The first ‘messiah’ in the Tanakh found in Leviticus

February 16th, 2019

Disclaimer: Before you start warning me away from theology, I would take the time right up front to tell you I am working with language alone here. Although theology could be attached to what is to be discussed, that is not my goal. I am addressing the language part of history, language, and context that, in my opinion, should drive theology. I do this in my attempt to not let theology drive history, language, and context. I want to discuss some words that we find only in our current reading topic of Leviticus.
Leviticus is the only place we have the words “the messiah” in the entire Tanakh. This phrase is used four times in Lev 4:3, 4:5, 4:16, and Lev 6:22 (NAS). For each of these uses it is part of a noun-adjective phrase “hakkoehaen hammashee’ach” [ ‎ הַכֹּהֵ֥ן הַמָּשִׁ֖יחַ] which literally translates as “the priest the anointed” according to proper Biblical Hebrew grammar. Notice these words are a noun followed immediately by an adjective according to Hebrew grammar rules. When a noun-adjective phrase agrees in number, gender, and definiteness (as we have in these four examples) the adjective is an attributive (or modifying) use. The adjective is modifying and describing the noun.
In English, of course, we use only one definite article for both words and generally put the adjective before the noun in translation. Our grammar rules are opposite. This gives us the English phrase “the anointed priest.” Because ‘anointed’ is an attributive or modifying adjective in both Hebrew and English for these verses, ‘the messiah’ or ‘the anointed’ cannot represent anyone else but the priest, who is the high priest of Israel in the context of these texts. ‘The messiah’ or ‘the anointed’ is only an adjective being used as an adjective in these examples.
When a Hebrew adjective is used alone in a sentence and not following a noun it is still technically an adjective, but is being used in a substantive use. Substantive adjectives may be used independently (stand alone) as nouns in Hebrew. The translation of a substantive mashee’ach in English therefore, would be “an anointed one” or “an anointed man.” Similarly, the translation of a substantive hammashee’ach in English would be “the anointed one” or “the anointed man.” This second example of a substantive use is the only way in Hebrew that we could possibly use the English transliteration “the messiah” to represent a person. Context in the verse or surrounding verses would have to tell us who “the anointed one” or “the messiah” is when dealing with Biblical texts.
Because the only uses of hammashee’ach in the Tanakh are attributive to the high priest alone, we should be very clear when we use the term “the messiah” substantively to refer to anyone other than the anointed high priest of Israel. These texts in Leviticus show us the first type of messiah in the Tanakh by being the first to be anointed with oil. In time we will see that the kings of Israel are messiahs that were also anointed with oil as a second type of messiah. And the third type of messiah are a bit different. Their ‘anointing’ is not by oil but by selection of Y’HoeVaH himself that is typically thought of as a spiritual anointing. The many prophets and King Cyrus are the third type.
Although our reading of Daniel as far in our future, we need to keep these things in mind for Dan 9:25-26. In English translations the words “until Messiah the Prince” and “the Messiah” in the NAS and “unto the Messiah the Prince” and “Messiah” in the KJV are used in these verses. In the Hebrew of these verses there is no definite article to mashee’ach or nageed and maschee’ach precedes nageed, which prevents it from being an attributive adjective. The English translations are misleading, here. Mashee’ach is a substantive adjective for “a messiah” or “an anointed one” being used as a noun and nageed is a noun for “a prince” in these verses. Keep this in mind for later, please, because they are mistranslated in these verses where they added a “the.”
Interestingly, in the LXX the Greek words ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ χριστὸς follow the Hebrew grammar pattern of a noun followed by an adjective. They represent physically and grammatically the same thing as hakkoehaen hammashee’ach. This is one of several similarities of the Hebrew and Greek grammar. The literal translation is the same as from the Hebrew, being “the priest the anointed.” The transliteration would be “the priest the christ” with “the christ” being an attributive adjective in the Greek grammar. Interesting. Would it surprise you that different forms of χριστὸς (christos) for “anointed” or “christ” as attributive adjectives and substantive adjectival nouns are used dozens of times throughout the Greek LXX translation of the Tanakh to match the Hebrew? Food for thought.
I know…tiptoeing around theology here without trying to cross a line is hard. Again, this is a foray into the language you may or may not have been aware of. At any rate, I hope you enjoyed reading about the first example of messiah in the Tanakh.