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Anointing in the Bible: Spiritual Significance and Practice

Anointing in the Bible carries both material and spiritual significance, often involving the application of oil to persons or objects. This practice was common in ancient Near Eastern cultures, including among the Hebrews [1].

Material anointing served several purposes. It was an ordinary practice for personal hygiene and refreshment, such as anointing the body or head with oil [1, 3]. Guests might have their heads anointed as a mark of respect [1]. Oil was also used for cosmetic purposes, for purifying the body, and for preparing the dead for burial [3]. In a medicinal context, oil was applied to cure the sick and heal wounds [3]. Weapons, such as shields, were also anointed, likely in preparation for battle [2, 3].

Beyond these common uses, anointing held profound official and sacred meanings. It was a rite of inauguration for individuals into significant roles within the Jewish commonwealth: prophets, priests, and kings [1, 2, 5].

Objects were also anointed to consecrate them for sacred use. The tabernacle and its furnishings, including the altar, basin, and stand, were anointed to make them holy and set apart for God's service [2, 5, 8, 9, 11]. This practice of anointing objects with oil became a way of dedicating them for divine use in Israel's worship [18].

The spiritual significance of anointing is closely tied to the concept of consecration and the impartation of divine grace or the Holy Spirit [4, 12]. The anointing with oil, particularly in the context of official roles, was seen as an emblem of the communication of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit [12, 17]. For instance, God "anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power," signifying his role as the Messiah—the anointed prophet, priest, and king [16].

In the New Testament, the concept of anointing extends to believers. Christians are described as having an "unction from the Holy One," which refers to the Spirit and His graces [4, 13, 15]. This spiritual anointing signifies that believers are "anointed ones," endowed with spiritual gifts and endowments by the Spirit of grace [15]. This anointing is understood as a spiritual reality, making them "the Lord's anointed" in a secondary sense, reflecting Christ's primary anointing [4]. The anointing oil under the Old Covenant is seen as a type or foreshadowing of this spiritual anointing by the Holy Spirit [13].

Sources

  1. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Anointing — in Holy Scripture, is either, I. Material--with oil--or II. Spiritual--with the Holy Ghost. I. MATERIAL.-- + Ordinary . Anointing the body or head with oil was a common practice with the Jews, as with other Oriental nations. (28:40; Ruth 3:3; Micah 6:15) Anointing the head with oil or ointment seems also to have been a mark of respect sometimes paid by a host to his guests. (Luke 7:46) and Psal 23:5 + Official . It was a rite of inauguration into each of the three typical offices of the Jewish commonwealth. a. Prophets were occasionally anointed to their o”
  2. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Anoint — The practice of anointing with perfumed oil was common among the Hebrews. (1.) The act of anointing was significant of consecration to a holy or sacred use; hence the anointing of the high priest (Ex. 29:29; Lev. 4:3) and of the sacred vessels (Ex. 30:26). The high priest and the king are thus called "the anointed" (Lev. 4:3, 5, 16; 6:20; Ps. 132:10). Anointing a king was equivalent to crowning him (1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Sam. 2:4, etc.). Prophets were also anointed (1 Kings 19:16; 1 Chr. 16:22; Ps. 105:15). The expression, "anoint the shield" (Isa. 21:5), refers t”
  3. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Anointing — With oil -- Ps 92:10. With ointment -- Joh 11:2. Was used for Decorating the person. -- Ru 3:3. Refreshing the body. -- 2Ch 28:15. Purifying the body. -- Es 2:12; Isa 57:9. Curing the sick. -- Mr 6:13; Jas 5:14. Healing wounds. -- Isa 1:6; Lu 10:34. Preparing weapons for war. -- Isa 21:5. Preparing the dead for burial. -- Mt 26:12; Mr 16:1; Lu 23:56. The Jews were very fond of. -- Pr 27:9; Am 6:6. Was applied to The head. -- Ps 23:5; Ec 9:8. The face. -- Ps 104:15. The feet. -- Lu 7:38,39; Joh 12:3. The eyes. -- Re 3:18. Ointment for Richly perfumed. -- S”
  4. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Unction — (1 John 2:20, 27; R.V., "anointing"). Kings, prophets, and priests were anointed, in token of receiving divine grace. All believers are, in a secondary sense, what Christ was in a primary sense, "the Lord's anointed."”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Anointing, Sacred — Antiquity of -- Ge 28:18; 35:14. Consecrates to God's service -- Ex 30:29. Persons who received Prophets. -- 1Ki 19:16; Isa 61:1. Priests. -- Ex 40:13-15. Kings. -- Jdj 9:8; 1Sa 9:16; 1Ki 1:34. Things which received Tabernacle, &c. -- Ex 30:26,27; 40:9. Brazen altar. -- Ex 29:36; 40:10. Brazen laver. -- Ex 40:11. Those who partook of Protected by God. -- 1Ch 16:22; Ps 105:15. Not to be injured or insulted. -- 1Sa 24:6; 26:9; 2Sa 1:14,15; 19:21. Oil or ointment for Divinely prescribed. -- Ex 30:23-25. Compounded by the priests. -- 1Ch 9:30. An holy”
  6. Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Christ — anointed”
  7. Exodus “You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office. Their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.” -- Exodus 40:15”
  8. Exodus ““You shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is in it, and shall make it holy, and all its furniture: and it will be holy. -- Exodus 40:9”
  9. Exodus “Exodus 40:11 (BSB) — Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.”
  10. Exodus “You shall make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil. -- Exodus 30:25”
  11. Exodus “Every day you shall offer the bull of sin offering for atonement: and you shall cleanse the altar, when you make atonement for it; and you shall anoint it, to sanctify it. -- Exodus 29:36”
  12. Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 29:7: Then shalt thou take the anointing oil - It appears, from Isa 61:1, that anointing with oil, in consecrating a person to any important office, whether civil or religious, was considered as an emblem of the communication of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit. This ceremony was used on three occasions, viz., the installation of prophets, priests, and kings, into their respective offices. But why should such an anointing be deemed necessary? Because the common sense of men taught them that all good, whether spiritual or secular, must come from God, its origin and ”
  13. 1 John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 John 2:20: But ye have an unction from the Holy One,.... Meaning the Spirit, and his graces, with which Christ, the head, is anointed without measure, and his members in measure; from whence he is called Christ, and they Christians. These were really the Lord's anointed ones; they were true believers; were the wise virgins who had oil in their vessels with their lamps, which would never go out. The grace of the Spirit is called a chrism, or an ointment, or an anointing, in allusion to the anointing oil under the law; See Gill on Mat 25:3; of which anointing oil the Jews say (h),”
  14. Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 2:2: The kings and rulers lead on their subjects. set themselves--take a stand. take counsel--literally, "sit together," denoting their deliberation. anointed--Hebrew, "Messiah"; Greek, "Christ" (Joh 1:41). Anointing, as an emblem of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, was conferred on prophets (Isa 6:1); priests (Exo 30:30); and kings (Sa1 10:1; Sa1 16:13; Kg1 1:39). Hence this title well suited Him who holds all these offices, and was generally used by the Jews before His coming, to denote Him (Dan 9:26). While the prophet has in view men's opposition gene”
  15. 1 John (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 John 2:20: Here, I. The apostle encourages the disciples (to whom he writes) in these dangerous times, in this hour of seducers; he encourages them in the assurance of their stability in this day of apostasy: But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things. We see, 1. The blessing wherewith they were enriched - an unguent from heaven: You have an unction. True Christians are anointed ones, their name intimates as much. They are anointed with the oil of grace, with gifts and spiritual endowments, by the Spirit of grace. They are anointed into a similitude o”
  16. Acts (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Acts 10:38: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth,.... And so declared him to be the Messiah, that was promised to the Jews, and expected by them; the anointed prophet, priest, and King; who because his parents lived at Nazareth, and he was educated there, and there he chiefly preached and wrought his miracles, he was by way of contempt called Jesus of Nazareth: and him God anointed, with the Holy Ghost and with power; with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, without measure; signified by the descent of the Spirit, as a dove upon him at his baptism, and is what in Psa 45:7 is calle”
  17. Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 29:7: 29:7 The anointing oil empowered a person for a task through the Holy Spirit (see Isa 61:1).”
  18. Genesis (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Genesis 28:18: 28:18 Anointing with oil became a way of setting something apart for divine use in Israel’s worship (Exod 29:1-7; 40:9; Lev 2:1; 1 Sam 10:1).”
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