Oil (Bible)

Occurrences in Scripture

Oil appears throughout the Old and New Testaments in a variety of uses.

• Lamps: God commanded that "pure oil olive beaten for the light" be brought for the lamps of the tabernacle (Exodus 27:20). This oil was used to light the lampstand.
• Offerings: When a meal (grain) offering was presented, oil was poured on the fine flour (Leviticus 2:1). In Old Testament sacrifices, oil was a common accompanying ingredient.
• Holy anointing oil: This oil, set apart for sacred anointing, was made by blending spices such as myrrh and cinnamon with olive oil (Exodus 30:22-33). It was applied to the tabernacle and its furnishings and to Aaron and his sons, and making it for private use was forbidden.
• Installing kings and prophets: Samuel anointed Saul (1 Samuel 10:1) and David (1 Samuel 16:13). Elijah was commanded to anoint Elisha as a prophet (1 Kings 19:16).
• Miracle narratives: The cruse of oil belonging to the widow of Zarephath did not run dry (1 Kings 17:14-16), and Elisha filled every vessel of an indebted widow with oil (2 Kings 4:1-7).
• Healing and hospitality: The Good Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of the injured man (Luke 10:34). The disciples anointed the sick with oil and healed them (Mark 6:13), and the Epistle of James instructs the elders to pray over the sick, anointing them with oil (James 5:14). Psalm 23:5 declares, "thou anointest my head with oil."
• Parables: In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, the wise virgins took oil along with their lamps (Matthew 25:1-13).

Background

The olive tree was a principal crop in the land of Canaan. Together with grain and wine, therefore, it represented the produce and blessing of the land (Deuteronomy 7:13; 8:8). Olive oil was widely used as a food ingredient, as lamp fuel, as a cosmetic for the skin and hair, and as a medicine applied to wounds. The common Hebrew word for oil is shemen. From the verb mashach, "to anoint," comes the term "anointed one," that is, Messiah. Its Greek rendering is Christos, that is, Christ.

Significance Across Scripture

In the Old Testament, anointing marked a person or object as set apart to God and entrusted with an office. First Samuel 16:13 records that the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from the day he was anointed, thereby linking anointing with the Spirit of God. The New Testament carries this theme forward to Jesus. Jesus applied to himself the words "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me" (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18). Peter declared that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power (Acts 10:38). First John 2:20, 27 states that all believers have received "the anointing."

Interpretation and Debates

• The oil of James 5:14: The Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church regard this verse as one of the biblical foundations for their sacrament for the sick. The Anglican tradition also has a rite of anointing for the sick. Most Protestants do not regard it as a sacrament; some view it as a medical practice of the time, while others see it as a symbol that aids the prayer of faith. In Pentecostal circles, oil is sometimes applied in prayer for divine healing.
• Oil and the Holy Spirit: Because the New Testament connects anointing with the Holy Spirit, the interpretation of oil as a symbol of the Spirit is widespread. The Parable of the Ten Virgins, however, does not specify what the oil represents, so interpretations differ, identifying it variously as the Holy Spirit, faith, good works, or a life of readiness.
• "The anointed servant": Some within the charismatic movement and the New Apostolic Reformation emphasize that particular leaders possess a special anointing. Others respond, citing passages such as 1 John 2:27, that the anointing is given to all believers. Critics also contend that the expression is used to shield leaders from criticism.

In the Korean Church

In prayers and sermons in the Korean church, the phrase "the anointing of the Holy Spirit" is frequently used as a petition for the Holy Spirit to grant power. Most denominations, including Presbyterian and Methodist bodies, do not pour oil at ordination services but install officers through the laying on of hands. Some churches and prayer retreat centers apply oil when praying for the sick.