χριστός G5547
Christ, Messiah — the Anointed One, used as title and proper name for Jesus of Nazareth
Christos ('anointed one') translates the Hebrew mashiach and appears 540 times in the New Testament, functioning both as a messianic title and as a virtual proper name. In its titular use ('the Christ,' Matt 16:16), it carries the full weight of Old Testament anointing theology — the consecration of kings, priests, and prophets. In its name-like usage ('Jesus Christ,' 'Christ Jesus'), particularly dominant in Paul's letters, it has become so fused with the personal name that the anointing theology recedes into the background. The multilingual evidence — Spanish 'Christos,' French 'Christ,' German 'Christus' — shows remarkable consistency as a loanword rather than a translated concept.
Senses
1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One — The substantivized Greek adjective meaning 'anointed,' serving in the NT both as the messianic title ('the Christ,' Matt 2:4) and as a proper name tightly bound to Jesus ('Jesus Christ,' Rom 1:1). Translates Hebrew mashiach and carries connotations of royal and priestly consecration. All 540 occurrences point to a single referent — Jesus of Nazareth — whether in confessional formulas (Matt 16:16), kerygmatic proclamation (Acts 2:36), or epistolary salutation (Phil 1:1). 540×
AR["المَسيحُ", "المَسيحِ", "المَسِيحَ", "المَسِيحُ", "المَسِيحِ", "الْمَسِيحَ", "الْمَسِيحُ", "الْمَسِيحِ", "يَا-مَسِيحُ"]·ben["(খ্রীষ্ট", "খ্রীষ্ট", "খ্রীষ্ট,", "খ্রীষ্ট।", "খ্রীষ্টের"]·DE["Christus"]·EN["Christ", "Christos"]·FR["Christ"]·heb["מָּשִׁיחַ", "מָשִׁיחַ"]·HI["चरिस्तोस", "चरिस्तोस-के", "मसीह", "मसीह-का"]·ID["(Kristus", "Kristus", "Kristus,", "Kristus."]·IT["Cristo"]·jav["(Kristus", "Kristus", "Kristus,", "Kristus.", "Sang-Kristus", "Sang-Kristus,", "Sang-Kristus.", "Sang-Kristus?"]·KO["그리스도", "그리스도-가", "그리스도-의", "그리스도는", "그리스도다", "그리스도라고", "그리스도스는", "그리스도스라", "그리스도여", "그리스도의", "그리스도이다"]·PT["(Cristo", "Cristo", "Cristo,", "Cristo?"]·RU["Христа", "Христе?", "Христом", "Христос"]·ES["Christé", "Christós"]·SW["(Christós", "-", "Christos", "Christós", "Christós,", "Hapa", "Kristo", "na"]·TR["(Mesih", "Mesih", "Mesih'in", "Mesih'in,", "Mesih’e", "Mesih’i"]·urd["اے-مسیح", "مسیح", "مسیح-کی", "مسیح-کے"]
Matt 1:16, Matt 1:18, Matt 2:4, Matt 11:2, Matt 16:16, Matt 16:20, Matt 16:21, Matt 22:42, Matt 23:10, Matt 24:5, Matt 24:23, Matt 26:63 (+38 more)
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)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×)G0040 2. holy, sacred, consecrated (65×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
χριστός, ή, όν, (χρίω) to be rubbed on, used as ointment or salve, opposed to πιστός, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ ἔλαιον τὸ χ. anointing oil, LXX __II of persons, anointed, ὁ ἱερεύς ὁ χ. LXX __II.2 especially of the Kings of Israel, ὁ χ. ΚυρίουLXX; plural, of the patriarchs, LXX __II.3 in NT, ὁ χ. the Messiah, NT; then used as proper name of Jesus, Ἰησοῦς χ. NT