Greek uses a single imperfect ἦσαν; Syriac renders the same periphrastic existential force with ܐܝܬ ('there is/are') plus the enclitic ܗܘܘ, a standard Syriac construction for past existence. Latin Erant matches the Greek single-verb form.
EN But there were some who were indignant among themselves, saying, “Why has this ointment been wasted?
ES Y hubo algunos que se enojaron dentro de sí, y dijeron: ¿Para qué se ha hecho este desperdicio de ungüento?
ZH-HANS 有几个人心中很不喜悦,说:「何用这样枉费香膏呢?
ZH-HANT 有幾個人心中很不喜悅,說:「何用這樣枉費香膏呢?
Greek uses a single imperfect ἦσαν; Syriac renders the same periphrastic existential force with ܐܝܬ ('there is/are') plus the enclitic ܗܘܘ, a standard Syriac construction for past existence. Latin Erant matches the Greek single-verb form.
The Peshitta inserts ܡܢ ܬܠܡܝܕܐ ('some of the disciples'), specifying the otherwise anonymous τινες of the Greek and quidam of the Latin. This is a harmonising clarification absent from both the Greek NA28 and the Vulgate, cf. the parallel naming of the disciples in John 12:4.
Greek employs the single present participle ἀγανακτοῦντες ('being indignant'); the Vulgate expands this into the periphrasis indigne ferentes ('bearing it indignantly'), and the Syriac uses the verbal ܕܐܬܒܐܫ ('that it was evil/grievous'), each rendering the verb of displeasure with idioms native to its language.
Greek πρὸς ἑαυτούς ('toward/among themselves') and Latin intra semetipsos render the reflexive notion directly; the Syriac splits this across ܠܗܘܢ ('to them', the dative complement of the verb of grieving) and ܒܢܦܫܗܘܢ (lit. 'in their souls/selves'), a typical Semitic reflexive idiom using nepheš.
Greek εἰς τί and Latin Ut quid are two-word interrogative phrases ('to what end/why'); Syriac compresses this into the single interrogative ܕܠܡܢܐ ('why/wherefore'), a lexicalised compound expressing the same purpose-question.
Greek uses the perfect γέγονεν ('has been made/come about'); the Vulgate matches with the perfect periphrasis facta est; the Syriac ܗܘܐ is a simple perfect of h-w-a placed earlier in the clause, reflecting Syriac word order rather than any semantic difference.
The Vulgate colon (:) introduces the direct discourse following dicentes, paralleling the high point in the Greek λέγοντες·; the Syriac and Greek mark the same break without a discrete punctuation token here.
The closing Latin question mark (?) corresponds to the interrogative force already encoded in the Greek γέγονεν; with its raised stop and in the Syriac interrogative ܕܠܡܢܐ; it is a printing-tradition feature of the Clementine edition.