Reference: Ointment
Easton
Various fragrant preparations, also compounds for medical purposes, are so called (Ex 30:25; Ps 133:2; Isa 1:6; Am 6:6; Joh 12:3; Re 18:13).
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And make of them holy anointing oil even an oil compound after the craft of the apothecary.
It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down unto the beard; even unto Aaron's beard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing.
From the sole of the foot unto the head, there is no whole part in all your body: but all are wounds, botches, sores and stripes, which can neither be helped, bound up, mollified, nor eased with any ointment.
ye that drink wine out of goblets, and anoint yourselves with the best oil: but no man is sorry for Joseph's hurt.
Then took Mary a pound of ointment called nard, perfect and precious, and anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped his feet with her hair, and all the house was filled of the savour of the ointment.
and cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and bodies; and souls of men.
Fausets
See ANOINT.)
Hastings
With two exceptions, 'ointment' in our English Version is the rendering, in OT, of the ordinary word for 'oil,' and in some passages the ointment may have consisted of oil only. In most of the references, however, perfumed oil is undoubtedly meant. The two are distinguished in Lu 7:46 'My head with oil thou didst not anoint; but she hath anointed my feet with ointment (myron).' The extensive use of myron in NT in the sense of 'ointment' shows that myrrh was then the favourite perfume. The dead body, as well as the living subject, was anointed with this ointment (Lu 23:56). Another 'very costly' unguent is described as 'ointment of spikenard' (Mr 14:3; Joh 12:3), for which see Spikenard. These much-prized unguents were kept in pots of alabaster, as in Egypt, where they are said to retain their fragrance for 'several hundred years' (Wilkinson, Anc. Egyp. i. 426, with illust.).
In the Priests' Code there is repeated reference to a specially rich unguent, 'the holy anointing oil,' the composition of which is minutely laid down in Ex 30:23-25. The ingredients, in addition to a basis of olive oil, are rendered in RV as 'flowing myrrh,' sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, and cassia. The penalty for the unauthorized manufacture and sacrilegious use of this sacred chrism was excommunication.
A. R. S. Kennedy.
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"Take principal spices: of pure myrrh five hundred sicles, of sweet cinnamon half so much, two hundred and fifty sicles: of sweet calamite, two hundred and fifty. Of cassia, two hundred and fifty after the holy sicle, and of olive oil a hin. read more. And make of them holy anointing oil even an oil compound after the craft of the apothecary.
When he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, even as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment, called nard, that was pure and costly, and she brake the box and poured it on his head.
Mine head with oil thou didst not anoint: but she hath anointed my feet with ointment.
And they returned, and prepared odours, and ointments; but rested the Sabbath day, according to the commandment.
Then took Mary a pound of ointment called nard, perfect and precious, and anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped his feet with her hair, and all the house was filled of the savour of the ointment.
Morish
Except in Ex 30:25 (where the Hebrew words are mishchah and roqach, and may be translated "an oil of holy ointment, a perfume"), and in 1Ch 9:30; Job 41:31 (where the words are derived from roqach), the Hebrew word is shemen, which is constantly translated 'oil.' It is used for 'fatness, oil, spiced oil,' and hence 'ointment,' with which on joyful occasions the head was anointed, Ps 133:2, and is elsewhere called the 'oil of gladness.' Ps 45:7: cf. Pr 27:9,16; Ec 7:1; 9:8; Am 6:6. As an emollient it was applied to wounds or bruises. Isa 1:6. In the N.T. the word is ?????, 'oil mingled with fragrant spices:' with such Mary anointed the Lord, and its perfume filled the house, Joh 12:3,5; it was also used by a woman 'which was a sinner.' Lu 7:37-38. The ointment would be more or less costly according to the ingredients.
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And make of them holy anointing oil even an oil compound after the craft of the apothecary.
But certain of the sons of the priests were set to make sweet savours.
He maketh the deep to seethe and boil like a pot, and stirreth the sea together like an ointment.
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; wherefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down unto the beard; even unto Aaron's beard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing.
The heart is glad of a sweet ointment and savour, but a stomach that can give good counsel, rejoiceth a man's neighbour.
He that refraineth her, refraineth the wind, and holdeth oil fast in his hand.
A good name is more worth than a precious ointment, and the day of death is better than the day of birth.
Let thy garments be always white, and let thy head want none ointment.
From the sole of the foot unto the head, there is no whole part in all your body: but all are wounds, botches, sores and stripes, which can neither be helped, bound up, mollified, nor eased with any ointment.
ye that drink wine out of goblets, and anoint yourselves with the best oil: but no man is sorry for Joseph's hurt.
And behold a woman in that city, which was a sinner, as soon as she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster box of ointment, and she stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment.
Then took Mary a pound of ointment called nard, perfect and precious, and anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped his feet with her hair, and all the house was filled of the savour of the ointment.
"Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?"
Smith
Ointment.
(An oily or unctuous substance, usually compounded of oil with various spices and resins and aromatics, and preserved in small alabaster boxes or cruses, in which the delicious aroma was best preserved. Some of the ointments have been known to retain their: fragrance for several hundred years. They were a much-coveted luxury, and often very expensive. --ED.)
1. Cosmetic. --The Greek and Roman practice of anointing the head and clothes on festive occasions prevailed also among the Egyptians, and appears to have had place among the Jews.
2. Funereal. --Ointments as well as oil were used to anoint dead bodies and the clothes in which they were wrapped.
3. Medicinal. --Ointment formed an important feature in ancient medical treatment.
Isa 1:6; Jer 8:22; Joh 9:6; Re 3:18
etc.
4. Ritual.--Besides the oil used in many ceremonial observances, a special ointment was appointed to be used in consecration.
Ex 30:23,33; 29:7; 37:29; 40:9,15
A person whose business it was to compound ointments in general was called an "apothecary."
The work was sometimes carried on by woman "confectionaries."
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Then take the anointing oil and pour it upon his head and anoint him.
"Take principal spices: of pure myrrh five hundred sicles, of sweet cinnamon half so much, two hundred and fifty sicles:
Whosoever maketh like that, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall perish from among his people.'"
And he made the holy anointing oil and the sweet pure cense after the apothecary's craft.
And take the anointing oil and anoint the habitation and all that is therein, and hallow it and all that belong thereto: that it may be holy.
that their anointing may be an everlasting priesthood unto them throughout their generations."
And he will take your daughters and make them the dressers of his ointments, and his cooks and bakers.
Next unto him builded Uzziel the son of Harhaiah the goldsmith. Next unto him builded Hananiah the Apothecary's son, and they repaired Jerusalem unto the broad wall.
From the sole of the foot unto the head, there is no whole part in all your body: but all are wounds, botches, sores and stripes, which can neither be helped, bound up, mollified, nor eased with any ointment.
for there is no more treacle at Gilead, and there is no Physician, that can heal the hurt of my people.
And in that she casted this ointment on my body, she did it to bury me, withal.
As soon as he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and rubbed the clay on the eyes of the blind,
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich: and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, that thy filthy nakedness do not appear: and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.