SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:38
Y estando detrs a sus pies, comenz llorando a regar con lgrimas sus pies, y los limpiaba con los cabellos de su cabeza; y besaba sus pies, y los ungía con el ungento.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 7:38
Verse 38. 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] hrxato brecein-toiv dakrusi, 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, katefilei, or kissed them again and again. See on Matt. xxvi. 49.
The kiss was used in ancient times as the emblem of love, religious reverence, subjection, and supplication. It has the meaning of supplication, in the way of adoration, accompanied with subjection, in 1 Kings xix. 18, Whose mouths have not kissed Baal; and in Job xxxi. 27, My mouth hath not kissed my hand; I have paid no sort of adoration to false gods; and in Psa. ii. 12, Kiss the Son lest he be angry,-close in with him, embrace affectionately, the offers of mercy made unto you through Christ Jesus, lest he (the Lord) be angry with you, and ye perish: which commandment this woman seems to have obeyed, both in the literal and spiritual sense.
Kissing the feet was practised also among the heathens, to express subjection of spirit, and earnest supplication. See a long example in Raphelius, produced from Polybius, concerning the Carthaginian ambassadors when supplicating the Romans for peace. With an humble and abject mind, pesontev epi thn ghn, they fell down on the earth, touv podav katafiloien tw sunedriw, and kissed the feet of the council. See also several examples in Kypke. Kissing the feet is a farther proof that this person had been educated a heathen. This was no part of a Jew's practice.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 38. And stood at his feet behind him , etc.] 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 f301 ; 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 in such abundance upon his feet, as she stood by him that they were like a shower of rain, as the word signifies, with which his feet were as it were bathed and washed; his shoes or sandals being off, as was the custom at eating so to do, lest they should daub the couch or bed, on which they lay f302 . Her tears she used instead of water; for it was the custom first to wash the feet before they were anointed with oil, which she intended to do; and for which purpose she had brought with her an alabaster box of ointment: it is said of one, when he came home, that his maid brought him a pot of hot water, and he washed his hands and his feet in it; then she brought him a golden basin full of oil, and he dipped his hands and his feet in it, to fulfil what is said, ( Deuteronomy 33:24) and after they had eaten and drank, he measured out oil, etc.
And it is: a general rule with the Jews f304 , that whoever anoints his feet, is obliged to washing or dipping. And did wipe them with the hairs of her head ; which were long, and hung loose about her shoulders, it being usual and comely for women to wear long hair, ( 1 Corinthians 11:15). That which was her ornament and pride, and which she took great care of to nourish and put in proper form, to, render her desirable, she uses instead of a towel to wipe her Lord's feet, and her tears off of them. A like phrase is used of one by Apuleius, his verbis & amplexibus mollibus decantatus maritus, lachrymasque ejus suis crinibus detergens, etc. f305 : and kissed his feet. This was no unusual practice with the Jews; we often read of it f306 : R. Jonathan and R. Jannai were sitting together, there came a certain man, ywlgr qnw , and kissed the feet of R. Jonathan.
Again f307 R. Meir stood up, and Bar Chama, hy[rka hyqn , kissed his knees, or feet.
This custom was also used by the Greeks and Romans among their civilities, and in their salutations f308 : and anointed them with the ointment ; which she brought with her.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 36-50 - None can truly perceive how precious Christ is, and the glory of the gospel, except the broken-hearted. But while they feel they cannot enough express self-abhorrence on account of sin, and admiration of his mercy, the self-sufficient will be disgusted, because the gospe encourages such repenting sinners. The Pharisee, instead of rejoicin in the tokens of the woman's repentance, confined his thoughts to he former bad character. But without free forgiveness none of us can escape the wrath to come; this our gracious Saviour has purchased with his blood, that he may freely bestow it on every one that believes in him. Christ, by a parable, forced Simon to acknowledge that the greate sinner this woman had been, the greater love she ought to show to Hi when her sins were pardoned. Learn here, that sin is a debt; and all are sinners, are debtors to Almighty God. Some sinners are greate debtors; but whether our debt be more or less, it is more than we ar able to pay. God is ready to forgive; and his Son having purchase pardon for those who believe in him, his gospel promises it to them and his Spirit seals it to repenting sinners, and gives them the comfort. Let us keep far from the proud spirit of the Pharisee, simpl depending upon and rejoicing in Christ alone, and so be prepared to obey him more zealously, and more strongly to recommend him unto all around us. The more we express our sorrow for sin, and our love to Christ, the clearer evidence we have of the forgiveness of our sins What a wonderful change does grace make upon a sinner's heart and life as well as upon his state before God, by the full remission of all his sins through faith in the Lord Jesus __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ στασα 2476 5631 V-2AAP-NSF παρα 3844 PREP τους 3588 T-APM ποδας 4228 N-APM αυτου 846 P-GSM οπισω 3694 ADV κλαιουσα 2799 5723 V-PAP-NSF ηρξατο 756 5662 V-ADI-3S βρεχειν 1026 5721 V-PAN τους 3588 T-APM ποδας 4228 N-APM αυτου 846 P-GSM τοις 3588 T-DPN δακρυσιν 1144 N-DPN και 2532 CONJ ταις 3588 T-DPF θριξιν 2359 N-DPF της 3588 T-GSF κεφαλης 2776 N-GSF αυτης 846 P-GSF εξεμασσεν 1591 5707 V-IAI-3S και 2532 CONJ κατεφιλει 2705 5707 V-IAI-3S τους 3588 T-APM ποδας 4228 N-APM αυτου 846 P-GSM και 2532 CONJ ηλειφεν 218 5707 V-IAI-3S τω 3588 T-DSN μυρω 3464 N-DSN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
38. At his feet behind. The body of the guest rested on the couch; the feet were turned from the table toward the walls, and the left elbow rested on the table.Wash (brecein). More literally and better, as Rev., wet, as with rain. Wiped (exemassen). See on ch. v. 2.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
7:38 {Standing behind at his feet} (stasa opisw para tous podas autou). Second aorist active participle from histemi and intransitive, first aorist estesa being transitive. The guest removed his sandals before the meal and he reclined on the left side with the feet outward. She was standing beside (para) his feet {weeping} (klaiousa). She was drawn irresistibly by gratitude to Jesus and is overcome with emotion before she can use the ointment; her tears (tois dakrusin, instrumental case of dakru) take the place of the ointment. {Wiped them with the hair of her head} (tais qrixin tes kefales autes exemassen). Inchoative imperfect of an old verb ekmassw, to rub out or off, began to wipe off, an act of impulse evidently and of embarrassment. "Among the Jews it was a shameful thing for a woman to let down her hair in public; but she makes this sacrifice" (Plummer). So Mary of Bethany wiped the feet of Jesus with her hair (#Joh 12:3) with a similar sacrifice out of her great love for Jesus. this fact is relied on by some to prove that Mary of Bethany had been a woman of bad character, surely an utter failure to recognize Mary's motive and act. {Kissed} (katefilei). Imperfect active of katafilew, to kiss repeatedly (force of kata), and accented by the tense of continued action here. The word in the N.T. occurs here, of the prodigal's father (#15:20), of the kiss of Judas (#Mr 14:45; Mt 26:49), of the Ephesian elders (#Ac 20:37). " Kissing the feet was a common mark of deep reverence, especially to leading rabbis" (Plummer). {Anointed them with the ointment} (eleifen twi murwi). Imperfect active again of aleifw, a very common verb. criw has a more religious sense. The anointing came after the burst of emotional excitement.
