Greek word · G1637

ἔλαιον

elaion

olive oil

Olive oil: food, lamp fuel, cosmetic, medicine, and the oil used for anointing. Wine: everyday drink, offering poured out in worship, and medicine. Together with grain, 'grain, new wine and oil' were the three staples of the land's harvest (Deut 7:13; Hos 2:8).

Appears 11 times in 11 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἔλαιον, -ου, τό

[in LXX chiefly for שֶׁמֶן ;]

olive-oil: Luke 16:6, Revelation 6:6 18:13; for lamps, Matthew 25:3-4, 8; for healing, Mark 6:13, Luke 10:34, John 5:14; for anointing at feasts, Luke 7:46, Hebrews 1:9" (LXX) .†

SYN.: μύρον, ointment, see Tr., Syn., 135 (AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Luke 10:34

Range of meaning

Olive oil: food, lamp fuel, cosmetic, medicine, and the oil used for anointing. Wine: everyday drink, offering poured out in worship, and medicine. Together with grain, 'grain, new wine and oil' were the three staples of the land's harvest (Deut 7:13; Hos 2:8).

Against the English

English 'oil and wine' is accurate. NLT's choice to say the Samaritan 'soothed' the wounds with them interprets the purpose correctly. A modern reader may not know these were medicines at all and may take them as symbols.

How it drifted

Readers who do not know ancient medicine tend to look for a hidden meaning. From the early church fathers on, the pair was read allegorically (for example, Augustine: oil is the comfort of hope, wine is the urging to work fervently).

Used elsewhere in the period

The Hippocratic medical writings (e.g. On Ulcers) recommend wine for cleaning wounds, and oil was the usual softening ointment (compare Isa 1:6). Later rabbinic texts also mention wine and oil together as a treatment. In worship, wine and oil went with offerings (Num 15:4–10; Lev 2). In Rev 6:6 'the oil and the wine' stand for basic goods.

From the study of Matthew 25:8

Range of meaning

Olive oil: fuel for lamps, food, medicine (Luke 10:34; James 5:14), cosmetic and anointing oil (Matt 6:17), and a major trade commodity (Luke 16:6; Rev 6:6; 18:13).

Against the English

'Oil' is accurate. The issue is what readers make it stand for.

How it drifted

Later readers turned the oil into an allegorical symbol: good works or almsgiving in John Chrysostom, joy of a good conscience or love in Augustine, and in much modern preaching the Holy Spirit. Matthew's text does not identify the oil.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ordinary lamp fuel throughout the Mediterranean world. Some Greek-speaking Christian interpreters played on the sound of ἔλαιον ('oil') and ἔλεος ('mercy') to tie the oil to works of mercy.

From the study of Matthew 25:3

Range of meaning

Olive oil. It was used for food, light, anointing the body, healing wounds (Luke 10:34), and anointing kings and priests. It was a staple product of the land of Israel.

Against the English

"Oil" is accurate. The NLT's "olive oil" is even more precise. Nothing about the word itself is mysterious.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exod 27:20 LXX commands "pure olive oil, beaten, for the light" so that the tabernacle lamp would burn continually. Oil for light was ordinary, and was bought and sold (Matt 25:9, "go to those who sell"). Later interpreters read the oil allegorically in many ways: good works, love, joy, almsgiving (Chrysostom plays on ἔλαιον "oil" and ἔλεος "mercy"), and in much modern preaching the Holy Spirit.

Similar words

Where it appears

Matthew · 3

  1. Matthew 25:3 ἔλαιον, oil,

    The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil.

    Here: Olive oil, the ordinary fuel for light in the ancient Mediterranean. It comes last in the Greek sentence, which leaves the missing item hanging at the end. The parable never says what the oil stands for.

  2. Matthew 25:4 ἔλαιον oil

    But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

  3. Matthew 25:8 ἐλαίου oil

    The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

    Here: Olive oil, the ordinary fuel for lamps and torches in the ancient Mediterranean. In the story it is the reserve supply that decides who can still give light when the bridegroom comes.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 6:13 ἐλαίῳ with oil

    They also drove out many demons and healed many of the sick, anointing them with oil.

Luke · 3

  1. Luke 7:46 ἐλαίῳ With oil

    You did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with perfume.

  2. Luke 10:34 ἔλαιον oil

    He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

    Here: Olive oil, the standard soothing agent for wounds and bruises in the ancient world (compare Isa 1:6, where wounds are 'not softened with oil'). A traveller carried it for food, lamps and first aid.

  3. Luke 16:6 ἐλαίου. of oil.

    ‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Take your bill,’ said the manager, ‘sit down quickly, and write fifty.’

Hebrews · 1

  1. Hebrews 1:9 ἔλαιον with [the] oil

    You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You above Your companions with the oil of joy.”

    Here: The substance of the anointing. Greek says "anoint someone something," so "oil" is a second object of the verb: "anointed you [with] oil." In Israel scented olive oil meant honour, health and festivity.

James · 1

  1. James 5:14 ἐλαίῳ with oil

    Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

    Here: Plain olive oil, the everyday oil of the Mediterranean, used in food, lamps, skin care and medicine. It was also the oil of Israel's consecrations. Nothing here says it must be special or perfumed.

Revelation · 2

  1. Revelation 6:6 ἔλαιον oil

    And I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine.”

    Here: Olive oil, used for food, lamps, washing and medicine. Together with grain and wine it was one of the three basic products of Mediterranean farming.

  2. Revelation 18:13 ἔλαιον oil

    of cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; of wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat; of cattle, sheep, horses, and carriages; of bodies and souls of slaves.

    Here: Olive oil, used for food, lamps, bathing and medicine. Rome imported it on a massive scale, especially from southern Spain and North Africa.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.