Encyclopedia entry
Ointment
Also from Smith's (1884) +−
(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.)
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. (Ruth 3:2) Funereal .—Ointments as well as oil were used to anoint dead bodies and the clothes in which they were wrapped. (Matthew 26:12) Medicinal .—Ointment formed an important feature in ancient medical treatment. (Isaiah 1:6; Jeremiah 8:22; John 9:6; Revelation 3:18) etc. Ritual.—Besides the oil used in many ceremonial observances, a special ointment was appointed to be used in consecration. (Exodus 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.” (Nehemiah 3:8) The work was sometimes carried on by woman “confectionaries.” (1 Samuel 8:13)
In the Bible
25
Verses where Ointment is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).
- 1 Chronicles 9:30
And some of the sons of the priests mixed the spices.
- 2 Kings 20:13
And Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his treasure house—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, as well as his armory—all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.
- Ecclesiastes 7:1
A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
- Ecclesiastes 9:8
Let your garments always be white, and never spare the oil for your head.
- Ecclesiastes 10:1
As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
- Exodus 30:25
Prepare from these a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be a sacred anointing oil.
+19 more verses naming Ointment.
Scripture on Ointment
26
Ointment references
11
Voices on Ointment
15
Surfaced by name match — accuracy varies by title clarity.
Sources · Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884)
Public-domain text. Modernized only where archaic spelling impedes reading; original facts preserved. Verify against an authoritative modern reference before quoting.