Misinterpretations often confuse this Mary with the sinful woman in Luke 7:37-38 or Mary Magdalene, wrongly attributing prostitution or demonic possession to her and blending distinct anointing events; others assume the anointing preceded Lazarus' illness as a past action rather than John's anticipatory parenthetical reference to the future event in chapter 12, or neglect its role in clarifying identity for the audience without recognizing the verse's narrative purpose amid the unfolding miracle.
John 11:2
King James Version (1769)
2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
John 11:2 identifies Mary of Bethany, sister of the ailing Lazarus, as the devoted woman who anoints Jesus' feet with precious ointment and wipes them with her hair, emphasizing her extravagant love and worship that foreshadows Jesus' burial and burial practices, while linking the family's story to the greater narrative of resurrection power and faith in the face of death.