This morning I was asked a question that has quite a complex answer and required researching several different sources. I thought I’d share the answer with you, as I found it to be particularly enlightening. The question was regarding David’s anointment as the future King of Israel in 1 Samuel 16:1-13: “Why are people always anointed using oil?”

Anointing is a rite used for four different purposes: Consecration (to prepare for God’s purpose), Impartation (to ask that the power of God and the Holy Spirit enter the heart), Emancipation (to ask that the Lord free you from physical or mental bonds), and Preparation (to prepare yourself or others for God’s purpose).

I found out that there are a number of different words in Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Aramaic that are translated to the English word anoint. All of the different root words in some way refer to smearing the one being anointed with oil.

The oil used is generally fragrant. For example oil used for anointing in the Old Testament is described in Exodus 30:22-25 to be a mixture of myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, cassia and olive oil.

The Bible uses oil as a physical representation of a spiritual reality. In Hebrews 9:23-24 such things are considered to be a type of “copy” of heavenly things. Anointing oil represents or “copies” the anointing of the Holy Spirit or God’s anointing. In other words being anointed with oil would symbolize that the Holy Spirit is upon the one who has been anointed. Literally, that person has been smeared with a “copy” of the Holy Spirit. The act of anointing is requesting that the Holy Spirit be poured out upon the one being anointed.

In the case of David (and other Old Testament Kings, High Priests, some lesser Priests and some of the Prophets) anointment is for impartation. The root word used is the Hebrew mashah. Mashah means to draw out or to set aside from others for sanctification and to impart the Holy Spirit to one in order to serve God in a special capacity.

The Boy David is Anointed by Samuel to become King of Israel

It is interesting to note the progression of the root word from mashah to mashiah, the recipient of such anointing and further from mashiah to Messiah, to Christos by translation into Greek and by translation into English to Christ who is the ultimate Anointed One.

Anointment is done with oil and inseparable from it because of its symbolism of God’s purpose and the Holy Spirit.