Lexical Summary
mishchah: Anointing, anointing oil
Original Word:מִשְׁחָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:mishchah
Pronunciation:mish-khaw'
Phonetic Spelling:(meesh-khaw')
KJV: (to be) anointed(-ing), ointment
Word Origin:[fromH4886 (מָשַׁח - anointed)]
1. unction (the act)
2. (by implication) a consecratory gift
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
to be anointed, ointment
Or moshchah {mosh-khaw'}; frommashach; unction (the act); by implication, a consecratory gift -- (to be) anointed(-ing), ointment.
see HEBREWmashach
Brown-Driver-Briggs
;
; — absoluteExodus 25:6 +; constructExodus 30:25 +; —
ointment, the holy oil used in the consecration of the Aaronic priests, only in P;Exodus 25:6;Exodus 29:7,21;Exodus 31:11;Exodus 35:8,15,28;Exodus 37:29;Exodus 39:38;Exodus 40:9;Leviticus 8:2,10,12,30;Leviticus 21:10;Numbers 4:16;Exodus 30:25 (twice in verse);Exodus 30:31;Leviticus 10:7;Leviticus 21:12.
consecrated portion, of Aaron and his sonsLeviticus 7:35 (twice in verse) (P).
(Ew§ 238 a possibly error of pointing); —Numbers 18:8 (P).
Topical Lexicon
Anointing Oil (Mishchah): OverviewUsed approximately twenty-six times in the Old Testament, mishchah denotes the consecrated anointing oil prepared at Sinai and thereafter guarded by the priesthood. Every occurrence underscores its exclusivity for divine service, marking people, places, and objects as belonging wholly to the LORD.
Composition and Sanctity
The LORD Himself dictated the recipe (Exodus 30:22-25): “Take the finest spices: twelve and a half pounds of liquid myrrh, half that amount of fragrant cinnamon, two hundred and fifty shekels of fragrant cane, five hundred shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. Prepare from these a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be a sacred anointing oil.” Each ingredient carried symbolic resonance—myrrh for sacrifice, cinnamon for sweetness, cane for uprightness, cassia for humility, olive oil for the Spirit’s enabling. The resulting blend was declared “holy” (Exodus 30:31) and was never to be duplicated for common use; the penalty for imitation was excommunication (Exodus 30:32-33).
Consecration of the Tabernacle and Furnishings
Mishchah was first applied to the sanctuary itself: “Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy” (Exodus 40:9). Ark, table, lampstand, altar, laver, and priestly garments received the oil (Exodus 30:26-29; 40:10-11;Leviticus 8:10). Through this act, inanimate objects were set apart for perpetual holy use, typifying the truth that even the material realm must be yielded to God’s purposes.
Priestly Ordination and Perpetual Priesthood
Aaron and his sons were personally anointed: “Take the anointing oil and anoint his head and pour it on him” (Exodus 29:7).Leviticus 8:12 notes that Moses “poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him.” The oil conferred office, but it also signified empowerment.Psalm 133 later celebrates priestly fellowship with the image of oil running down Aaron’s beard, tying mishchah to unity among God’s people. The priestly portions of sacrificial offerings were likewise called “the anointing” (Leviticus 7:35), affirming that their livelihood flowed from their consecrated status.
Guardianship and Stewardship
Supervision of mishchah fell to Eleazar in the wilderness (Numbers 4:16) and to designated priests in the post-exilic community: “Some of the sons of the priests prepared the mixing of the spices” (1 Chronicles 9:30). Such oversight preserved its purity and ensured that its use never slipped into superstition or commercialism.
Restrictions and Holiness of Use
The anointing oil could never touch the flesh of a layperson (Exodus 30:32). Any vessel or person anointed became “most holy” and therefore separated from profane employment. This restriction magnified the gulf between the holy and the common, a distinction fulfilled in Christ, who bridges that gulf by sharing His anointing with believers.
Foreshadowing of the Messiah
The very term “Messiah” means “Anointed One.” Every application of mishchah anticipated the coming Son who would be anointed “with the oil of gladness above His companions” (Psalm 45:7; cf.Hebrews 1:9). Isaiah prophesied that “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news” (Isaiah 61:1). The physical oil prefigured the Holy Spirit who rests on Jesus without measure and who, through Him, now indwells the church.
New Covenant Fulfillment and Ministry Implications
While physical anointing oil appears infrequently in the New Testament, its reality is fulfilled spiritually. “Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us, placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). John writes, “You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth” (1 John 2:20). Thus, every believer shares in the priestly anointing, called to holiness, service, and witness.
Practical Lessons for the Church
1. Holiness is not optional; mishchah’s severe restrictions remind the church that sacred calling demands separation from sin.
2. True ministry flows from the Spirit, not merely from ritual. The outward oil pointed to inward empowerment.
3. Stewards must guard doctrine and practice. Just as Eleazar kept the oil, elders today safeguard apostolic teaching.
4. Unity among believers is nourished by shared anointing (Psalm 133), fostering love and cooperative service.
Summary
Mishchah threads through the Pentateuch and beyond as a tangible sign of consecration, empowerment, and divine ownership. It sanctified sanctuary, priests, and offerings; it foreshadowed the Messiah; and it anticipates the Spirit’s work in the church. The anointing oil’s holiness, exclusivity, and permanence call God’s people in every age to live as those set apart by, and filled with, the Holy Spirit.
Forms and Transliterations
הַמִּשְׁחָ֑ה הַמִּשְׁחָ֔ה הַמִּשְׁחָ֗ה הַמִּשְׁחָ֛ה הַמִּשְׁחָה֒ הַמִּשְׁחָה֙ המשחה וּמִשְׁחַ֣ת ומשחת לְמָשְׁחָ֛ה לְמָשְׁחָ֣ה למשחה מִשְׁחַ֤ת מִשְׁחַ֥ת מִשְׁחַ֧ת מִשְׁחַת־ מָשְׁחָתָ֛ם משחת משחת־ משחתם ham·miš·ḥāh hammišḥāh hammishChah lə·mā·šə·ḥāh ləmāšəḥāh lemasheChah mā·šə·ḥā·ṯām māšəḥāṯām mashechaTam miš·ḥaṯ miš·ḥaṯ- mišḥaṯ mišḥaṯ- mishchat ū·miš·ḥaṯ ūmišḥaṯ umishChat
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