John Chapter 12 verse 8 Holy Bible

ASV John 12:8

For the poor ye have always with you; but me ye have not always.
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BBE John 12:8

The poor you have ever with you, but me you have not for ever.
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DARBY John 12:8

for ye have the poor always with you, but me ye have not always.
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KJV John 12:8

For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
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WBT John 12:8


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WEB John 12:8

For you always have the poor with you, but you don't always have me."
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YLT John 12:8

for the poor ye have always with yourselves, and me ye have not always.'
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Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 8. - This verse is omitted in D, but abundantly attested here. It occurs almost verbatim in Matthew and Mark, and cannot be set aside on the authority of this one eccentric manuscript. For the poor ye have always with you (cf. Deuteronomy 15:11). You will always have opportunity of doing to them, as to representatives of me, what is in your heart of compassion (cf. Matthew 25:40-45). But me, as an object of personal, tangible regard and visible attention, deserving thus and ever the affluence and exuberance of your love, ye have not always; and, though I shall be with you always in my Divine power and Spirit, even unto the end of the world, and though I shall always be with you in the person of the poor and needy, yet in the sense in which this expression of love Can be made, I shall be absent. As though he had said, "After this very night, the opportunity to offer me affectionate attention or symbolic homage, to give expression to feelings in accordance with just presentiments as to my mission, will be over forever, and belong to the irrecoverable past - Now or never! She has done this thing, she will have everlasting remembrance thereby." The frankincense of the Wise Men, the ointment of Mary, the homage of the Greeks, were symbols, and can never be repeated. The greatest motive for generous and affectionate interest in the poor is that they represent the Lord; but they are not to be rivals of the Lord himself. Westcott remarks, "The promise of the future record of the act of love is omitted by the one evangelist who gives the name of the woman who showed this devotion to her Master." Moulton, "The very charity that cares for the poor whom we see has been kept alive by faith in and devotion to the crucified Redeemer whom we cannot see."

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) This verse occurs word for word in both of the first two Gospels. (See Notes there.)