Bible Dictionaries

Mashiach, the anointed, is an official title in the O.T. of those who were to rule for God. 1 Samuel 12:3,5 ; 1 Samuel 26:9,11,16 ; 2 Chronicles 6:42 ; Isaiah 45:1 . In the N.T. the title is restricted to the Lord Jesus — ὁ χριστός, the Christ — as the One anointed, not with oil, but with the Holy Spirit by God the Father. This had been predicted in Psalm 45:7 , of which John the Baptist was the witness. Mark 1:10 ; John 1:32-34 : cf. also Acts 10:38 . He was called God's anointed by Hannah, 1 Samuel 2:10 and by David, Psalm 2:2 . Daniel spoke of Messiah the Prince, and that He would be cut off and have nothing. Daniel 9:25,26 . The Samaritans as well as the Jews expected this anointed One, the Christ; and when He appeared souls were brought into living intercourse with Him, and owned Him as the promised One. John 1:41 ; John 4:25 . In these two passages the Lord is called 'Messias,' the word being simply the Greek form of the Hebrew word mashiach. In other places a translation is used and He is called ὁ χριστός, 'the Christ,' the anointed One. See CHRIST.