Greek word · G250

ἀλόη

aloē

aloes

In Greek medical writers (e.g. Dioscorides) ἀλόη usually means the bitter dried juice of the aloe plant, used as a medicine. In Jewish usage it also stood for the fragrant resinous heartwood that Hebrew calls ahalim/ahalot (aloeswood, agarwood, Aquilaria), which was burned or powdered as perfume.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἀλόη, -ης, ἡ

[in LXX: Song of Songs 4:14 א (אֲהָלִים)* ;]

the aloe, aloes (the powder of a fragrant wood): John 19:39.†

(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 John 19:39

Range of meaning

In Greek medical writers (e.g. Dioscorides) ἀλόη usually means the bitter dried juice of the aloe plant, used as a medicine. In Jewish usage it also stood for the fragrant resinous heartwood that Hebrew calls ahalim/ahalot (aloeswood, agarwood, Aquilaria), which was burned or powdered as perfume. Greek also had a separate word for that wood, ἀγάλλοχον.

Against the English

English "aloes" now brings to mind aloe vera gel for sunburn. Most commentators think John means the aromatic wood. Either way it is not a soothing skin gel.

How it drifted

The plant Aloe vera has taken over the English word, while the perfume-wood sense has become obscure.

Used elsewhere in the period

Hebrew Bible: Num 24:6; Ps 45:8 ("myrrh and aloes and cassia" on the king's robes); Prov 7:17 ("myrrh, aloes and cinnamon"); Song 4:14 ("myrrh and aloes", which the Septuagint renders σμύρνα αλωθ). These passages show that myrrh plus aloes was a stock pairing of luxury perfumes.

Where it appears

John · 1

  1. John 19:39 ἀλόης aloes

    Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.

    Here: Probably the fragrant wood called aloeswood or agarwood (Hebrew ahalim/ahalot), ground to powder. The word could also mean the bitter juice of the aloe plant (see debates). It is not the soothing gel modern readers know.

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