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Bible Dictionaries
Spikenard
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
or SPIKENARD (= ‘spiked nard’).—The Authorized Version and Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 rendering of νάρδος πιστική in Mark 14:3, John 12:3, or rather of the Vulgate nardi spicati (in Jn. nardi pistici). The word ‘spikanard’ (sic) appears first in Wyclif’s version, the Anglo-Saxon having merely ‘deorwyrðes’ (= ‘precious’). Tindale has ‘pure.’ These various translations indicate the doubt as to the meaning of the Greek, which was felt from very early times, and is reflected in the Versions generally. The oldest Syriac version and some. Old Latin texts simply transliterate, while the Peshitta renders by rishåyå (= ‘choicest’). Of the various explanations of the word πιστική, the most generally accepted are: (1) ‘Genuine,’ as though it were connected with πίστις (Meyer, Weiss, etc.). The word πιστικός does actually occur in Artemidorus (Oneir. 2. 32) in the sense of ‘faithful’ (γυνὴ πιστικὴ καὶ οἰκουρός); and we learn from Pliny (HN xii. 26) that adulterations of nard were frequent.* [Note: Theophylact, τἠν ἄδολον νάρδον καὶ μετἀ πίστεως κατασκευασθεἵσαν (Com. on St. Mark. Migne, Pat. Gr. cxxix.).] (2) ‘Liquid,’ as though it was connected with πίνω. Ovid (Ars. Am. iii. 443) uses the epithet liquida with nardus; and Clement of Alexandria (Paed. ii. viii. 64) distinguishes between μύρα ὑγρά and μύρα ξηρά. (3) ‘Drinkable.’ Athenaeus tells us that some unguents were drunk (689 C). But the Greek word for drinkable is ποτός, not πιστικός.† [Note: Scaliger derived the word from πτίσσειν, ‘to pound.’ But this does not give a satisfactory sense.] Some have suspected a ‘primitive error’ in the text here, and have proposed various emendations. It has been suggested that the true reading is Ἰνδικής. All our authorities agree in stating that the genuine nard came from India, while inferior sorts came from other countries. Others would read σπικάτης (= Vulgate spicati), a word found in Galen, vi. 178 C, 182 C, E. Naber (Mnemosyne, 1902, pp. 1–15) conjectures an original form, σπειστικῆς (= ‘liquid’), which, being a ἅπαξ λεγόμενον, might have been corrupted into πιστικῆς. Prof. E. N. Bennett (Classical Review, 1890, p. 319) suggests that the true form may be πιστάκης, and points out that the resin of the Pistacia terebinthus was anciently mixed with the oil of nard, and that it was a very valuable scent (Dioscorides, i. 91). All these emendations, however, ingenious and interesting as they are, are rendered improbable by the fact that neither in St. Mark nor in St. John is there any variation in the Manuscripts .
It is difficult to say with anything like certainty what the meaning of the word was. It may be a local name, as (Revised Version margin) suggests.* [Note: Ὁπιστικῆς (from Opis, near Babylon), ψιττακικῆς (from Psittake on the Tigris), and Πίστης (from the (?) Persian town Pisteira) have been suggested as possible readings. But none of these is an Indian town.] Possibly it is the Greek equivalent of Pisitá, one of the Skr. names for Nardostachys jatamansi (Dymock, Pharmacographia Indica, ii. p. 233). But most likely it is a technical term denoting some specially valuable kind of nard.† [Note: This idea is found as early as Theophylact (c. 1077 a.d.), who says that the word may denote εἷδος ναρδου σῦτω λεγομενον.] Modern experience goes to show how easily the exact meaning of similar technical or ‘fancy’ names can be lost. Such has probably been the case with the word we are discussing. See also artt. Nard, Ointment.
Literature.—See the authorities cited at end of art. Nard. The question is discussed by C. F. A. Fritzsche (Com. on St. Mark, Leipzig, 1830) at great length, and very fully by Morison (Com. on Mk., in loc.).
H. W. Fulford.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Spikenard'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/s/spikenard.html. 1906-1918.
