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What is "happiness oil"? Does it make you happy? Or is happiness the oil?

Heb 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Heb 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Heb 1:8 προς δε τον υιον ο θρονος σου ο θεος εις τον αιωνα του αιωνος Aκαι ραβδος ευθυτητος η Aραβδος Aτης Aευθυτητος ραβδος της βασιλειας σου Heb 1:9 ηγαπησας δικαιοσυνην και εμισησας ανομιαν δια τουτο εχρισεν σε ο θεος ο θεος σου ελαιον αγαλλιασεως παρα τους μετοχους σου

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  • I think maybe there is a missing emphasis on examining what "Oil, (שָׁ֫מֶן definition)" actually represents, (in addition to "Joy" and "word order"). Specifically, perhaps "Oil" should be understood in its most literal and vulgar sense, "Fatness, and Excess". Excessive Joy. Like being "anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit", Excessive indwelling. Both "Joy Grease" and "Grease of Joy" are valid word ordering : "Excess of Joy" or "Joy Excess". Apr 24, 2017 at 20:30

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Hebrews 1:8-9 is directly quoting the Septuagint version of Psalm 45:6-7:

Psalm 44:6-7 LXX

ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ θεός, εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος, ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου. ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀνομίαν· διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέν σε ὁ θεός, ὁ θεός σου, ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου.

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of righteousness, Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, has anointed thee with the oil of gladness beyond thy fellows.1

Hebrews 1:8–9

πρὸς δὲ τὸν υἱόν·
ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ Θεός, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος· ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου. ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀνομίαν· διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε, ὁ Θεός, ὁ Θεός σου ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου·

But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.2

Paul is providing a Christological interpretation of the Psalm, relating it to the anointing of Christ - which in Greek (Christos) means the anointed one - as King. Gladness is associated here because the Psalm itself is a commemoration of a wedding, wherein neither the king nor queen are named.


1 Brenton translation
2 King James Version (1900) translation

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