Quick Definition
χρίω v. I anoint
Strong's Definition
probably akin to 5530 through the idea of contact; to smear or rub with oil, i.e. (by implication) to consecrate to an office or religious service
KJV Usage: anoint
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | ἀντίχριστος · ἐγχρίω · ἐπιχρίω · χρῖσμα · Χριστιανός · Χριστός · ψευδόχριστος
37.107 · Control, Rule · Assign to a Role or Function
to anoint, to assign, to appoint, assignment, appointment (figurative extension of meaning of χρίω ‘to anoint,’ not occurring in the NT) to assign a person to a task, with the implication of supernatural sanctions, blessing, and endowment It is rare that one can employ a literal rendering of χρίω or χρῖσμα in such contexts as LUK 4:18 and 1JN 2:20, since ‘to pour oil upon someone’ as a means of conveying a supernatural blessing and endowment for a task is culturally very rare. A strictly literal rendering of χρίω or χρῖσμα as ‘to pour oil upon’ is likely to be interpreted either as an insult or as an event preparatory to setting a person on fire and thus to destroy or to torture. Accordingly, in place of a literal rendering of χρίω or χρῖσμα, it is often necessary to employ some such expression as ‘to be appointed by God’ or ‘to be given a special task by God.’
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
χρίω: 1 aor. ἔχρισα; (akin to χείρ [(?), see Curtius § 201], χραίνω ; prop. ‘to touch with the hand’, ‘to besmear’); fr. Hom. down; Sept. for Mw; to anoint (on the persons who received anointing among the Hebrews, see χρίσμα); in the N. T. only trop. of God a. consecrating Jesus to the Messianic office, and furnishing him with powers necessary for its administration (see xpiopa): Lk. iv. 18 (after Is. lxi. 1); contrary to common usage with an ace. of the thing, ἔλαιον (like verbs of clothing, putting on, ete. [ef. W. $32, 4 ἃ. ; B.§ 131, 6]), Heb. i. 9 (fr. Ps. xliv. (xlv.) 8; in Theoph. ad Autol. 1, 12 we find χρίεσθαι ἔλαιον θεοῦ and yp. φωτὶ καὶ πνεύματι almost in the same sentence); πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ δυνάμει, Acts x. 38; also χρίειν used absol., Acts iv. 27. b. enduing Christians with the gifts of the Holy Spirit [ef. Westcott on 1 Jn. ii. 20]: 2 Co. 1. 21. [Comp.: év-, ἐπι- ypiw. SYN. see ἀλείφω, fin.]
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
χρίω chriō 5x
to anoint; in NT to anoint, by way of instituting to a dignity, function, or privilege, Lk. 4:18; Acts 4:27; 10:38; 2 Cor. 1:21; Heb. 1:9*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
χρίω to anoint (Hom., al.);
[in LXX chiefly for משׁח of consecration to a sacred office: priest, Ex 28:41; prophet, III Ki 19:16; king, I Ki 10:1; of things, Ex 40:9, Le 8:10, al.].
In NT, metaph., of God's anointing,
Christ: Ac 4:27; c. inf., Lk 4:18 (LXX); c. dupl. acc (v. Bl., § 34, 4), He 1:9 (LXX); πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, Ac 10:38;
Christians: II Co 1:21 (cf. Westc., Epp. Jo., 73) (cf. ἐν-, ἐπι-Χριω).†
SYN: v.s. ἀλείφω
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
χρίω, ‘anoint with oil,” is applied to camels in P Flor III. 3645 (iii/A.D.) ἐχρίσθησαν ot προκείμενοι κάμ(ηλοι) : see also s.v. ἀλείφω sub fix. For the meaning ‘‘ provide oil,”’ cf. P Oxy XII. 1413!® (A.D. 270-5), where the gymnasiarch is reported as saying that so-and-so promised eJis τὴν τρια]κάδα τοῦ Μεσορὴ χρεῖσαι. τῇ μὲν τριακάδι οὐκ ἔχρεισεν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἑξῆς νεομηνίᾳ δι᾿ ἐμοῦ ἔ[χρεισεῖν, “ἴο provide oil on Mesore 30. On-Mesore 30 he failed to provide oil, but on the first day of the following month he provided it through me” (Edd.). The word is common in the magic papyri. See also P Leid ΑΙ. 24,33 (= IT. pp. 99, 101]. From the inscrr. cf. Sy/2 567 (=*983)1® (ii/A.p.) where worshippers in a temple are described as πρότερον xpetoaμένους ἐλαίῳ, and 24. 804 (=% 1170)}8 (ii/A.D.) νάπωι kal ἁλσὶν κεχρειμένος, the account of a cure. The subst. χρῖσις occurs in P Petr II. 25(a)!* (iii/B.c.) els xptow ἐλαίου, “for the lotion of oil.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
χρίω (chriō) — to anoint. χρίω, Epic dialect imperfect χρῖον [Refs 8th c.BC+]: future χρίσω [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist ἔχρῑσα [Refs 8th c.BC+], Epic dialect χρῖσα [Refs 8th c.BC+]: perfect κέχρῑκα [LXX]:—middle, future χρίσομαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]aorist participle χρῑσάμενος[Refs 8th c.BC+]:—passive, future χρισθήσομαι [LXX]: aorist ἐχρίσθην [Refs 5th c.BC+]: perfect κέχρῑμαι [LXX+5th c.BC+]pluperfect ἐκέχριστο falsa lectio in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. plural ἐκέχριντο [Refs 3rd c.BC+]. [Even in present and imperfect ι is long, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; χρῐει only in late Poets, as [Refs 3rd c.BC+]future and all other tenses ῑ without exception, whence the proper accent. is χρῖσαι, κεχρῖσθαι, χρῖσμα, etc.:—touch the surface of a body slightly, especially of the human body, graze, hence,
I. rub, anoint with scented unguents or oil, as was done after bathing, frequently in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of a dead body, χρῖεν ἐλαίῳ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; anoint a suppliant, [Refs]; πέπλον χ. rub or infect with poison, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, anoint oneself, [Refs 8th c.BC+] with accusative _of things_, ἰοὺς χρίεσθαι anoint (i. e. poison) one's arrows, [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—passive, χρίεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου [Refs 5th c.BC+]; βακκάριδι κεχριμένος Magnes [same place]; συκαμίνῳ τὰς γνάθους κεχριμέναι [Refs 5th c.BC+]
I.2. in LXX, anoint in token of consecration, χ. τινὰ εἰς βασιλέα [LXX+NT]
II. wash with colour, coat, αἰγέαι κεχριμέναι ἐρευθεδάνῳ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πίσσῃ[Refs 2nd c.BC+]; ἀσφάλτῳ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; στοάν [Refs 2nd c.AD+] —middle, τὸ σῶμα μίλτῳ χρίονται smear their bodies, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. wound on the surface, puncture, prick, sting, of the gadfly in [Refs 4th c.BC+] —passive, ὀξυστόμῳ μύωπι χρισθεῖσ᾽[Refs]