Matius 10:30

10:30 Even all the hairs on your head are numbered.

Matius 26:7

26:7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar ¹  of expensive perfumed oil, ²  and she poured it on his head as he was at the table. ³ 

Matius 27:29

27:29 and after braiding ⁴  a crown of thorns, ⁵  they put it on his head. They ⁶  put a staff ⁷  in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him: ⁸  “Hail, king of the Jews!” ⁹ 

Matius 27:37

27:37 Above ¹⁰  his head they put the charge against him, ¹¹  which read: ¹²  “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”

[26:7]  ¹ sn A jar made of alabaster stone was normally used for very precious substances like perfumes. It normally had a long neck which was sealed and had to be broken off so the contents could be used.

[26:7]  ² tn Μύρον (muron) was usually made of myrrh (from which the English word is derived) but here it is used in the sense of ointment or perfumed oil (L&N 6.205).

[26:7]  sn Nard or spikenard is a fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant of northern India. This perfumed oil, if made of something like nard, would have been extremely expensive, costing up to a year’s pay for an average laborer.

[26:7]  ³ tn Grk “as he was reclining at table.”

[26:7]  sn 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

[27:29]  ⁴ tn Or “weaving.”

[27:29]  ⁵ sn The crown may have been made from palm spines or some other thorny plant common in Israel. In placing the crown of thorns on his head, the soldiers were unwittingly symbolizing God’s curse on humanity (cf. Gen 3:18) being placed on Jesus. Their purpose would have been to mock Jesus’ claim to be a king; the crown of thorns would have represented the “radiant corona” portrayed on the heads of rulers on coins and other artifacts in the 1st century.

[27:29]  ⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[27:29]  ⁷ tn Or “a reed.” The Greek term can mean either “staff” or “reed.” See BDAG 502 s.v. κάλαμος 2.

[27:29]  ⁸ tn Grk “they mocked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.

[27:29]  ⁹ tn Or “Long live the King of the Jews!”

[27:29]  sn The statement Hail, King of the Jews! is a mockery patterned after the Romans’ cry of Ave, Caesar (“Hail, Caesar!”).

[27:37]  ¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[27:37]  ¹¹ sn Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners’ point of view.

[27:37]  ¹² tn Grk “was written.”