“The anointing breaks the yoke”: scriptural or not?

Return to “The Anointing”: Studies from Scripture

In certain circles of the Church emphasis has been placed on “the anointing” of the Holy Spirit which it is taught can set New Testament believers free from the yoke of the enemy. This can include sickness, demonic oppression, or even some difficult personal trial.

This is based on:

Isaiah 10:27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. (KJV)

The purpose of this study is to study Old Testament Scripture briefly in order to determine whether such emphasis is sound. We know of course that the Lord can indeed free His people from such trials. However, it is through “the anointing” that we are set free from such yokes?

The immediate context of Isaiah 10:27 involves God delivering the remnant of His people from oppression by foreign enemies like the Assyrians and the Midianites.

A study on H8081 – the Hebrew word “shemen” translated as “anointing” in Isa 10:27 in the KJV

First of all, only once in the entire KJV is shemen translated “anointing” as in “because of the anointing.” In some other Old Testament translations shemen in Isaiah 10:27 is instead rendered:

“because you have become so strong”

“because you have grown so fat”

“because of prosperity”

In Isaiah 10:27 the Hebrew word shemen is designated H8081 by Strong’s. Let us examine all the instances of the word shemen in the Old Testament manuscript on which the KJV is based.

There are 193 instances of shemen or H8081 found in this Old Testament manuscript.  Shemen is translated as “oil” throughout the KJV, except for the following exceptions:

“Olive” – 2 times
“Ointment” – 11 times
Pine (branches) – 1 time
Fatness – 1 time
Fat things – 2 times
Fat – 2 times
Fruitful – 1 time
Anointing – 1 time

If we examine the usage of shemen in Isaiah only, we find the following:

Oil – 2 times
Ointment – 2 times
Fruitful – 1 time
Fat things – 2 times
Fat – 2 times
Anointing – 1 time

Therefore, only once is shemen translated “anointing” in the Old Testament of the KJV. In other translations it is not rendered “anointing” at all, but rather in another way not related to the “anointing.” We shall look at these other translations later below.

This therefore is a weak basis on which to build a major teaching and practice on “the anointing which breaks the yoke.”

How do some other versions of the Bible render Isaiah 10:27?

Literal Translation of the Holy Bible:  And it shall be in that day, his burden shall turn away from on your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

Septuagint:  και^{G2532 CONJ} εσται^{G1510 V-FMI-3S} εν^{G1722 PREP} τη^{G3588 T-DSF} ημερα^{G2250 N-DSF} εκεινη^{G1565 D-DSF} αφαιρεθησεται^V-FPI-3S ο^{G3588 T-NSM} φοβος^{G5401 N-NSM} αυτου^{G846 D-GSM} απο^{G575 PREP} σου^{G4771 P-GS} και^{G2532 CONJ} ο^{G3588 T-NSM} ζυγος^{G2218 N-NSM} αυτου^{G846 D-GSM} απο^{G575 PREP} του^{G3588 T-GSM} ωμου^{G3676 N-GSM} σου^{G4771 P-GS} και^{G2532 CONJ} καταφθαρησεται^V-FPI-3S ο^{G3588 T-NSM} ζυγος^{G2218 N-NSM} απο^{G575 PREP} των^{G3588 T-GPM} ωμων^{G3676 N-GPM} υμων^{G4771 P-GP}

[English translation of the Septuagint above: And it shall come to pass in that day, that his yoke shall be taken away from thy shoulder, and his fear from thee, and the yoke shall be destroyed from off your shoulders.

Note: the Greek words translated “because of the anointing” in the KJV are not even present in the Septuagint. They are also missing in the Greek text of the Apostolic Bible Polyglot.]

Modern King James Version:  And it shall be, in that day his burden shall be taken away from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

New International Reader’s Version:  People of Zion, in days to come he will lift the heavy load of the Assyrians from your shoulders. He will remove their yokes from your necks. They will be broken because you have become so strong.

New International Version:  In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat.

Young’s Literal Translation:  And it hath come to pass, in that day, Turned is his burden from off thy shoulder, And his yoke from off thy neck, And destroyed hath been the yoke, because of prosperity.

We note above that some translations do not mention “the anointing” at all, but rather mention instead “strength”, “fatness”, and “prosperity”. The Greek Septuagint, as we see above, even omits the phrase completely. This is weak support for the validity of the teaching regarding “the anointing which breaks the yoke.”

A look at the English word “anointing” in the KJV

Let us now examine the usage of the word “anointing” in the King James Old Testament. Here it is used 25 times as follows:

Exodus 25:6  Oil^H8081 for the light,^H3974 spices^H1314 for anointing^H4888 oil,^H8081 and for sweet^H5561 incense,^H7004

Ex 29:7  Then shalt thou take^{H3947 (H853)} the anointing^H4888 oil,^H8081 and pour^H3332it upon^H5921 his head,^H7218 and anoint^H4886 him.

Ex 29:21  And thou shalt take^H3947 of^H4480 the blood^H1818 that^H834is upon^H5921 the altar,^H4196 and of the anointing oil,^{H4480 H8081 H4888} and sprinkle^H5137it upon^H5921 Aaron,^H175 and upon^H5921 his garments,^H899 and upon^H5921 his sons,^H1121 and upon^H5921 the garments^H899 of his sons^H1121 with^H854 him: and he^H1931 shall be hallowed,^H6942 and his garments,^H899 and his sons,^H1121 and his sons’^H1121 garments^H899 with^H854 him.

Ex 30:25  And thou shalt make^H6213 it an oil^H8081 of holy^H6944 ointment,^H4888 an ointment^H7545 compound^H4842 after the art^H4639 of the apothecary:^H7543 it shall be^H1961 an holy^H6944 anointing^H4888 oil.^H8081

Ex 30:31  And thou shalt speak^H1696 unto^H413 the children^H1121 of Israel,^H3478 saying,^H559 This^H2088 shall be^H1961 an holy^H6944anointing^H4888 oil^H8081 unto me throughout your generations.^H1755

Ex 31:11  And the anointing^H4888 oil,^H8081 and sweet^H5561 incense^H7004 for the holy^H6944place: according to all^H3605 that^H834 I have commanded^H6680 thee shall they do.^H6213

Ex 35:8  And oil^H8081 for the light,^H3974 and spices^H1314 for anointing^H4888 oil,^H8081 and for the sweet^H5561 incense,^H7004

Ex 35:15  And the incense^H7004 altar,^H4196 and his staves,^H905 and the anointing^H4888 oil,^H8081 and the sweet^H5561 incense,^H7004 and the hanging^H4539 for the door^H6607 at the entering in^H6607 of the tabernacle,^H4908

Ex 35:28  And spice,^H1314 and oil^H8081 for the light,^H3974 and for the anointing^H4888 oil,^H8081 and for the sweet^H5561 incense.^H7004

Ex 37:29  And he made^{H6213 (H853)} the holy^H6944anointing^H4888 oil,^H8081 and the pure^H2889 incense^H7004 of sweet spices,^H5561 according to the work^H4639 of the apothecary.^H7543

Ex 39:38  And the golden^H2091 altar,^H4196 and the anointing^H4888 oil,^H8081 and the sweet^H5561 incense,^H7004 and the hanging^H4539 for the tabernacle^H168 door,^H6607

Ex 40:9  And thou shalt take^{H3947 (H853)} the anointing^H4888 oil,^H8081 and anoint^{H4886 (H853)} the tabernacle,^H4908 and all^H3605 that^H834is therein, and shalt hallow^H6942 it, and all^H3605 the vessels^H3627 thereof: and it shall be^H1961 holy.^H6944

Ex 40:15  And thou shalt anoint^H4886 them, as^H834 thou didst anoint^{H4886 (H853)} their father,^H1 that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office:^H3547 for their anointing^H4886 shall surely be^{H1961 H1961} an everlasting^H5769 priesthood^H3550 throughout their generations.^H1755

Lev 7:35  This^H2063is the portion of the anointing^H4888 of Aaron,^H175 and of the anointing^H4888 of his sons,^H1121 out of the offerings of the LORD made by fire,^{H4480 H801 H3068} in the day^H3117when he presented^H7126 them to minister unto the LORD in the priest’s office;^{H3547 H3068}

Lev 8:2  Take^{H3947 (H853)} Aaron^H175 and his sons^H1121 with^H854 him, and the garments,^H899 and the anointing^H4888 oil,^H8081 and a bullock^H6499 for the sin offering,^H2403 and two^H8147 rams,^H352 and a basket^H5536 of unleavened bread;^H4682

Lev 8:10  And Moses^H4872 took^{H3947 (H853)} the anointing^H4888 oil,^H8081 and anointed^{H4886 (H853)} the tabernacle^H4908 and all^H3605 that^H834was therein, and sanctified^H6942 them.

Lev 8:12  And he poured^H3332 of the anointing oil^{H4480 H8081 H4888} upon^H5921 Aaron’s^H175 head,^H7218 and anointed^H4886 him, to sanctify^H6942 him.

Lev 8:30  And Moses^H4872 took^H3947 of the anointing oil,^{H4480 H8081 H4888} and of^H4480 the blood^H1818 which^H834was upon^H5921 the altar,^H4196 and sprinkled^H5137it upon^H5921 Aaron,^H175and upon^H5921 his garments,^H899 and upon^H5921 his sons,^H1121 and upon^H5921 his sons’^H1121 garments^H899 with^H854 him; and sanctified^{H6942 (H853)} Aaron,^H175and his garments,^H899 and his sons,^H1121 and his sons’^H1121 garments^H899 with^H854 him.

Lev 10:7  And ye shall not^H3808 go out^H3318 from the door^{H4480 H6607} of the tabernacle^H168 of the congregation,^H4150 lest^H6435 ye die:^H4191 for^H3588 the anointing^H4888 oil^H8081 of the LORD^H3068is upon^H5921 you. And they did^H6213 according to the word^H1697 of Moses.^H4872

Lev 21:10  And he that is the high^H1419 priest^H3548 among his brethren,^{H4480 H251} upon^H5921 whose^H834 head^H7218 the anointing^H4888 oil^H8081 was poured,^H3332 and that is consecrated^{H4390 (H853) H3027} to put on^{H3847 (H853)} the garments,^H899 shall not^H3808 uncover^{H6544 (H853)} his head,^H7218 nor^H3808 rend^H6533 his clothes;^H899

Lev 21:12  Neither^H3808 shall he go out^H3318 of^H4480 the sanctuary,^H4720 nor^H3808 profane^{H2490 (H853)} the sanctuary^H4720 of his God;^H430 for^H3588 the crown^H5145 of the anointing^H4888 oil^H8081 of his God^H430is upon^H5921 him: I^H589am the LORD.^H3068

Num 4:16  And to the office^H6486 of Eleazar^H499 the son^H1121 of Aaron^H175 the priest^H3548pertaineth the oil^H8081 for the light,^H3974 and the sweet^H5561 incense,^H7004 and the daily^H8548 meat offering,^H4503 and the anointing^H4888 oil,^H8081and the oversight^H6486 of all^H3605 the tabernacle,^H4908 and of all^H3605 that^H834 therein is, in the sanctuary,^H6944 and in the vessels^H3627 thereof.

Num 18:8  And the LORD^H3068 spake^H1696 unto^H413 Aaron,^H175 Behold,^H2009 I^H589 also have given^H5414 thee^(H853) the charge^H4931 of mine heave offerings^H8641 of all^H3605 the hallowed things^H6944 of the children^H1121 of Israel;^H3478 unto thee have I given^H5414 them by reason of the anointing,^H4888 and to thy sons,^H1121 by an ordinance^H2706 for ever.^H5769

Isa 10:27  And it shall come to pass^H1961 in that^H1931 day,^H3117that his burden^H5448 shall be taken away^H5493 from off^{H4480 H5921} thy shoulder,^H7926 and his yoke^H5923 from off^{H4480 H5921} thy neck,^H6677 and the yoke^H5923 shall be destroyed^H2254 because^{H4480 H6440} of the anointing.^H8081

An examination of these verses shows that in 24 out of the 25 instances of the word “anointing,” the Hebrew word is mishchah or H4888 according to Strong’s—and not shemen which is Strong’s H8081. While we note that in the above verses mishchah and shemen frequently go together as in “anointing oil,” they are not identical or related in meaning. Mishchah means “anointing” whereas shemen most often means actual physical oil.

Only in a single instance—in Isaiah 10:27—does the English word “anointing” appear as the translation of shemen. Again, as we have noted above, shemen is most often translated “oil,” and we repeat only once in the entire Old Testament is translated “anointing”—in Isaiah 10:27. Again, a major teaching in certain circles is based on a translation which is supported by Scripture only weakly at best.

Conclusion

We conclude from this examination that the usage of shemen or H8081 in the Old Testament does not validate the concept or practice of the “anointing” for breaking the yoke of the enemy on the lives of New Testament believers.  Not only is support for this concept very weak in the Old Testament, there is a complete lack of support from the New Testament as well.

The “anointing” in the New Testament revisited

The “anointing” as found in the Church today: scriptural or not?

The vital difference between “anointing” (chrisma) and “gift” (charisma)

Of course, the Lord does indeed deliver His people—but scripturally not through “the anointing” as often taught in some circles. Rather, God provides power, authority, and gifts to His people for this purpose. These are different and not related to what is popularly called today “the anointing” to minister to others.