Διὰ τί τοῦτο τὸ μύρον οὐκ ἐπράθη τριακοσίων δηναρίων καὶ ἐδόθη πτωχοῖς;
5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “sell” in English is translated in Noongar as wort-bangal or “away-barter.” Note that “buy” is translated as bangal-barranga or “get-barter.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
See also buy and buying / selling.
Text under painting translated from Literary Chinese into English:
The Seventh Commandment
The holy woman washes the Lord, a wicked disciple chastises her
Image taken from Chinese Christian Posters . For more information on the “Ars Sacra Pekinensis” school of art, see this article , for other artworks of that school in TIPs, see here.
The different Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “(olive) oil” and “(animal) fat” in English are translated in Kwere with only one term: mavuta. (Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:5:
Three hundred silver coins is literally “three hundred denarii.” According to Matthew 20.2 a “denarius” (the singular of “denarii”) is equivalent to the average daily wage of a laborer. By translating “three hundred dollars” in its earlier editions, Good News Translation simply tried to find a cultural equivalent, like New English Bible, which renders “thirty pounds.” Moffatt (“ten pounds”), Goodspeed (“sixty dollars”), and Phillips (“thirty pounds”) likewise attempt to give a cultural equivalent. Rapid currency inflation in nearly all parts of the world quickly renders all such translations obsolete. New American Bible renders simply “three hundred silver pieces.” Whatever term the translator uses, it should reflect a high amount in relation to the average earnings of a working-class man. In view of the rapid change in the buying power of the money in current use almost everywhere, it may be best to use such a phrase as “silver pieces,” and then to provide a footnote indicating that “a silver piece” was the average daily wage of a working-class man. Some translations actually say “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for the equivalent of three hundred days’ wages?”
Although the Greek of this verse merely has a question (Why wasn’t this perfume sold…?), Phillips (“Why on earth wasn’t this perfume sold? It’s worth thirty pounds…”) and New American Bible (“Why was not this perfume sold? It could have brought three hundred silver pieces…”) render it by a question and a statement, thus indicating that the value of the perfume is in focus here. It is necessary to supply such a term as the money in this verse, though it does not appear in the Greek text. Otherwise the translation may end by sounding as if the perfume should be sold for three hundred dollars and at the same time given to the poor. Note, for example, Revised Standard Version, which has a rather literal rendering of the Greek (“Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”).
Since the question posed by Judas Iscariot was essentially rhetorical (that is to say, he was not really asking for information), it may be best in some languages to transform it into a strong statement, for example, “This perfume should have been sold for three hundred silver coins, and then the money given to the poor.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
12:5
Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?: This is a rhetorical question. It is used as a rebuke. Judas rebuked Mary and he also rebuked Jesus for allowing Mary to pour her perfume on his feet. Judas implied that Mary should have sold her perfume and given the money to the poor.
There are several ways to translate this rebuke:
• Use a rhetorical question. For example:
Could not this perfume have been sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor? (Revised English Bible)
• Use a statement or statements. For example:
That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor. (New Living Translation (2004))
• Use a combination of a rhetorical question and a statement. For example:
Why wasn’t this money sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages. (New International Version)
Translate this rebuke in the way that is most natural in your language. Judas was being critical and did not approve of what Mary did. He indicated that it was a waste to pour the perfume on Jesus’ feet. Try to use expressions that imply this.
Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii…?: This clause implies three things. First, the perfume was worth three hundred (300) denarii. Second, Mary could have sold it for that much money. And third, she should have sold it. Judas implied that selling it would have been the right thing to do. The verb phrase wasn’t…sold is passive. There are at least two ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
Could not this perfume have been sold for three hundred denarii? (Revised English Bible)
• Use an active verb. For example:
Why did Mary/she not sell this perfume? It was worth three hundred denarii/coins.
-or-
Mary could/should have sold this perfume for three hundred denarii/coins.
Use the verb form that is most natural in your language in this context.
three hundred denarii: The word denarii is the plural of “denarius.” The denarius was a Roman coin worth about a day’s wage for a worker. So three hundred (300) denarii were about a year’s wages. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
three hundred silver coins (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
a year’s wages (New International Version)
In some languages it is more natural to say something general that means “lots of money.” For example:
a high price (God’s Word)
-or-
a small fortune (New Living Translation (1996))
You may want to put the exact amount in a footnote. For example:
The Greek says 300 denarii. A denarius was one day’s pay for the ordinary worker.
In some languages it may be natural to translate this as a separate sentence. For example:
This perfume was worth three hundred coins. Why wasn’t it sold…? (New Century Version)
-or-
Why didn’t Mary sell the perfume? Someone would have paid/given three hundred coins for it.
the money given to the poor: This is a short way of saying “why was the money ⌊from selling the perfume⌋ not given to poor people?” The verb given is passive. There are at least two ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
the money should have been given to the poor
• Use an active verb. For example:
why did she not give that money to the poor?
-or-
Mary should have given the money to the poor
Use the verb form that is most natural in your language. Also, use either a rhetorical question or a statement for the rebuke. Here are other ways to translate this idea:
poor people could/should have been helped
-or-
the poor could have received the money/blessing
-or-
Would it not have been better to give the money to the poor?
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