{Suffer her to keep it against the day of my burying}
(Aphes aut(886e), hina eis t(886e) h(886d)eran tou entaphiasmou mou t(8872)(8873)(8869)
auto). This reading (hina t(8872)(8873)(8869), purpose clause with hina
and first aorist active subjunctive of 	(8872)e(935c)) rather than that
of the Textus Receptus (just 	et(8872)eken, perfect active
indicative) is correct. It is supported by Aleph B D L W Theta.
The hina can be rendered as above after aphes according to
_Koin(825f) idiom or more probably: "Let her alone: it was that,"
etc. (supplying "it was"). Either makes good sense. The word
entaphiasmos is a later and rare substantive from the late verb
entaphiaz(935c), to prepare for burial ( Mt 26:12  Joh 19:40 ), and
means preparation for burial. In N.T. only here and  Mr 14:8 .
"Preparation for my burial" is the idea here and in Mark. The
idea of Jesus is that Mary had saved this money to use in
preparing his body for burial. She is giving him the flowers
before the funeral. We can hardly take it that Mary did not use
all of the ointment for Mark ( Mr 14:3 ) says that she broke it
and yet he adds ( Mr 14:8 ) what John has here. It is a paradox,
but Jesus is fond of paradoxes. Mary has kept this precious gift
by giving it now beforehand as a preparation for my burial. We
really keep what we give to Christ. This is Mary's glory that she
had some glimmering comprehension of Christ's death which none of
the disciples possessed.