot" (figuratively or literally) · noun — accusative plural masculine
tears
δάκρυσινdakrusin
G1144
a tear · noun — dative plural neuter
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
wipe
ἐξέμασσενexemassen
G1591
to knead out · verb — imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular
hairs
θριξὶνthrixin
G2359
of uncertain derivation · noun — dative plural feminine
her
αὐτῆςautēs
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular feminine
head
κεφαλῆςkephalēs
G2776
the head (as the part most readily taken hold of) · noun — genitive singular feminine
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
kissed
κατεφίλειkatephilei
G2705
to kiss earnestly · verb — imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular
his
αὐτοῦautou
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
feet
πόδαςpodas
G4228
a "foot" (figuratively or literally) · noun — accusative plural masculine
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
anointed
ἤλειφενēleiphen
G218
to oil (with perfume) · verb — imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular
ointment
μύρῳ.murō
G3464
"myrrh" · noun — dative singular neuter
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Psalms 126:5-6 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Genesis 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
Psalms 6:6-8 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
Ecclesiastes 9:8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
Isaiah 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spir…
Luke 7:44-46 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but…
Psalms 38:18 For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Luke 7:36–end
When and where this passage of story happened does not appear; this evangelist does not observe order of time in his narrative so much as the other evangelists do; but it comes in here, upon occasion of Christ's being reproached as a friend to publicans and sinners, to show that it was only for their good, and to bring them to repentance, that he conversed with them; and that those whom he admitted hear him were reformed, or in a hopeful way to be so. Who this woman was that here testified so great an affection to Christ does not appear; it is commonly said to be Mary Magdalene, but I find no ground in scripture for it: she is described (Luk 8:2 and Mar 16:9) to be one out of whom Christ had…
at his feet behind him--the posture at meals being a reclining one, with the feet out behind.
began to wash, &c.--to "water with a shower." The tears, which were quite involuntary, poured down in a flood upon His naked feet, as she bent down to kiss them; and deeming them rather fouled than washed by this, she hastened to wipe them off with the only towel she had, the long tresses of her own hair, "with which slaves were wont to wash their masters' feet" [STIER].
kissed--The word signifies "to kiss fondly, to caress," or to "kiss again and again," which Luk 7:45 shows is meant here. What prompted this? Much love, springing from a sense of much forgiveness. So says He who knew her heart (…
Stood at his feet behind him - In taking their meals, the eastern people reclined on one side; the loins and knees being bent to make the more room, the feet of each person were turned outwards behind him. This is the meaning of standing Behind at his Feet.
Began to wash his feet with tears - Ηρξατο βρεχειν - τοις δακρυσι, She began to water his feet - to let a shower of tears fall on them. As the Jews wore nothing like our shoes, (theirs being a mere sole, bound about the foot and ancle with thongs), their feet being so much exposed had frequent need of washing, and this they ordinarily did before taking their meals.
Kissed his feet - With affectionate tenderness, κατεφιλει, or kissed them…
The Church Fathers
(ubi sup.) But to mark her own unworthiness, she stands behind with downcast eyes, and with her hair thrown about embraces His feet, and washing them with her tears, betokened a mind distressed at her state, and imploring pardon. For it follows, And standing behind, she began to wash his feet with her tears.
(Hom. 33. in Evan.) For we water the feet of our Lord with tears if we are moved with compassion to any even the lowest members of our Lord. We wipe our Lord's feet with our hair, when we show pity to His saints (with whom we suffer in love) by the sacrifice of those things with which we abound.
(ubi sup.) The woman kisses the feet which she has wiped. This also we fully do when we ardently love those whom we maintain by our bounty. By the feet also may be understood the mystery itself of the Incarnation. We then kiss the feet of the Redeemer when we love with our whole heart the mystery of the Incarnation. We anoint the feet with ointment, when we proclaim the power of His humanity with the good tidings of holy eloquence.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Anoint — The practice of anointing with perfumed oil was common among the Hebrews. (1.) The act of anointing was significant of consecration to a holy or sacred use; hence the anointing of the high priest…
Banquet — A feast provided for the entertainment of a company of guests (Esther 5; 7; 1 Pet. 4:3); such as was provided for our Lord by his friends in Bethany (Matt. 26:6; Mark 14:3; comp. John 12:2). These…
Eating — The ancient Hebrews would not eat with the Egyptians (Gen. 43:32). In the time of our Lord they would not eat with Samaritans (John 4:9), and were astonished that he ate with publicans and sinners…
Hair — (1.) The Egyptians let the hair of their head and beard grow only when they were in mourning, shaving it off at other times. “So particular were they on this point that to have neglected it was a…
Kiss — Of affection (Gen. 27:26, 27; 29:13; Luke 7:38, 45); reconciliation (Gen. 33:4; 2 Sam. 14:33); leave-taking (Gen. 31:28, 55; Ruth 1:14; 2 Sam. 19:39); homage (Ps. 2:12; 1 Sam. 10:1); spoken of as…
Magdalene — A surname derived from Magdala, the place of her nativity, given to one of the Marys of the Gospels to distinguish her from the other Marys (Matt. 27:56, 61; 28:1, etc.). A mistaken notion has…
Mary Magdalene — Different explanations have been given of this name; but the most natural is that she came from the town of Magdala. She appears before us for the first time in (Luke 8:2) among the women who…
Meals — Are at the present day “eaten from a round table little higher than a stool, guests sitting cross-legged on mats or small carpets in a circle, and dipping their fingers into one large dish heaped…
Mourn — Frequent references are found in Scripture to, (1.) Mourning for the dead. Abraham mourned for Sarah (Gen. 23:2); Jacob for Joseph (37:34, 35); the Egyptians for Jacob (50:3-10); Israel for Aaron…
Sandal — was the article ordinarily used by the Hebrews for protecting the feet. It consisted simply of a sole attached to the foot by thongs. We have express notice of the thong (Authorized Version “shoe…
And stood at his feet behind him,.... Christ lay upon a bed, or couch, as was the custom of the ancients, both Jews and others, at meals, with his feet put out behind; and between the couches and the walls of the room, there was a space for servants to wait and serve, and such are therefore said to "stand at the feet"; and the phrase is used, as descriptive of servants in waiting (n); and in such a situation this woman put herself, as being also ashamed and afraid to come before Christ, and look him in the face; and here she stood weeping for her sins, and melted down with the love of Christ to her soul, and at his discourse:
and began to wash his feet with tears: which fell from her eyes i…
Luke 7:36-50
Luke 7:36-50
36. And one of the Pharisees requested him to take food with him; and he entered into the house of the Pharisee, and sat down at table. 37. And, lo, a woman in the city, who was a sinner, when she knew that he sat at table in the house of the Pharisee, brought an alabaster box of ointment: [236] 38. And sitting at his feet behind him, and weeping, she began to wash his feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment. [237] 39. And the Pharisee, who had invited him, seeing it, said, speaking within himself, If this man were a Prophet, he would certainly know who and what sort of woman this is that tou…
she knelt behind him at his feet: At a banquet, guests reclined around a low table with their feet extended outward. The woman could not reach Jesus’ head to anoint him, so she poured the perfume on his feet. • wiped them off with her hair: Letting down her hair in public was scandalous and could have constituted grounds for her husband to divorce her; kissing his feet connoted reverence. She discarded propriety due to her gratitude.
Simon — The abbreviated form of Simeon. (1.) One of the twelve apostles, called the Canaanite (Matt. 10:4; Mark 3:18). This word “Canaanite” does not mean a native of Canaan, but is derived from the Syriac…
Washing The Hands And Feet — As knives and forks were not used in the East, in Scripture times, in eating, it was necessary that the hand, which was thrust into the common dish, should be scrupulously clean; and again, as…
Ablution · Of the feet — Of the feet
Anointing · Of Jesus, as a token of love — Of Jesus, as a token of love
Beds · Used for: Reclining on at meals — Used for: Reclining on at meals
Eating · Reclining on couches — Reclining on couches
Entertainments · Guests at: Had their feet washed when they came a distance — Guests at: Had their feet washed when they came a distance
Feasts · Reclined on couches — Reclined on couches
Feet, The · Reverence expressed by kissing — Reverence expressed by kissing
Hair · .By women — .By women
Hair, The · Of women: Neglected in grief — Of women: Neglected in grief
Kiss · The feet of Jesus kissed by the penitent woman — The feet of Jesus kissed by the penitent woman
Salutations · Often accompanied by: Embracing and kissing the feet — Often accompanied by: Embracing and kissing the feet
Self-Righteousness · 2:4; — 2:4;
Simon · .Jesus dines with — .Jesus dines with
Weeping · .Of Mary, when she washed the feet of Jesus — .Of Mary, when she washed the feet of Jesus
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
