ἀλείφω G0218
To anoint; to rub or apply oil, ointment, or perfume to a person's body, head, or feet for hospitality, healing, or burial.
Unlike the more theologically loaded chrio (used for messianic anointing), aleipho is the everyday, physical act of rubbing oil or perfume onto someone. It appears in contexts of personal grooming (Matt 6:17, where Jesus says to anoint your head when fasting), acts of devotion and hospitality (Luke 7:38, 46, where a woman anoints Jesus' feet), healing ministry (Mark 6:13; James 5:14, anointing the sick with oil), and burial preparation (Mark 16:1). The Spanish 'ungir,' French 'oindre,' and German 'salben' all preserve this concrete, tactile sense of applying a substance to the body, distinguishing it from ceremonial consecration.
Senses
1. to anoint (with oil or ointment) — To apply oil, ointment, or perfume to a person's body by rubbing—covering acts of personal grooming (Matt 6:17, anointing one's head while fasting), lavish devotion and hospitality (Luke 7:38, 46; John 11:2; 12:3, anointing Jesus' feet), healing prayer (Mark 6:13; James 5:14, anointing the sick with oil), and preparation for burial (Mark 16:1). This is the physical, everyday term for anointing rather than the sacral or messianic term (chrio), emphasizing the tangible act of applying a substance to the skin. 9×
AR["اِمسَحْ", "تَدهَن", "دَهَنوا", "دَهَنَت", "دَهَنَتْ", "كانَت-تَدهُنُ", "ماسِحينَ", "مَسَحَتِ", "يَدْهُنَّ"]·ben["অভিষিক্তকারী", "মাখছিল", "মাখলে", "মাখলেন", "মাখাত", "মাখিয়ে", "মাখেন", "মাখো", "মেখেছে"]·DE["salben", "ἄλειψαί", "ἤλειφεν", "ἤλειψας", "ἤλειψεν"]·EN["anoint", "anointed", "having-anointed", "they-were-anointing", "was-anointing", "you-anointed"]·FR["oindre"]·heb["יִמְשְׁחוּ", "מְשָׁח", "מָשְׁחָה", "מָשְׁחוּ", "מָשַׁחְתָּ", "שֶׁמָּשְׁחָה"]·HI["तेल-मल", "तेल-से", "मलकर", "मला", "मलें", "लगाती-थी", "लगाया", "लेप-किया"]·ID["kamu-urapi", "meminyaki", "mengurapi", "mereka-mengurapi", "minyakilah", "yang-telah-mengurapi"]·IT["aleipsantes", "ungere"]·jav["kang-njebadi", "lenganana", "njebadi", "sami-ngolèsi", "sami-njebadi"]·KO["기름-부은", "바르고-있었다", "바르라", "바르려고", "바르면서", "바르지", "바른다", "발랐다"]·PT["unge", "ungia", "ungiste", "ungiu"]·RU["мазала", "помажь", "помазав", "помазавшая", "помазал", "помазала", "помазать", "помазывали"]·ES["habiéndole-ungido", "que-ungió", "unge", "ungieran", "ungiste", "ungió", "ungía", "ungían"]·SW["alipaka", "alipaka-mafuta", "aliyempaka", "amepaka", "hukupaka", "jipake-mafuta", "wakimupaka", "walipaka", "wampake"]·TR["mesh-ederek", "mesh-ediyorlardı", "mesheden", "meshet", "meshetti", "meshtettin;", "sürdü", "yağla", "yağlayasınlar"]·urd["اس-نے", "تیل-لگا", "تیل-ملتے-تھے", "جس-نے-ملا", "مل-کر", "ملی", "ملیں", "میرے"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀλείφω, Refs 5th c.BC+: future -ψωLXX, (ἐξ-) Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἤλειψαRefs 8th c.BC+, Attic dialect, Epic dialect ἄλειψαRefs 8th c.BC+perfect ἀλήλῐφα (ἀπ-) Refs 4th c.BC+:—middle, future -ψομαιRefs 5th c.BC+aorist ἠλειψάμην Attic dialect, Epic dialect ἀλ-Refs 8th c.BC+ —passive, future ἀλειφθήσομαι (ἐξ-) Refs 4th c.BC+: aorist 1 ἠλείφθηνRefs 5th c.BC+aorist 2 ἐξ-ηλίφην variant in Refs 5th…