χριω / χριστος

Table of Contents

• χριω / χριστος
  • Table of Contents
  • Introduction
  • Evolution of terms
    • References
  • What about oiling gymnasts with olive oil?
  • Did χρίω mean Anoint during the New Testament's writing?
    • Greek χρίω
    • Latin unguō / unctus
    • Late Latin īnungō (īnungō, -ere, -nxī, -nctum)
    • "Anoint" (Olde English)
  • examples in classical medical literature
    • χρίω is found in early medical texts, such as the Hippocratic Corpus (5th century BCE)
    • Galen's De locis affectis (174–178 CE) makes the distinction clear between ἀλείφω, χρίω, and μυρέζω
      • ἀλείφω (aleiphō) - apply oil to someone for friction, warmth, muscles (e.g. gymnasts)
      • χρίω (chriō) - apply pharmakon salve
      • μυρέζω (myredzō) and μύρον (myron) - apply perfumed oil
      • Semantic Differentiation by Substance and Purpose
    • Galen's De Methodo Medendi (175–180 CE)
  • examples in classic texts like Homer, Euripides, eg. about Medea, Odysseus, etc (800-100BCE)
    • Homeric Hymns, Hymn 5 to Aphrodite
    • Euripides Medea 633 - Feminine form of christ
    • Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound
    • Euripides' Hippolytus 516.
    • Strabo's Geography (10)
    • Bion's "To Hyacinthus" - A Failed Christing
    • Apollodorus' Argonautica Book 3 Chapter 13 Section 6
    • In Lucian's The Ass
    • Thoughts
  • examples in Septuagint and New Testament of use of χρίω or χρίstos, etc... of applying pharmakon, drugs/medical.
    • Amos 4:13 - Septuagint (Swete 1930)
    • John 4:25 - Greek New Testament (Nestle 1904)
    • John 1:41 - Greek New Testament (Nestle 1904)
    • New Testament Revelation 3:18
  • examples in contemporary texts from 0-400CE
    • Josephus (37-100CE) refers to christing pharmakon in Against Apion (~94CE)
  • What do the Lexicons say?
    • Hesychius Ancient Lexicon (~450 AD)
    • Liddell–Scott–Jones victorian era Lexicon (1843)
  • Dive into the Grammar
    • χρίω – to anoint, smear, rub with oil/drug
      • Principal Parts (standard verb forms)
    • Noun and Participle Derivatives
    • Prefixes + χρίω Verb Compounds
    • χριστός (christós) – “anointed (one)”
    • χρῖσμα (chrîsma) – “ointment, unction”
    • χρῖσις – anointing (act)
    • Aorist Passive Participle – Feminine Forms of χρίω
      • Notes:
    • Present Active Participle – Feminine of χρίω
    • Perfect Middle/Passive Participle – Feminine of χρίω
    • Present Active Participle of χρίω
      • Masculine (“anointing” – ongoing action)
      • Neuter (“anointing thing” – act/substance)
    • Perfect Middle/Passive Participle of χρίω
      • Masculine (“having been anointed”)
      • Neuter (“thing having been anointed”)
      • Participles of χρίω – Summary Table
      • Aorist Passive Participle – χρισθεῖσα (Feminine)
      • Notes:
    • Masculine Aorist Passive Participle – χρισθείς
    • Neuter Aorist Passive Participle – χρισθέν
  • Video
    • Did Christ mean drugs? Part 1
    • Did Christ mean drugs? Part 2

Introduction

In the time before Jesus (1st century CE)
A christ (χριστός) is not a μεσσιας (messiah), it is one who applies a salve with φαρμακον (pharmakon).

A christ (χρῖσμα) is always a medicated salve, or (χριστός) is one who applies those.

• It did NOT mean unguent until the later Latin reframing (0-100 CE)
• It did NOT mean inungo until the later Late Latin reframing (~50-200CE) into Christianized lens
• It did NOT mean anointed until English reframing (1300CE) into Christianized lens
• Consider:
  • pharmakon φαρμακόν (drug)
  • chrisma χρῖσμα (salve with φαρμακόν)
  • christ χρίω (to apply χρῖσμα)
  • christos χριστός (someone who χρίω)
  • pharmakeus φαρμακεύς / φαρμακίς (those who apply φαρμακόν)
  • therefore, technically, a christos χριστός is a φαρμακεύς / φαρμακίς
    • A χριστός is a person who has been χρίω-ed with χρῖσμα, which is often a φαρμακόν in salve form. The person who performs this act is a φαρμακεύς or φαρμακίς.
    • This mapping is correct from a Hellenic, mystery-cult framework, focusing on ritual pharmacology, as was done in ancient Greece/Roman oracular priesthood

Christ was a drug title (<800BCE - 100CE) for someone who applies drugs during a rite, as well as for healers/doctors applying drugs for medicine (e.g. Galen, Asclepius, Hippocrates, Medea). There were many Christs, women from the oracular priesthood, and Medea was the earliest known/documented.

Jesus was one such Christ, and according to the Greek New Testament, the messiah and his apostles were Greek language speakers living in a Hellenic context, utilizing ancient Hellenic pharmaka for spiritual enlightenment with their followers, creating their own mystery cult. As many were at the time. Rome/Greece were swimming in drugs (See The Chemical Muse for in depth dive into this topic)

• someone who is a χριστός can be a Μεσσίας, but a Μεσσίας is not a χριστός
• in the text, Jesus was both χριστός and Μεσσίας, and one did not imply the other

Χριστος is, broadly speaking, a topical drug/salve. You can certainly christ your eyes, but also to εγχριω can be sting, or prick with poison;

"II. sting, prick, τινί Pl.Phdr.251d:—Pass., ἰὸς ἐγχρισθείς poison injected by a sting, Ael.NA1.54."

It has to do with topical application.

You can christ arrows with poison. The overwhelming amount of usage for "christ" in antiquity is the use of a drug/salve topically.

The root of χρίω is χρ-. This root is associated with the meaning of to apply salves/unguents in Ancient Greek.

The English word "anoint" is derived from Latin inungō, and its sacral or messianic connotation emerged later, particularly in Christian Latin theological usage. The original Greek verb χρίω (chriō) predates this and simply meant to smear or rub a substance, such as oil or unguent, onto a surface or body. In Classical Greek, it had no inherent religious or royal significance, but it did have a pharmacological significance, over and over, in every text source. The theological weight of “anointing” (as divine consecration) was retrospectively imposed through translation and doctrinal development, especially as Greek texts like the Septuagint were read through Latin Christian lenses.

• Thus, at the time of the greek new testament ~100CE, χρίω was heaped in previous meaning, well established, as defined by the many 1000's of classical greek literature pieces in circulation.
• Dr Hillman has said he has ~10000 example χρίω references in BCE and 20000 example χρίω references in CE.
• We can search the TLG to find occurrences of the word forms across ancient greek literature. And here is where we can count the occurrences, and gauge the overall context of usage.

Here's a breakdown of the derivation:

• χρίω: The verb itself means to apply a salve or unguent, to smear, or to stain. It comes from the root χρ-, which gives rise to various related forms and words in both classical and later Greek, especially in religious or ritual contexts (e.g., applying pharmakon).
• Related words include:
  • χρῖσμα (chrîsma): a medicated salve, unguent.
  • χρῖσις (chrîsis): The act of applying the unguent or salve.
  • χριστός (christos) - the one who christs.  A title given to magus who applies their followers with drug salve.  derives from χρίω, a title for a person who applies a pharmaka salve or unguent, often in mystery cults.

Evolution of terms

The word anoint didn't exist till ~1300CE, unguent evolved (in latin) around time of Greek New Testament.

time	term	use	language	notes
1300 CE	ointment	anoint (using ointment)	English or Middle English	to apply oil ritually - from Old French enoindre, Latin inungere
1200 CE	enoindre	enoindre (using oindre/huile (oil))	Old French	to apply oil ritually
50–200 CE	---	inungo (using unguentum)	Late Latin	to ceremonially apply unguent
0-100 CE	unguentum	unguo (using unguentum)	Latin	to smear, rub, apply unguent
800 BCE	χρῖσμα	χρίω (using χρῖσμα)	Ancient Greek	to apply salve/oil with pharmakon drug sorcery (pharmakia (φαρμακεία)) performed by sorcerers (pharmakís (φαρμακίς)) ancient doctors, healers, spiritual
1500 BCE	μύρον	μυρίζω (using μύρον)	Ancient Greek	to apply scented oil or perfume

References

English & Middle English

• Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
  • Best source for dated attestations of English words
  • Gives first known usage, evolution of spelling, and full etymology
• Middle English Dictionary (Univ. of Michigan)
  • Fully online: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-english-dictionary
  • Helps track 1100–1500 CE usage with examples

Old French / Middle French

• Frédéric Godefroy’s Old French Dictionary
  • "Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française" (available online or in reprint)
• DMF (Dictionnaire du Moyen Français)
  • Online at: http://www.atilf.fr/dmf/

Latin

• Lewis and Short Latin Dictionary
  • Available at Perseus https://www.perseus.tufts.edu
• Oxford Latin Dictionary (OLD)
  • Best for Classical Latin
• Thesaurus Linguae Latinae (TLL)
  • Massive, scholarly, ongoing project — most comprehensive for Latin etymologies

Ancient Greek

• Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon (LSJ)
  • Searchable at Perseus and Logeion https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=χριω&la=greek
  • Victorian authors here use the later christianized reframing "anoint" for χριω in LSJ... because it became equivalent, however we are doing detective work leading up to the time of the Apostles New Testament writings in Greek, therefore we need to dig further into ancient lexicons than trust the LSJ for χριω

What about oiling gymnasts with olive oil?

This is aleiphō (ἀλείφω), eleiphen or aleipsosin, not christos

• see examples in classical medical literature below.

Oil	aleiphō (ἀλείφω), eleiphen, aleipsosin	Anything smeared or rubbed on the body, olive oil on gymnasts
Perfumed Oil or Cream	μύρον (myron)	Perfumed oil or cream, scented or luxurious
Medicinal Salve	χρῖσμα (chrisma)	A rubbed-on medicine salve

Examples:

• We ἀλείφω (smear/apply) the ἄλειμμα (salve / ointment (the substance))
• Mark 14:8 Jesus was creamed with muron: μυρίσαι scented muron
• eleiphen - He/she/it was smearing
• aleipsosin - That they might smear/anoint

Oils are eleiphen(ed) or aleiphō(ed)
Creams/Oils that are scented are μυρίσαι(ed)
Salves that are medicated are christed/applied

Did χρίω mean Anoint during the New Testament's writing?

No!
"χρίω" was overwritten with unguō in theological Latin, then Anoint in English.

Greek χρίω

• Original Meaning: "to rub, smear, apply oil" (bodily, medicinal, cosmetic)
• Earliest Use: Homeric era (c. 8th century BCE)
• Shift: Early 1st c. CE — begins theological reinterpretation in New Testament Greek (used to describe Jesus as Christós, "the anointed one")
• Full theological shift: By ~400 CE, Church theology repurposes χρίω exclusively for sacred ritual, no longer medicinal

Latin unguō / unctus

• Meaning: "to smear or rub with oil, oint"
• Adopted in Christian Latin for sacred anointing by 4th–5th c. CE
• Unctus (past participle) gives us:
  • unctio → unction (religious anointing)
  • Christus = "anointed one" (from Greek Χριστός)

Late Latin īnungō (īnungō, -ere, -nxī, -nctum)

• means "to anoint, smear on, or rub in", especially in ceremonial or ritual contexts such as anointing a king, priest, or warrior.
• īnungō is a relatively rare or late-attested form in Classical Latin, compared to the more common ungō or unguō.
• In Lexicons
  • Lewis & Short (1879) list īnungo as a later or less classical form, with the note:
    • “only in later Latin.”It may appear in late classical, post-classical, or ecclesiastical contexts.
  • The Thesaurus Linguae Latinae (TLL) provides citations from later Roman or Christian Latin texts, often in ecclesiastical anointing rituals — such as for kings or bishops.Think post-2nd century CE, and especially into Late Antiquity (3rd–6th centuries CE).
• By Late Latin (300s CE and beyond), especially in Christian liturgical language, īnungō became associated with sacramental anointing
  • The best early evidence comes from Christian Latin texts in the 2nd century CE, where anointing (unctionem, from inungo) is explicitly linked to ritual consecration (e.g., baptism, anointing of bishops).
  • Tacitus (56–120 CE) and other historians mention ritual acts but do not always use inungo specifically.

"Anoint" (Olde English)

• Not present in early Latin or early Christian texts
• Comes from Old French enoint (past participle of enoindre = "to anoint"), which came from Latin inunguere (in- + unguō)
• Date of emergence in English: ~1300 CE
  • Oxford English Dictionary: First attested c. 1300, Middle English

The Latin Church redefined χρίω by 400 CE to mean sacred unction — borrowing from Latin unguō, not "anoint."
The word “anoint” itself is much later — a Middle English development from Old French, entering around 1300 CE.

examples in classical medical literature

χρίω is found in early medical texts, such as the Hippocratic Corpus (5th century BCE)

Hippocratic On Fractures (Περὶ ἁπλάστων, LXXI, Paris gr. 277) 

• χρῶσιν - application of medicated salve (noun from χρίω, “to apply a medicated salve”)
• ἐπιβάλῃ - he/she applies (aorist subjunctive of ἐπιβάλλω)
• φαρμάκῳ - with medicine (dative of φάρμακον)
• ἐπαλείψῃ - he/she rubs on / spreads on (aorist subjunctive of ἐπαλείφω)
• τὴν χρῶσιν - the application (accusative, referring again to χρῶσιν)

Galen's De locis affectis (174–178 CE) makes the distinction clear between ἀλείφω, χρίω, and μυρέζω

Galen's De locis affectis (Latin for "On the Affected Parts") is a significant six-book medical treatise that delves into the localization of diseases within the human body. Originally composed in Greek as Περὶ τῶν πεπονθότων τόπων, this work stands as a cornerstone in the history of pathology, offering insights into how specific bodily regions correspond to particular ailments

ἀλείφω (aleiphō) - apply oil to someone for friction, warmth, muscles (e.g. gymnasts)

• Literal meaning: to oil, to smear with oil
• Context: Used for physical care, athletic preparation, and massage. Usually refers to simple oils (like olive oil) applied for friction, warmth, or muscle recovery.
• Examples in Galen: Used when discussing gymnasia, preparation of the body, maintaining health, sometimes as part of regimen (δίαιτα).

χρίω (chriō) - apply pharmakon salve

• Literal meaning: to smear or daub with something more substantial—often medical or potent.
• Context: Refers to application of φάρμακα (drugs or treatments), especially those absorbed through the skin and with internal effect—e.g. mood alteration, sedation, excitation, inflammation reduction.
• In Galen: Frequently appears in works like Περὶ φαρμάκων, Περὶ τῆς ἰδίας γνώσεως, and Μέθοδοι ἰατρικαί. Galen distinguishes between ἀλείφειν (maintenance or warming) and χρίειν (delivering an effect, sometimes narcotic or soporific).

μυρέζω (myredzō) and μύρον (myron) - apply perfumed oil

• μυρέζω: to apply perfume or perfumed oil (esp. luxurious or scented oil)
• μύρον: a scented oil or unguent used in grooming, erotic preparation, funerary rituals, or high-status personal care.
• In Galen: Rarely medical. He sometimes warns against their overuse as decadent or ineffective for healing. See his criticism of hedonistic medicine in De Methodo Medendi.

Semantic Differentiation by Substance and Purpose

Greek Term	Substance Used	Purpose	Context of Use
ἀλείφω	Olive oil, infused oils	Warmth, muscle prep, physical maintenance	Athletics, gymnasia
χρίω	Drug salves, medicated pastes	Medicinal (e.g. sedation, inflammation)	Clinical, therapeutic
μυρέζω	Scented, luxury oils	Cosmetic, ritual, sensual	Grooming, rituals, elite

Galen's De Methodo Medendi (175–180 CE)

In De Methodo Medendi, Book 10 (Kühn X.816), Galen critiques physicians who “use χρίματα not to cure, but to please.” Here, χρίματα refers to narcotic or mind-affecting drug-pastes—not oils. He contrasts this against moderate physical regimens (where ἀλείφειν is appropriate).

examples in classic texts like Homer, Euripides, eg. about Medea, Odysseus, etc (800-100BCE)

Homeric Hymns, Hymn 5 to Aphrodite

The oldest use of christ, the root of χρίω, was in the Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite. And she was christing herself / bathing in "heavenly oil". What makes an oil "heavenly"? Ambrosial (ἀμβρότῳ) oil.

• ἀμβρότῳ (ambrotō) - literally "immortal" or "divine"

An early and significant appearance of the verb χρίω (χρῖσαν in that passage). The word is used when Aphrodite is bathed and christed (χρῖσαν) with ἀμβρότῳ ἐλαίῳ — "ambrosial oil" — the divine substance of the gods. Ambrosia was divine "magic" pharmakon to the gods, as normal "magic" pharmakon was to humans (magic is used as word for psychoactive / entheogenic here).

• Most scholars date the Homeric Hymns to between 700–500 BCE, depending on the specific hymn.
• Hymn 5 to Aphrodite is stylistically similar to early Archaic epic poetry and is often dated to the 7th century BCE (circa 650–600 BCE).

So, the oldest literary use of "christing" (χρίω) (which incidentally, also includes the sense of applying a divine drug salve) appears around 650 BCE. 7th century BCE.

Hymn 5 to Aphrodite

Euripides Medea 633 - Feminine form of christ

• χρίσασα - having applied medicated salve - a feminine form of the Aorist Active Participle, Nominative/Vocative Singular

χρίσασα

AOR ACT NOM.SG FEM PTCP

χρίω

The participle χρίσασ’ modifies the implied subject of the verb ἐφείης, which is "you" — that is, the goddess, the δέσποινα. Since δέσποινα is feminine, the participle χρίσασ’ must also be feminine to match.

Euripides Medea 633

Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound

Euripides' Hippolytus 516.

Strabo's Geography (10)

Cleopatra kills herself, by christing with a drug salve link to Perseus Scaife
Strabo wrote his Geography (Γεωγραφικά) in the early 1st century CE, during the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius.

• Started writing: around 7 BCE
• Final revisions likely completed: around 23 CE

Bion's "To Hyacinthus" - A Failed Christing

ΕΙΣ ΥΑΚΙΝΘΟΝ
Ἀμφασία τὸν Φοῖβον ἕλεν τόσον ἄλγος ἔχοντα.
δίζετο φάρμακα πάντα σοφὰν δ’ ἐπεμαίετο τέχναν,
χρῖεν δ’ ἀμβροσίᾳ καὶ νέκταρι, χρῖεν ἅπασαν
ὠτειλάν· μοιραῖα δ’ ἀναλθέα τραύματα πάντα

A speechlessness grasped at Phoebus upon bearing witness to such great agony.
At a loss, he sought to obtain all drugs, and by clever skill,
he christed him with ambrosia and nectar, he christed the entire wound.
But by fate all things were powerless to heal the wounds

Bion is a poet from the 1st - 2nd century B.C.

Apollodorus' Argonautica Book 3 Chapter 13 Section 6

ὡς δὲ ἐγέννησε Θέτις ἐκ Πηλέως βρέφος, ἀθάνατον θέλουσα ποιῆσαι τοῦτο, κρύφα Πηλέως εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἐγκρύβουσα τῆς νυκτὸς ἔφθειρεν ὃ ἦν αὐτῷ θνητὸν πατρῷον, μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν δὲ ἔχριεν ἀμβροσίᾳ.

When Thetis had born a babe by Peleus, she wished to make it immortal, and unknown to Peleus she used to hide it in the fire by night in order to destroy the mortal element which the child inherited from its father, but by day she christed him with ambrosia.

In Lucian's The Ass

Written around 160CE

the protagonist asks a Thessalian witch to christ him with pharmakon. He turns into an ass...and carries a "burden".

The root verb χρίω (chriō) appears generally in Greek magical and mystery literature, including transformations via φάρμακον (pharmakon).

In Loukios ē Onos, the transformation scene (where the woman turns into a bird) is described with χρίω or related forms like χρισάμενος (having christed oneself). This is literal—she smeared herself with a salve.

There is no metaphorical "anointing" here—no kingship, messianism, or divine favor. The "christing" here is purely physical, ritualistic, and squarely in drug magic.

1. Apuleius’s Metamorphoses (The Golden Ass)

• Language: Latin
• Date: ca. 160 CE
• Author: Apuleius of Madauros
• Status: The longer, more complex and mystical version (11 books)

2. Loukios ē Onos (Λούκιος ἢ Ὄνος)

• Language: Greek
• Date: Likely late 2nd century CE, possibly after Apuleius
• Author: Pseudo-Lucian (not Lucian himself)
• Status: A shorter, simpler version of the same tale—many scholars believe it’s a Greek epitome or paraphrase of Metamorphoses

Thoughts

Historically, in the literature, it's a topical drug or remedy.

If this noun and its verb form had been used since the Greek Classical era, when and where did it become a person's title?

examples in Septuagint and New Testament of use of χρίω or χρίstos, etc... of applying pharmakon, drugs/medical.

Amos 4:13 - Septuagint (Swete 1930)

the place in Old Testament where god says he'll show humanity his christ, clearly this is a title some 300yrs earlier of someone/thing else

Amos 4:13 - Septuagint (Swete 1930)

Here’s a breakdown of the key phrase in verse 13:

• χριστόν is the accusative singular masculine form of χριστός (the one who applies the visionary salve), from the verb χρίω (to apply pharmakon salve).
• It is used here as a substantive adjective, i.e., functioning as a noun meaning "the one who applies the visionary salve"

This is a striking statement because it explicitly says that God Himself is announcing (ἀπαγγέλλων) His Christ (τὸν χριστὸν αὐτοῦ) to humanity. This phrasing strongly suggests a divine proclamation of a specific person carrying that title (christos / χριστός)—long before the New Testament.

And then there's Jesus. Who has the drug title. But also keep in mind that capitalization didn't happen in the ancient texts... script was for script and capitals was for engraving. So, was χριστος a proper noun, a last name, or simply describing what kind of person he was whenever Ἰησους was mentioned?

John 4:25 - Greek New Testament (Nestle 1904)

The messiah is called a christos…
Messiah != Christ, these are separate concepts...

In John 4:25 Interlinear Greek, we are told of the messiah (Μεσσίας is Greek word for messiah) and he is to be called Χριστός (christ). Messiah and Christ are separate words that have completely separate meanings that have been conflated by believers.

Χριστός is a Bronze Age pharmakon term that means a salve or unguent. Its application can be a "rubbed in christing" (ἐγχριστός) as in Interlinear Greek Rev 3:18 (ἐγχρίσαι) states clearly in Jesus' words, or

"smeared on christing" (ἐπιχριστός) as in Interlinear Greek John 9:6/11, which describes Jesus spitting on ground and mixing it with dirt and smearing (christing) it on the guys eyes (ἐπιχρίσεν).

Χριστός and its applications (ἐγχριστός and ἐπιχριστός) were understood in Jesus time to mean what they meant in the Bronze Age because that is how the NT uses those words. The hallucination (fairy tale) that these words mean something religious today, is what scholars should be OPPOSED to. 

John 1:41 - Greek New Testament (Nestle 1904)

• Both Μεσσίας and χριστός appear, sometimes side-by-side, as in:

Linguistic Implications:

• The fact that the Evangelist “translates” Μεσσίας as χριστός shows:
  • Μεσσίας was understood as a unique cultural title, that needed clarification for Greek speakers.
  • χριστός, while familiar in Greek, did not originally carry the theological or eschatological weight of Μεσσίας

The authors here, reframed christos to mean messiah to their cult.
But the reader would have known christos already, as a medical or oracular term.

New Testament Revelation 3:18

New Testament Revelation 3:18 (Nestle 1904)

• ἐγχρῖσαι (eg-chrisai) - to have applied a medicated salve

Applying drug salves to the eyes to induce visions

examples in contemporary texts from 0-400CE

Josephus (37-100CE) refers to christing pharmakon in Against Apion (~94CE)

Commentary: It is from Josephus’ work "Against Apion" (late 1st century CE, specifically after 94 CE), in which he refutes Egyptian narratives about the exodus story. He discusses the plagues in Egypt and how their Christing pharmakons didn’t save them from Moses. He was schooling the Egyptians in this case for their totally real magic not working against the totally real plagues that happened in the totally real exodus. Joshepus was what they call a "turn-coat" basically. He was a Jewish historian but started working for the Flavians, hence the name change. There are many historians that believe he is the one responsible for rewriting the Bible as a task of the Flavians.

What do the Lexicons say?

See also: Ancient Greek Lexicons

Hesychius Ancient Lexicon (~450 AD)

From Hesychius

Liddell–Scott–Jones victorian era Lexicon (1843)

From the LSJ
Note:

• rub or infect with poison
• θανάτῳ - death
• φαρμάκου - pharmakon (drugs)
• προφήτην - prophets (one who speaks for a god and interprets his will)
• poison one's arrows
• smear their bodies
• sting of the gadfly

Dive into the Grammar

χρίω – to anoint, smear, rub with oil/drug

Principal Parts (standard verb forms)

• Present: χρίω – I anoint
• Future: χρίσω – I will anoint
• Aorist: ἔχρισα – I anointed
• Perfect Active: κέχρικα – I have anointed
• Perfect Middle/Passive: κέχριμαι – I have been anointed
• Aorist Passive: ἐχρίσθην – I was anointed

Noun and Participle Derivatives

• χρῖσμα (chrîsma) – ointment, anointing substance
• χρῖσις (chrîsis) – anointing, act of applying
• χριστός (christós) – anointed one (past participle, masc.); also a title
• χριτός (chritós) – poetic variant of christós
• χριτήρ (chritḗr) – anointer, one who anoints

Prefixes + χρίω Verb Compounds

• ἐπιχρίω (epikhríō) – to anoint upon, apply to surface
• περιχρίω (perikhríō) – to anoint all around, smear completely
• καταχρίω (katakhríō) – to anoint thoroughly, or downward
• ἀντιχρίω (antikhríō) – to apply antidotes
• ἀντίχρῖσμα (antíchrîsma): An antidote. to χρῖσμα (chrîsma), which is a drug.
• συγχρίω (sunkhríō) – to anoint together, jointly
• διάχρίω (diakhríō) – to smear through, anoint across
• ὑποχρίω (hupokhríō) – to anoint under, underneath
• παραχρίω (parakhríō) – to anoint beside, next to
• ἀποχρίω (apokhríō) – to wipe off, smear away (contextual nuance: from/anointing off)

χριστός (christós) – “anointed (one)”

Masculine adjective used as noun (1st aorist passive participle)
2nd declension, masculine

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	χριστός	χριστώ	χριστοί
Genitive	χριστοῦ	χριστοῖν	χριστῶν
Dative	χριστῷ	χριστοῖν	χριστοῖς
Accusative	χριστόν	χριστώ	χριστούς
Vocative	χριστέ	–	χριστοί

• Note: As a participle, χριστός can also appear in neuter (χριστόν) and feminine forms (χριστή, etc.), depending on agreement with the noun it modifies.

χρῖσμα (chrîsma) – “ointment, unction”

Neuter noun from verbal stem (from aorist χρῖ–), 3rd declension

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	χρῖσμα	χρίσματε	χρίσματα
Genitive	χρίσματος	χρισμάτων	χρισμάτων
Dative	χρίσματι	χρίσμασι(ν)	χρίσμασι(ν)
Accusative	χρῖσμα	χρίσματε	χρίσματα
Vocative	χρῖσμα	–	χρίσματα

• This noun refers to the substance used for anointing (ointment, salve, oil), and can be literal or symbolic (as in religious rites).

χρῖσις – anointing (act)

Feminine noun, 3rd declension (i-stem)

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	χρῖσις	χρίσει	χρίσεις
Genitive	χρίσεως	χρίσεοιν	χρήσεων
Dative	χρίσει	χρίσεοιν	χρίσεσι(ν)
Accusative	χρῖσιν	χρίσει	χρίσεις
Vocative	χρῖσις	–	χρίσεις

• From the verb χρίω, this form focuses on the action itself—the ritual or act of applying oil or drug, not the substance or the anointed person.

Here are the feminine participle forms of χρίω (χριστός – anointed) in Attic Greek, following standard participial morphology. This is the 1st aorist passive participle, as the root verb χρίω takes an aorist passive stem for being anointed.

Aorist Passive Participle – Feminine Forms of χρίω

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	χριστή	χρισταί	χρισταί
Genitive	χριστῆς	χρισταῖν	χριστῶν
Dative	χριστῇ	χρισταῖν	χρισταῖς
Accusative	χριστήν	χριστάς	χριστάς
Vocative	χριστή	–	χρισταί

Notes:

• This is a 1st aorist passive participle from χρίω.
• Feminine participles use 1st declension endings (–ή, –ῆς, etc.) but follow the verbal aspect and voice.
• χριστή literally means “the one who has been anointed” (feminine), often ritually or medicinally.

Present Active Participle – Feminine of χρίω

Meaning: “anointing (currently)”
Present stem: χρι–, uses 1st declension endings

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	χρίουσα	χριοῦσαι	χριοῦσαι
Genitive	χριούσης	χριουσῶν	χριουσῶν
Dative	χριούσῃ	χριούσαιν	χριούσαις
Accusative	χριοῦσαν	χριούσας	χριούσας
Vocative	χρίουσα	–	χριοῦσαι

• This form describes a woman who is anointing (in the act of doing so).
• Used in continuous or habitual sense.

Perfect Middle/Passive Participle – Feminine of χρίω

Meaning: “having been anointed” (completed action, with result)
Perfect stem: κεχρι–, uses 1st declension endings

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	κεχρισμένη	κεχρισμένω	κεχρισμέναι
Genitive	κεχρισμένης	κεχρισμέναιν	κεχρισμένων
Dative	κεχρισμένῃ	κεχρισμέναιν	κεχρισμέναις
Accusative	κεχρισμένην	κεχρισμένω	κεχρισμένας
Vocative	κεχρισμένη	–	κεχρισμέναι

• This participle implies the state of having been anointed and remaining so.
• Very common in religious, magical, or ritual contexts (e.g., "she who has been anointed").

Below are the masculine and neuter participle forms of χρίω for both:

• Present Active
• Perfect Middle/Passive

These follow standard Attic Greek morphology. Let’s go step by step.

Present Active Participle of χρίω

Masculine (“anointing” – ongoing action)

Stem: χρι–
Follows 3rd declension masculine endings (consonant stem)

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	χρίων	χρίοντε	χρίοντες
Genitive	χρίοντος	χριόντοιν	χριόντων
Dative	χρίοντι	χριόντοιν	χρίουσι(ν)
Accusative	χρίοντα	χρίοντε	χρίοντας
Vocative	χρίων	–	χρίοντες

Neuter (“anointing thing” – act/substance)

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	χρίον	χρίοντε	χρίοντα
Genitive	χρίοντος	χριόντοιν	χριόντων
Dative	χρίοντι	χριόντοιν	χρίουσι(ν)
Accusative	χρίον	χρίοντε	χρίοντα
Vocative	χρίον	–	χρίοντα

Perfect Middle/Passive Participle of χρίω

Masculine (“having been anointed”)

Stem: κεχρισμεν–, Follows 1st/2nd declension

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	κεχρισμένος	κεχρισμένω	κεχρισμένοι
Genitive	κεχρισμένου	κεχρισμέναιν	κεχρισμένων
Dative	κεχρισμένῳ	κεχρισμέναιν	κεχρισμένοις
Accusative	κεχρισμένον	κεχρισμένω	κεχρισμένους
Vocative	κεχρισμένε	–	κεχρισμένοι

Neuter (“thing having been anointed”)

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	κεχρισμένον	κεχρισμένω	κεχρισμένα
Genitive	κεχρισμένου	κεχρισμέναιν	κεχρισμένων
Dative	κεχρισμένῳ	κεχρισμέναιν	κεχρισμένοις
Accusative	κεχρισμένον	κεχρισμένω	κεχρισμένα
Vocative	κεχρισμένον	–	κεχρισμένα

These forms give you everything from "the one who anoints" (χρίων) to "the one who has been anointed"(κεχρισμένος) in all genders and major participial tenses.

Participles of χρίω – Summary Table

Tense	Voice	Gender	Nominative Form	Meaning	Aspectual Nuance
Present	Active	Masculine	χρίων	anointing (he)	ongoing / continuous
		Feminine	χρίουσα	anointing (she)	ongoing / continuous
		Neuter	χρίον	anointing (thing)	ongoing / continuous
Aorist	Passive	Masculine	χρισθείς	having been anointed (he)	simple/completed past
		Feminine	χρισθεῖσα	having been anointed (she)	simple/completed past
		Neuter	χρισθέν	having been anointed (thing)	simple/completed past
Perfect	Mid/Passive	Masculine	κεχρισμένος	having been anointed (he)	completed with ongoing result
		Feminine	κεχρισμένη	having been anointed (she)	completed with ongoing result
		Neuter	κεχρισμένον	having been anointed (thing)	completed with ongoing result

Aorist Passive Participle – χρισθεῖσα (Feminine)

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	χρισθεῖσα	χρισθεῖσᾱ	χρισθεῖσαι
Genitive	χρισθείσης	χρισθείσαιν	χρισθεισῶν
Dative	χρισθείσῃ	χρισθείσαιν	χρισθείσαις
Accusative	χρισθεῖσαν	χρισθεῖσᾱ	χρισθείσᾱς
Vocative	χρισθεῖσα	–	χρισθεῖσαι

Notes:

• Tense: Aorist (completed past action)
• Voice: Passive (subject is acted upon)
• Gender: Feminine
• Example Meaning: “She who was anointed”

This form is common in ritual, poetic, and biblical Greek, especially in the context of consecration, healing, or divine selection.

Here is the full declension of the aorist passive participles of χρίω for masculine (χρισθείς) and neuter (χρισθέν). These follow standard third-declension patterns.

Masculine Aorist Passive Participle – χρισθείς

(“having been anointed” – he)

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	χρισθείς	χρισθέντε	χρισθέντες
Genitive	χρισθέντος	χρισθέντοιν	χρισθέντων
Dative	χρισθέντι	χρισθέντοιν	χρισθεῖσι(ν)
Accusative	χρισθέντα	χρισθέντε	χρισθέντας
Vocative	χρισθεῖς	–	χρισθέντες

• Declines like all -είς / -έντος masculine participles.
• Note the vocative is identical to the nominative singular: χρισθείς.

Neuter Aorist Passive Participle – χρισθέν

(“having been anointed” – thing)

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	χρισθέν	χρισθέντε	χρισθέντα
Genitive	χρισθέντος	χρισθέντοιν	χρισθέντων
Dative	χρισθέντι	χρισθέντοιν	χρισθεῖσι(ν)
Accusative	χρισθέν	χρισθέντε	χρισθέντα
Vocative	χρισθέν	–	χρισθέντα

• Like all neuter participles, nominative = accusative = vocative.
• Common for things or abstract subjects, e.g. “the anointed object”, “what was anointed.”

Video

Did Christ mean drugs? Part 1

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Did Christ mean drugs? Part 2

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