Mark 14 : 3

Greek uses genitive absolute construction (ὄντος αὐτοῦ); Latin employs cum + subjunctive (cum esset); Syriac uses temporal particle ܟܕ with enclitic pronoun and existential verb — all three express contemporaneous action but with tradition-specific syntax.

Greek repeats the preposition ἐν with article τῇ before οἰκίᾳ; Latin uses simple in domo; Syriac employs a possessive construction ܒܒܝܬܗ ('in his house') with pronominal suffix, making Simon's ownership more explicit.

Greek uses second genitive absolute (κατακειμένου αὐτοῦ); Latin employs et recumberet (coordinate subjunctive); Syriac repeats temporal ܟܕ with participle ܣܡܝܟ — semantically equivalent expressions of Jesus reclining at table, each following its tradition's preferred participial or subordinate clause structure.

Greek πιστικῆς (a rare term, possibly 'genuine/pure' or 'of pistachio'); Latin spicati ('spikenard'); Syriac ܪܫܝܐ ('genuine/pure') — the traditions diverge on whether to emphasize botanical specificity (Latin) or authenticity/purity (Greek and Syriac), reflecting ancient uncertainty about the Greek hapax legomenon.

Greek uses single adjective πολυτελοῦς ('very costly'); Latin pretiosi mirrors this; Syriac expands with two-word phrase ܣܓܝ ܕܡܝܐ ('very expensive', literally 'much of price'), a characteristic Semitic analytic construction for emphasis.

Vulgate inserts colon punctuation mark after pretiosi, creating a pause before the breaking of the alabaster; neither Greek nor Syriac manuscripts mark this syntactic boundary, maintaining continuous narrative flow.

Greek and Latin describe 'breaking' the alabaster flask (συντρίψασα / fracto alabastro), emphasizing the vessel's destruction; Syriac uses ܘܦܬܚܬܗ ('and she opened it'), suggesting removal of a stopper rather than shattering — a substantive difference in the physical action described, possibly reflecting different understandings of ancient perfume containers.

Greek uses genitive pronoun with prepositional phrase κατὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ ('upon his head'); Latin employs super caput ejus; Syriac uses simple ܥܠ ܪܫܗ ('upon his head') — all semantically equivalent but Greek is more elaborate with article and compound preposition.

Peshitta adds explicit subject ܕܝܫܘܥ ('of Jesus') after 'his head'; Vulgate adds possessive pronoun ejus ('his'); Greek leaves the referent implicit from context — Syriac's addition removes any potential ambiguity about whose head received the anointing, a characteristic clarifying expansion.