Ezekiel 16:9 — Word Study
WLCוָאֶרְחָצֵ֣ךְ בַּמַּ֔יִם וָאֶשְׁטֹ֥ף דָּמַ֖יִךְ מֵֽעָלָ֑יִךְ וָאֲסֻכֵ֖ךְ בַּשָּֽׁמֶן׃
BSAThen I bathedrâchats▸ [washed thoroughly, cleansed] you with watermayim [a source of refreshment] rinsed offshâṭaph▸ [thoroughly washed away, overflowed] your blooddâm [the liquid essential for life] and anointedçûwk▸ [smearing oil for special purposes, consecrating] you with oilshemen [olive oil, ointment]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וָאֶרְחָצֵ֣ךְ | and I washed you | Verb qal sequential imperfect first person common singular, suffix |
| בַּמַּ֔יִם | with water | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| וָאֶשְׁטֹ֥ף | and I washed off | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect first person common singular |
| דָּמַ֖יִךְ | blood your | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| מֵֽעָלָ֑יִךְ | from on you | Preposition, preposition, suffix |
| וָאֲסֻכֵ֖ךְ | and I anointed you | Verb qal sequential imperfect first person common singular, suffix |
| בַּשָּֽׁמֶן׃ | with oil | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Then I bathed you with water, rinsed off your blood, and anointed you with oil. |
| KJV | Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. |
| ASV | Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. |
| YLT | And I do wash thee with water, And I wash away thy blood from off thee, And I anoint thee with perfume. |
| WEB | “‘“Then I washed you with water. Yes, I thoroughly washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil. |
| BBE | Then I had you washed with water, washing away all your blood and rubbing you with oil. |
The translations agree on the meaning of וָאֶרְחָצֵ֣ךְ as 'bathed'.
The sentence has a main clause followed by several phrases that elaborate on the actions taken.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁטַף
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ezekiel 16:9
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Care for Israelgenerated
Ezekiel 16:9 presents a vivid picture of God's nurturing relationship with Israel, illustrating how He provided for them from their vulnerable beginnings. The surrounding verses describe God's covenantal love and commitment, emphasizing His actions as a protective and caring figure. This metaphor of washing and anointing reflects the deep bond between God and His people, akin to a bridegroom caring for his bride.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezekiel 16:4 | On the day of your birth your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. |
| 2 | Ezekiel 36:25 | I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. |
| 3 | Psalm 51:7 | Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. |
| 4 | Isaiah 4:4 | when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. |
| 5 | John 13:8–10 | “Never shall You wash my feet!” Peter told Him. Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — וָאֶרְחָצֵ֣ךְ, va.'er.cha.Tzekhgenerated
The verb רָחַץ (rachats) means to wash or bathe. It encompasses various forms of washing, including personal cleansing and ritual purification. The parsing indicates it is a sequential imperfect verb in the first person singular, showing that the speaker, God, is actively performing the action of washing.
This word is used in contexts of both physical and spiritual cleansing, highlighting the importance of purity in the relationship between God and His people. In this verse, it signifies God's initiative to cleanse Israel from their past and prepare them for a new life.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses bathed for וָאֶרְחָצֵ֣ךְ.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb וָאֶרְחָצֵ֣ךְ governs the entire clause, with additional phrases providing details about the actions performed. The structure indicates a sequence of actions taken by God: bathing, rinsing, and anointing.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the actions taken by God, reflecting His active role in the relationship with Israel.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וָאֶרְחָצֵ֣ךְ as σε, indicating a direct action towards the subject. This choice reflects the intimate nature of God's care and the personal involvement in the act of cleansing.
The LXX retains the essence of the Hebrew text, emphasizing the act of washing as a significant aspect of God's relationship with His people.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezekiel 16:9 describes how God cared for Israel by washing them with water, cleansing their blood, and anointing them with oil. This imagery illustrates God's loving and protective relationship with His people, highlighting His commitment to their well-being.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies God's act of cleansing and renewing His people, preparing them for a special relationship.
Water symbolizes purification and refreshment, indicating a new beginning for Israel.
Anointing with oil represents consecration and setting apart for a special purpose, indicating God's choice of Israel.
It shows God's initiative in caring for and nurturing His people, illustrating His deep commitment to their well-being.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced God's cleansing and renewal in my own life?
- How can I better understand the significance of God's care and commitment to me?
- What does it mean to me to be anointed by God for His purposes?
- How can I reflect God's love and care to those around me?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers commented on this verse, using it to illustrate God's care and the significance of anointing in a spiritual context.
“Untie the donkey and bring it to me.”He began with a manger and finished with a donkey, in Bethlehem with a manger, in Jerusalem with a donkey.Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 16 →
Our Lord is anointed with another oil, which is not supposed to soften the grief caused by wounds but nonetheless brings with it joy.Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 16 →
Our loins are girded with fine linen whenever the enticing incentives of lust have to be held back, and nothing of a heavy humor is left, and we are filled with the teaching of the apostle, when he says, “stand therefore,Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 16 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 16:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThen washed I thee with water,.... Brought the Israelites out of the mean, abject, servile, and sordid state in which they were, when among the mortar, bricks, and pots, into a state of liberty; so
Read John Gill on Ezekiel 16 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThen washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. Then washed I thee - as brides used to pass through a preparatory purification (Esther 2:12).
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 16 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThen, Heb. And: this continueth the allegory, and declareth what more was done to prepare this virgin for advancement by this marriage covenant. Washed I thee: it was a very ancient custom among those Eastern people, as appears Es 2 12, to purify virgins who were to be espoused ere long; and it is likely the prophet alludes to that, . I throughly washed away: the same thing, by a very usual figure, repeated to confirm and illustrate what is spoken; the word in Hebrew notes an abundant washing, a rinsing of what was washed to make it cleaner; it includes a bathing, as . Thy blood; thy original and birth pollution, which rendered thee displeasing to the eye, and unfit for the familiar and…
Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 16 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEzekiel 16:9 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.Ver. 9. Then washed I thee with water.] I cleansed thee from all thy pollutions by the merit and Spirit of my dear Son. See 1 Corinthians 6:11. And I anointed thee with oil.] Newly married wives were usually washed, anointed, and richly arrayed. The dead also were washed, as Dorcas; and embalmed, as Jacob; and Proverbs 31:8, they are called bene chaloph, which signifieth "change of raiment." Death strips us all, but happy are they whom Christ hath spread his skirt over. See 2 Corinthians 5:2-4.
Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 16 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(9-14) These verses describe the purifications and preparations for marriage to one of high rank (comp. Esther 2:9; Esther 2:12). The reality corresponding to the figure is, of course, the Divine care over Israel at Sinai, in the wilderness, and in the conquest of Canaan.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezekiel 16 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges9. Purifications before marriage. Whether “blood” be used somewhat generally to indicate the uncleanness of her infancy still cleaving to her, or in a more specific sense, may be uncertain (Ezekiel 16:7). Rth 3:3; Esther 2:12.
Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 16 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible’S AND — THE ADOPTED CHILD-WIFE, Ezekiel 16:1-43.In chaps. 13-15 the prophet has shown how untrustworthy are all the Israelitish hopes that punishment will not fall upon them for their sins.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Ezekiel 16 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Then I bathed you with water, rinsed off your blood, and anointed you with oil.
“‘“Then I washed you with water. Yes, I thoroughly washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil.
Then I bathed you with water, rinsed off your blood, and anointed you with oil.
“‘Then I bathed you in water, washed the blood off you, and anointed you with fragrant oil.
Tyndale line
Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.
Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.
Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.
Then I washed thee with water; yes, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.
Then washed I thee with water: yea, I washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oyle.
Strictly literal
And I washed thee with water, and thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil;
And I do wash thee with water, And I wash away thy blood from off thee, And I anoint thee with perfume.
And I wash you with water, || And I wash away your blood from off you, || And I anoint you with oil.
Then did I bathe thee with water, yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee; and I anointed thee with oil.
So I washed you with water and rinsed your blood off you, and I anointed you with oil.
From the Latin
And I washed thee with water, and cleansed away thy blood from thee: and I anointed thee with oil.
Simplified
Then I washed you with water, cleaned off your blood, and anointed you with oil.
Then I had you washed with water, washing away all your blood and rubbing you with oil.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in this verse, with all seven words matched. The Septuagint's translation reflects the same actions described in the Hebrew, maintaining the integrity of the original message.
וָאֶרְחָצֵ֣ךְ בַּמַּ֔יִם וָאֶשְׁטֹ֥ף דָּמַ֖יִךְ מֵֽעָלָ֑יִךְ וָאֲסֻכֵ֖ךְ בַּשָּֽׁמֶן׃
7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ezekiel 16:9
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
רָחַץ (rachats) is a Hebrew verb meaning to wash or bathe. It covers various forms of washing, including washing oneself and being washed. The entries indicate its use in different grammatical forms, such as Qal, Pual, and Hithpael, which reflect actions of washing and being washed. The lexicons do not present any significant disagreement.
רָחַץ 72 vb. wash, wash off, away, bathe
Qal 69
trans. wash (with water)
intrans. wash, bathe (oneself)
Pu. be washed
Hithp. if I washed myself in snow
base
H7364 רָחַץ wash, wash off, away, bathe
7364 rachats raw-khats'
a primitive root; to lave (the whole or a part of a
thing):--bathe (self), wash (self).
רָחַץ (ra.chats) — to wash: wash.
: wash
1) to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to wash, wash off, wash away
1a2) to wash, bathe (oneself)
1b) (Pual) to be washed
1c) (Hithpael) to wash oneself
2a) (Hithpael Passive) to be regarded clean, trustworthy
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs | Suff — Verb qal sequential imperfect first person common singular · suffixHc/Vqw1cs/Sp2fs
מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.
[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
base
H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
4325 mayim mah'-yim
dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+
piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).
מַי (ma.yim) — water.
1) water, waters
1a) water
1b) water of the feet, urine
1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)
מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).
This name means water, refreshment
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHRd/Ncmpa
wo'-ter (mayim; hudor):
(1) The Greek philosophers believed water to be the original substance and that all things were made from it. The Koran states, "From water we have made all things." In the story of the creation (Ge 1:2) water plays an elemental part.
(2) Because of the scarcity of water in Palestine it is especially appreciated by the people there. They love to go and sit by a stream of running water. Men long for a taste of the water of their native village (1Ch 11:17). A town or village is known throughout the country for the quality of its water, which is described by many adjectives, such as "light," "heavy," etc.
(3) The rainfall is the only source of supply of water for Palestine. The moisture is carried up from the sea in clouds and falls on the hills as rain or snow.…
See CISTERN and WELLS.
In Isa 35:7, the Hebrew word for "parched ground" that shall become a pool of water, is the same with the Arabic term for the mirage, a peculiar optical illusion by which travelers in hot and dry deserts think they see broad lakes and flowing waters; they seem to discern the very ripple of the waves, and the swaying of tail trees on the margin in the cool breeze; green hills and houses and city ramparts rise before the astonished sight, recede as the traveler advances, and at length melt away in the hot haze. Not so the blessings of the gospel; they are no alluring mockery, but real waters of everlasting life, Isa 55:1 Joh 4:14 Re 22:1. Compare
→ Creation of Ps 148:4,5
→ Covered the whole earth Ge 1:9
→ Daily allowance of Eze 4:11
→ City waterworks 2Ki 20:20
→ Vision of, by Ezekiel Eze 47:1-5
→ Of separation Nu 19:2-22
The Hebrew word שָׁטַף (shataph) is a primitive root meaning to overflow or wash off. It encompasses actions such as gushing, inundating, and cleansing, with various forms indicating different nuances like being swept away or rinsed out. The entries consistently highlight its connection to flowing and washing, without significant disagreement among the lexicons.
שָׁטַף vb. overflow, rinse or wash off
Qal
overflow
flow, run
lit., rinse or wash off
Niph. be rinsed out, off
Pu. it shall be scoured and rinsed.
base
H7857 שָׁטַף overflow, rinse or wash off
7857 shataph shaw-taf'
a primitive root; to gush; by implication, to inundate,
cleanse; by analogy, to gallop, conquer:--drown,
(over-)flow(- whelm, rinse, run, rush, (throughly) wash
(away).
שָׁטַף (sha.taph) — to overflow.
1) to wash, rinse, overflow, engulf, rinse or wash off
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to overflow
1a2) to flow, run
1a3) to rinse or wash off
1b) (Niphal) to be swept away, be rinsed out
1c) (Pual) to be rinsed, be scoured and rinsed
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect first person common singularHc/Vqw1cs
דָּם (dam) means 'blood' and refers to the blood of both humans and animals. It is often associated with death, particularly when shed, and can also figuratively denote the juice of grapes or bloodshed. The term carries religious significance and is used in various contexts, including references to guilt and innocence.
דָּם 300 n.m. blood
blood of man or animal
usually blood become visible
blood used with religious significance
fig. of wine
base
H1818 דָּם blood
1818 dam dawm
from 1826 (compare 119); blood (as that which when shed
causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of
the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed
(i.e. drops of blood):--blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), +
innocent.
see HEBREW for 01826
see HEBREW for 0119
דָּם (dam) — blood.
1) blood
1a) of wine (fig.)
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp2fs
The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
עַל, עָ֑ל
subst. height
As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
—
of clothing, etc., which any one wears
With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears
. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
5921 `al al
properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the
singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a
particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always
in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great
variety of applications (as follow):--above, according
to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because
of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both
and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in
(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,
through(-out), to, touching, X with.
see HEBREW for 05920
עַל (al) — upon.
prep
1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards
1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)
1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)
1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)
1e) over (of suspension or extension)
1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)
1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)
1h) to (as a dative)
[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.
conj
HR/Rd/Sp2fs — Preposition · preposition · suffixHR/Rd/Sp2fs
סוּךְ (sukh) means to anoint or pour in anointing. It is a primitive root that conveys the action of smearing with oil, often referring to anointing oneself or another. The verb appears in various forms, including Qal and Hiphil, indicating both active and passive uses.
[סוּךְ, סִיךְ] vb. pour in anointing, anoint (NH Aram. סוּךְ anoint);—
Qal anoint, in the toilet, oft. after washing; usu.
refl. anoint oneself
act. anoint another
pass., be poured
base
H5480 [סוּךְ, סִיךְ] pour in anointing, anoint
5480 cuwk sook
a primitive root; properly, to smear over (with oil), i.e.
anoint:--anoint (self), X at all.
סוּךְ (sukh) — to anoint.
1) to anoint, pour in anointing
1a) (Qal) to anoint
1a1) to anoint oneself
1a2) to anoint (another)
1a3) to be poured
1b) (Hiphil) to anoint
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs | Suff — Verb qal sequential imperfect first person common singular · suffixHc/Vqw1cs/Sp2fs
שֶׁ֫מֶן (shemen) refers to fat or oil, particularly olive oil, and includes meanings related to richness and anointing. It is derived from the root word for grease and can also metaphorically describe fertile land. The entries consistently highlight its use in contexts like medicinal applications and anointing.
שֶׁ֫מֶן 192 n.m. fat, oil
base
H8081 שֶׁ֫מֶן fat, oil
8081 shemen sheh'-men
from 8080; grease, especially liquid (as from the olive,
often perfumed); figuratively, richness:--anointing, X fat
(things), X fruitful, oil((-ed)), ointment, olive, + pine.
see HEBREW for 08080
שֶׁ֫מֶן (she.men) — oil.
1) fat, oil
1a) fat, fatness
1b) oil, olive oil
1b1) as staple, medicament or unguent
1b2) for anointing
1c) fat (of fruitful land, valleys) (metaph)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
oil (shemen; elaion):
1. Terms
2. Production and Storage
3. Uses
(1) As a Commodity of Exchange
(2) As a Cosmetic
(3) As a Medicine
(4) As a Food
(5) As an Illuminant
(6) In Religious Rites
(a) Consecration
(b) Offerings
(c) Burials
4. Figurative Uses
Shemen, literally, "fat," corresponds to the common Arabic senin of similar meaning, although now applied to boiled butter fat.
1. Terms:
Another Hebrew word, zayith (zeth), "olive," occurs with shemen in several passages (Ex 27:20; 30:24; Le 24:2). The corresponding Arabic zeit, a contraction of zeitun, which is the name for the olive tree as well as the fruit, is now applied to oils in general, to distinguish them from solid fats. Zeit usually means olive oil, unless some qualifying name indicates another oil. A corresponding use was made of…
Oil
Only olive oil seems to have been used among the Hebrews. It was used for many purposes: for anointing the body or the hair (Ex. 29:7; 2 Sam. 14:2; Ps. 23:5; 92:10; 104:15; Luke 7:46); in some of the offerings (Ex. 29:40; Lev. 7:12; Num. 6:15; 15:4), but was excluded from the sin-offering (Lev. 5:11) and the jealousy-offering (Num. 5:15); for burning in lamps (
Of the numerous substances, animal and vegetable, which were known to the ancients as yielding oil, the olive berry is the one of which most frequent mention is made in the Scriptures. Gathering , --The olive berry was either gathered by hand or shaken off carefully with a light reed or stick. Pressing . --In order to make oil the fruit, was either bruised in a mortar crushed in a press loaded with wood or stones, ground in a mill, or trodden with the feet. The "beaten" oil of (Exodus 27:20; 29:40; Leviticus 24:2; Numbers 28:6) was probably made by bruising in a mortar, It was used-- (1) As food. Dried wheat, boiled with either butter or oil, but generally the former, is a common dish for all classes in Syria. (
Was employed from the earliest periods in the east, not only for the purpose of consecration, but to anoint the head, the beard, and the whole person in daily life, Ge 28:18. See ANOINTING. It was also universally used for food, Eze 16:13. Fresh and sweet olive oil was greatly preferred to butter and animal fat as a seasoning for food, and to this day in Syria almost every kind of food is cooked with oil. It had a place also among the meat-offerings in the temple, being usually mixed with the meal of the oblation, Le 5:11 6:21. For lamps, also, pure olive oil was regarded as the best, and was used in illuminating the tabernacle. These many uses for oil made the culture of the olive-tree an extensive and lucrative business,