See also [[Anointed]]<br /><br />
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<strong>I. History of the Practice</strong><br /><br />

<strong>A. Origin</strong>. Robertson Smith (<em>Religion of the Semites</em>, 2nd. ed., pp. 233, 383ff.) thinks that the religious rite arose from nomadic sacrificial practices. Perhaps it developed from a custom of smearing the sacrificial fat on the pillar (<em>Maṩṩebah</em>) as part of a communal meal (or feast with totem animal). Others feel it is an out-growth of the secular use of anointing for medicinal and cosmetic purposes.<br /><br />

<strong>B. Pre-Hebraic examples</strong>. The practice of anointing is well attested in Babylonian and Egyptian customs well before Biblical times. The specific practice of anointing a king is mentioned in the 14th cent. <span class="small-caps">b.c.,</span> Amarna Letter # 37. One text from Ras Shamra refers to anointing Baal (Gordon, # 76; ANET. p. 142a; Baal & Anat, <em>Syria</em>, XVII [1936] pp. 150-173).<br /><br />

<strong>C. Hebraic customs</strong>. Anointing is attested throughout all periods of Heb. history, cf. references below.<br /><br />

<strong>1. Sacral practice in pre-monarchic period</strong>. The earliest usage in pre-monarchic times seems to be that recorded in <bibleref ref="Gen.28.18">Genesis 28:18</bibleref> (cf. <bibleref ref="Gen.31.13">Gen. 31:13</bibleref>) where Jacob anointed the pillar he had erected at Bethel. During the time of the Judges it was assumed that a king was inducted into office by anointing (<bibleref ref="Judg.9.8">Judg 9:8</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="Judg.9.15">15</bibleref>).<br /><br />

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<strong>3. Non-sacral practice in OT</strong>. Non-sacral usage in OT times is widely attested from the period of the Exodus (<bibleref ref="Deut.28.40">Deut 28:40</bibleref>) to exilic times (<bibleref ref="Ezek.16.9">Ezek 16:9</bibleref>).<br /><br />

<strong>4. Postexilic and Christian usage</strong>. In <bibleref ref="Zech.4.14">Zechariah 4:14</bibleref> the postexilic successor to David’s claim to the throne, Zerubbabel, is called the “anointed.” Here, as in <bibleref ref="Isa.45.1">Isaiah 45:1</bibleref> where the Pers. king, Cyrus, is called the Lord’s anointed, the reference may be metaphorical rather than literal. In intertestamental and NT times literal anointing for medicinal purposes is attested in <bibleref ref="Jdt.10.3">Judith 10:3</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Jdt.16.10">16:10</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Jas.5.14">James 5:14</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Rev.3.18">Revelation 3:18</bibleref>. As a mark of hospitality or special honor, guests were anointed (<bibleref ref="Luke.7.37-Luke.7.46">Luke 7:37-46</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="John.11.2">John 11:2</bibleref>).<br /><br />

<strong>II. Meaning of the practice</strong><br /><br />

<strong>A. Literal usage</strong>. Persons were anointed (1) to give relief from the sun (<bibleref ref="Ps.104.15">Ps 104:15</bibleref>), (2) as part of the toilette (<bibleref ref="Ruth.3.3">Ruth 3:3</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="2Sam.12.20">2 Sam 12:20</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="2Chr.28.15">2 Chron 28:15</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Dan.10.3">Dan 10:3</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Amos.6.6">Amos 6:6</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Mic.6.15">Mic 6:15</bibleref>), (3) as part of the care of newly born infants (<bibleref ref="Ezek.16.9">Ezek 16:9</bibleref>), (4) Other medicinal usages see I, C, 4.<br /><br />

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<strong>III. Objects anointed</strong><br /><br />

<strong>A. Non-cultic</strong>. Non-cultic objects may have been anointed. Some interpreters see such a practice in <bibleref ref="2Sam.1.21">2 Samuel 1:21</bibleref> and <bibleref ref="Isa.21.5">Isaiah 21:5</bibleref>, KJV. However, two other possibilities are present; (1) that anointing the shields may be part of the ritual “to sanctify a war”; (2) that the reference is simply to a preservative measure (so RSV tr. of Isa), but this does not fit the context of 2 Samuel.<br /><br />

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<strong>IV. Persons anointed</strong><br /><br />

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<strong>C. Prophets</strong>. Although Elijah was commissioned to anoint Elisha as his successor (<bibleref ref="1Kgs.19.16">1 Kings 19:16</bibleref>), there is no record that this was ever done. Père deVaux thinks the reference here is metaphorical, as is clearly the case with the anointing of the speaker in <bibleref ref="Isa.61.1">Isaiah 61:1</bibleref>. The spirit of Elijah was given to Elisha, and thus is fulfilled the commission to anoint him. However, the obvious parallelism of <bibleref ref="Ps.105.15">Psalm 105:15</bibleref> to <bibleref ref="1Chr.16.22">1 Chronicles 16:22</bibleref>, when taken in context seems to indicate the possibility that some prophets were anointed, unless, again, “anointed” means the Hebrews as God’s representatives on earth, rather than an individual.<br /><br />

<strong>V. Metaphorical usage</strong><br /><br />

<strong>A. Persons endowed with God’s Spirit</strong>. They are called God’s “anointed” (<bibleref ref="Ps.28.8">Ps 28:8</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Ps.84.9">84:9</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Ps.89.38">89:38</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="Ps.89.51">51</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Hab.3.13">Hab 3:13</bibleref>). In the NT the descent of the Holy Spirit is a metaphorical anointing (<bibleref ref="2Cor.1.22">2 Cor 1:22</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1John.2.20">1 John 2:20</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="1John.2.27">27</bibleref>).<br /><br />

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<em>See</em> [[Christ]]; [[Messiah]]; [[Ointment]].<br /><br />

<strong>Bibliography</strong> J. Pedersen, <em>Israel</em>, III/IV (1940, 1959), passim; P. deVaux, AIs (1961), 103-106; W. LaSor, “The Messianic Idea in Qumran,” <em>Studies and Essays in Honor of Abraham A. Neuman</em> (1962), 343, 364.<br /><br />

Anoint, Anointed