{
  "id": "dict_005392",
  "term": "SPIKENARD",
  "slug": "spikenard",
  "letter": "S",
  "entry_type": "biblical_object",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A costly fragrant perfume or ointment mentioned in Scripture, especially in scenes of anointing.",
  "simple_one_line": "Spikenard is a precious biblical perfume used to express honor and devotion.",
  "tooltip_text": "A costly aromatic perfume or ointment used in biblical anointing scenes.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Anointing",
    "Burial",
    "Fragrance",
    "Worship",
    "Mary of Bethany",
    "Perfume"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Mark 14:3-9",
    "John 12:3-8",
    "Song of Solomon",
    "Costly devotion"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Spikenard is a costly fragrant ointment or perfume mentioned in the Bible, especially in contexts of anointing and devotion.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A precious aromatic ointment or perfume in Scripture, used as a sign of honor, love, and costly devotion.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "A luxury fragrance in the ancient world",
    "Appears in Song of Solomon and in the anointing of Jesus",
    "Symbolically associated with lavish honor and sacrificial worship",
    "Its meaning is contextual, not a fixed technical doctrine"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Spikenard was an expensive aromatic perfume or ointment used in the ancient world and mentioned in Scripture in both poetic and narrative settings. In the New Testament, its most notable appearance is in accounts of Jesus being anointed with costly perfume, an act tied to devotion and, in Jesus’ interpretation, preparation for burial. In biblical usage, spikenard functions as a sign of lavish honor and costly love rather than as an independent theological concept.",
  "description_academic_full": "Spikenard is a precious aromatic substance mentioned in Scripture as a costly luxury item and in poetic imagery. In the Song of Solomon, it appears in the language of love and fragrance. In the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ anointing, costly perfume is poured out upon Him as an expression of devotion; Jesus interprets the act in relation to His burial. For that reason, spikenard may carry symbolic force in these passages, pointing to honor, worship, and sacrificial love. Even so, the term itself is primarily material rather than doctrinal, and its significance should be derived from the immediate biblical context rather than treated as a fixed symbol with independent theological meaning.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Spikenard appears in love poetry in Song of Solomon and in the Gospel accounts of anointing Jesus. In the Gospels, the costly perfume highlights the giver’s devotion and the worth of Christ. The narrative connection to burial gives the act added significance without turning spikenard into a technical theological term.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the ancient world, spikenard was an expensive fragrance associated with luxury, hospitality, and honor. Such perfumes were prized items, so their use in anointing signaled lavish expenditure and deep respect.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In Jewish and wider ancient Near Eastern life, fragrant oils and perfumes were used in celebrations, hospitality, and burial-related customs. A costly fragrance like spikenard would naturally suggest honor, abundance, and purposeful devotion when used in a sacred or royal setting.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Song of Solomon 1:12",
    "Song of Solomon 4:13-14",
    "Mark 14:3-9",
    "John 12:3-8"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Luke 7:36-50 (anointing theme, though spikenard is not named explicitly)",
    "Matthew 26:6-13 (parallel anointing account)",
    "Mark 16:1",
    "Luke 23:56 (broader burial-spice context)"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew nērḏ and Greek nárdos refer to a fragrant aromatic substance, commonly identified with nard/spikenard. The biblical word names a perfume or ointment, not a doctrinal category.",
  "theological_significance": "Spikenard’s theological value lies in the biblical scenes where costly fragrance represents wholehearted honor, love, and worship. In the anointing of Jesus, it also points toward His death and burial, connecting devotion with the gospel story.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "A costly material offering can embody inward reality. In Scripture, fragrance becomes a fitting outward sign of inward honor when it is given freely and sacrificially to the Lord.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not over-allegorize spikenard or treat it as a stand-alone symbol with a fixed meaning in every occurrence. Its significance is passage-specific and should remain bounded by the text. The term names a substance, not a doctrine.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters understand spikenard as a valuable perfume or ointment whose symbolic force depends on context. In the Gospel anointing accounts, it functions as a sign of costly devotion and, in Jesus’ words, burial preparation.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Spikenard should not be used to build doctrine apart from the passages where it appears. Its significance is illustrative and contextual, not sacramental or technical.",
  "practical_significance": "Spikenard reminds readers that true worship can involve costly, visible acts of devotion. It also warns against measuring love for Christ by efficiency or expense alone, while still honoring sacrificial generosity.",
  "meta_description": "Spikenard in the Bible: a costly fragrant perfume used in anointing scenes, especially in the anointing of Jesus.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/spikenard/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/spikenard.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}