Aleipho and Chrio: More Than Just Ointment

Word of the Week

August 29, 2026

 

Aleiphō and Chriō: More Than Just OIntment

 

Is anyone among you sick?  The he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

James 5:14 NASB2020

 

When you wash your hands, you reach for the soap, right?  And in many bathrooms, you can follow up by grabbing the hand lotion.  We rub it into our skin to promote soft, smooth skin.

Are you suffering from sore muscles after your gym session?  Come home and grab the BioFreeze or Bengay.  Massage it into the sore spots to get a little relief.

We smear ointment on our skin for varied reasons, just as people have done for millennia.  You can even find references to it in the Bible.

Your Bible probably uses the word “anoint” to describe the process.  However, the Greek New Testament uses two separate words for applying oil or ointment to your body.

Anointing #1 – aleiphō

The first word for anointing is aleiphō [ah-LAY-foh] which appears 9 times in the New Testament.  It describes the action of smearing or pouring and rubbing a soothing lotion on the skin.  Olive oil was the most common substance used.

The New Testament consistently uses this word for the physical act of administering oil for practical purposes.

• It was used as part of grooming, often poured onto the head. People normally used oil before they went out in public. But the Pharisees would purposely skip that part of their daily routine whenever they chose to fast.  They hoped others would notice them and admire their religious dedication (Matthew 6:17).
• Anointing with oil was a standard element in hospitality. When a guest came to your home, you would show respect by providing some oil for their use.  Jesus once scolded a Pharisee for neglecting this practice (Luke 7:16).
• In contrast, we read of two women who showed their deep love for the Savior by anointing him.

A woman with a reputation for questionable morals slipped into the dinner at the Pharisee’s house with a vial of perfumed oil.  She knelt and poured the oil over his feet in an act of love and worship (Luke 7:38, 46).  Jesus in response declared that her sins were forgiven.

Near the end of his earthly career, Jesus was eating a meal in the home of Lazarus, whom he had recently brought back from the dead.  This time it was Mary, the sister of Lazarus, who poured an entire container of very expensive spikenard oil over his feet (John 12: 3).

• Only a few days later, Mary and the other women would bring spices to the tomb where they intended to anoint the body of the crucified Jesus (Mark 16:1).

The aleiphō  kind of anointing appears in two other places, each connected to physical healing.  When Jesus sent his disciples out to spread the message to the villages of Galilee, he gave them the authority to do some of the same signs that he was doing: casting out many demons and “anointing with oil many sick people and healing them” (Mark 6:13).  James later prescribed a similar procedure for an ailing believer: “He must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14).

Anointing #2 – chriō

There is a second Greek word for anointing that has an even deeper meaning.  The word chriō appears five times in the New Testament, each time describing an anointing that has a symbolic significance.

Chriō was the word used for installing someone in an important office.  You can see many examples in the Old Testament.

Kings were anointed:  David (1 Samuel 16:1, 13) and Solomon (1 Kings 1:39).

Priests were anointed:  Aaron (Exodus 29:7).

Prophets were anointed:  Elisha (1 Kings 19:16).

In each case, someone would pour oil on the person’s head to represent his choice and formal installation to the place of leadership.  The ceremony depicted God’s gift of power to carry out the assigned task.

The New Testament uses chriō primarily as a description of Jesus.   It was appropriate because it serves as the root for his title of “Christ,” which literally means “the anointed one.”

• When Jesus gave the Scripture reading in the Nazareth synagogue, he quoted Isaiah 61:1 as a description of His ministry: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor . . .” (Luke 4:18).
• The same truth appeared in the prayer offered by the early Jerusalem church: “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed . . .” (Acts 4:27).
• Peter used the term in his evangelistic message to the centurion Cornelius: “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power . . .” (Acts 10:38).
• The book of Hebrews cites Psalm 45:7 in a description of Jesus that spotlights him as the king chosen by the Father: “. . . Your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions” (Hebrews 1:9).

In summary, we have one Greek anointing that is primarily for medical or cosmetic purposes.  And we have a second term that describes the anointing that signifies an assignment from God to an important place of service, implying the power to carry out the task.

How fitting to see that word used for Jesus, the ultimate Prophet, Priest and King!

 

Study Hint:

Although chriō most fully describes the Lord Jesus, there is one passage where it is used for Christian leaders like Paul, Apollos, and Peter.  The church at Corinth was split into factions that favored one preacher or another.  Paul argues that such hero worship is foolish because God is the one who reveals the message and prepares the messenger.  As Paul expresses it, “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God” (2 Corinthians 1:21).

I take this as a reminder that God appoints us to a place of ministry that He has uniquely designed for us.  So even if you’re not a king or a priest, God has a role that you can fulfill.  And you can be thankful that he anoints you for it – selecting you and equipping you for what he asks.

 

Coming Up

Do you enjoy gardening?  Next week we are going to wander through the gardens mentioned in the New Testament.  I hope you’ll enjoy the tour!

©Ezra Project 2026