Section 7:36–50

Jesus forgave a woman’s sins and taught a Pharisee about love

In this section a Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to be the guest of honor at a dinner in his home. While Jesus was there, a sinful woman came and washed his feet with her tears. She dried them with her hair, kissed them, and poured scented oil on them. By these unusual actions, the woman honored Jesus and showed that she loved him.

By contrast, Simon neglected common ways to honor a guest. He did not greet Jesus with a kiss or give him water to wash his feet or put oil on his head. Jesus said that the woman’s acts of love showed that her sins had been forgiven. Simon’s failure to show love showed that his sins had not been forgiven.

Certain Jewish customs help to explain some of the actions in this story:

(a) For special meals, the Jews usually ate at low tables and reclined on couches or cushions with their feet extended away from the table. This made it easier for the woman to kiss Jesus’ feet and pour perfume on them. (See the notes at 7:36b.)

(b) When a religious teacher such as Jesus was invited to a feast, he ate with the host and the other invited guests. People who had not been invited were allowed to come in quietly and listen to what the teacher said. They were not supposed to join the invited guests.

(c) Often a slave washed the feet of the guests. People considered feet to be dirty. When the woman washed Jesus’ feet and kissed them, she humbled herself and honored Jesus.

This section is not explicitly connected to the preceding one, but it does illustrate some of the statements in 7:29–35. The woman was a person who “acknowledged God’s justice” (7:29). Simon the Pharisee was one of those who “rejected God’s purpose for themselves” (7:30).

Some other possible headings for this section are:

A sinful woman washes Jesus’ feet at the home of a Pharisee named Simon
-or-
Jesus compares a Pharisee and a sinful woman

Paragraph 7:36–38

7:36a

Then: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then introduces a new event or story. Then is not used here as a time word. The text does not indicate when this event happened, and many English versions do not translate the conjunction. Introduce the new event in a way that is natural in your language.

one of the Pharisees: In 7:40a the text indicates that the Pharisee’s name was Simon. In some languages it may be more natural to mention his name here where he is first introduced. For example:

one of the Pharisees, who was named Simon

Pharisees: The Pharisees were a Jewish religious group or party. It was very important to them to obey all of the Jewish religious laws very carefully and in detail. See the note on Pharisees at 7:30a–b for translation advice. See Pharisee, sense A, in Key Biblical Terms for more information.

invited: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as invited is literally “asked.” Use the expression that is natural in your language for inviting someone to come and eat a meal at your house.

to eat: In your language, it may be necessary to specify what this Pharisee invited Jesus to eat. Several English versions (Contemporary English Version, Good News Translation, NET Bible, New International Version, New Living Translation (2004)) supply the word “dinner.” In your translation, you could:

• Use a general word for meal. For example:

invited him to a meal (New Jerusalem Bible)

• Use a word for a special meal to honor an important guest.

7:36b

and: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and is most often translated as “and.” Here some English versions translate it as “so” because it introduces what happened as a result of 7:36a. Connect this part of the verse to 7:36a in a natural way in your language.

reclined at the table: In that culture people often ate formal meals lying down on low, wide couches next to a low table. In this position, their feet were extended away from the table.

If people do not recline to eat in your area, you may want to translate in a more general way. For example:

he…took his place at the table (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
and was eating at the table (God’s Word)
-or-
he joined in the meal
-or-
and sat down to eat (New Living Translation (2004))

You may also want to use a footnote to explain the custom of reclining to eat. This may help readers understand how the woman approached Jesus’ feet so easily. For example:

On special occasions the Jewish people often followed the Greek and Roman custom of lying down on their left side and leaning on their left elbow, while eating with their right hand. Their feet would be the farthest part of their bodies from the table.

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