{
  "id": "dict_004093",
  "term": "Ointment",
  "slug": "ointment",
  "letter": "O",
  "entry_type": "biblical_object",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A prepared oil, perfume, or medicinal salve used in Scripture for anointing, refreshment, healing, honor, or burial preparation.",
  "simple_one_line": "Ointment in the Bible is usually fragrant oil or salve used for practical care and sometimes for symbolic anointing.",
  "tooltip_text": "Biblical ointment was a scented oil or salve used for daily care, healing, anointing, and burial customs.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Anointing",
    "Oil",
    "Perfume",
    "Healing",
    "Burial"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Anoint",
    "Anointing Oil",
    "Fragrance",
    "Spikenard",
    "Hospitality"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Ointment in Scripture usually refers to a prepared oil, perfume, or salve used for ordinary care or for special acts of anointing, healing, honor, and burial.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Biblical ointment is a fragrant oil or salve used in everyday life and in certain worship or burial settings.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "1. It could be medicinal or cosmetic. 2. It appears in anointing and hospitality. 3. It is sometimes connected with burial preparation. 4. The object itself is ordinary, but the context may be symbolic."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "In Scripture, ointment commonly refers to fragrant oil or salve applied to the body for honor, refreshment, healing, or burial. Some passages connect it with anointing and symbolic acts, but the word itself usually names a material substance rather than a developed doctrine.",
  "description_academic_full": "In biblical usage, ointment usually means a prepared oil, perfume, or salve used in daily life and worship-related settings. It could serve practical purposes such as soothing the body, treating wounds, refreshing guests, preparing a body for burial, or expressing love and honor. Certain texts give ointment symbolic weight when it is used in anointing or in acts of costly devotion, yet Scripture does not normally present ointment itself as a standalone theological concept. The safest approach is to read each occurrence in context and distinguish ordinary use from ceremonial or symbolic use.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Ointment appears throughout Scripture in settings of worship, hospitality, healing, and burial. It can be part of sacred anointing oil, a sign of joy and welcome, or a costly gift poured out in devotion to Jesus.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the ancient world, oils and perfumes were common household items. They were used for personal care, medical soothing, burial customs, and honoring guests or rulers.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In ancient Israel, oil and aromatic ointments could be part of priestly anointing, festive life, and burial practice. Their meaning depended on whether the context was ordinary, ceremonial, or symbolic.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Exodus 30:22-25",
    "Psalm 23:5",
    "Song of Solomon 1:3",
    "Mark 14:3-9",
    "John 12:3",
    "John 19:39-40"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Luke 7:37-38",
    "James 5:14",
    "Isaiah 1:6"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Biblical references to ointment use different Hebrew and Greek terms, often related to oil, perfume, or fragrant salve. The exact word depends on context, but the basic idea is a prepared substance used for anointing or care.",
  "theological_significance": "Ointment itself is a common material object, but its use can point to honor, consecration, healing, burial, and costly devotion. In some passages it supports larger themes such as priestly anointing, hospitality, or the burial of Christ.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "The word names a concrete substance rather than an abstract doctrine. Its significance comes from the function it serves in a given passage, not from an independent theological system built around the term.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not force symbolic meaning into every occurrence. Distinguish medical, cosmetic, and ceremonial use. Read anointing language in context rather than treating all ointment references as identical.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters treat ointment as an ordinary biblical object with occasional symbolic or ritual significance. Differences usually concern the meaning of a particular passage, not the basic definition of the term.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "The term should not be treated as a doctrine in itself. Its theological value is contextual and derivative, especially in passages about anointing, healing, or burial.",
  "practical_significance": "Ointment illustrates the biblical use of ordinary gifts in worship, hospitality, healing, and loving service. It also reminds readers that small physical acts can carry spiritual meaning when offered to God.",
  "meta_description": "Biblical ointment is fragrant oil or salve used for anointing, healing, hospitality, and burial customs.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/ointment/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/ointment.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}