What is…
spikenard in the Bible
also known as: Nardostachys jatamansi, Nardostachys grandiflora, Spikenard Muskroot
Hebrew: נֵרְדְּ —transliteration: nerd, nard or nardin
Greek: νάρδος —transliteration: nardos
This is a much-valued fragrant perfume that the book of Song of Songs (aka Song of Solomon) mentions.
While the king was at his banqueting table,
My perfume gave forth its fragrance. —Song of Songs 1:12
Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates
With choice fruits, henna with nard plants,
Nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
With all the trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices.4:13-14).
Spikenard was “very precious”, i.e., very costly.
And while He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster jar of perfume of very costly pure nard; and she broke the jar and poured it over His head. —Mark 14:3
Mary then took a litra of perfume of very costly pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was going to betray Him, said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to take from what was put into it. Therefore Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.” —John 12:3-8
It is the underground stems (rhizomes) of the plant Nardostachys jatamansi, of the Valerian family (Valeriance), growing on the Himalaya mountains of Nepal, Bhutan, China, and India. It is distinguished by its having many hairy spikes (inflorescence) of the flowering stem. It is a flowering perennial of the honeysuckle family.
The Arabs called it sunbul Hindi, “the Indian spike.”
The plant’s rhizomes were processed into an amber-colored essential oil with a thick consistency. It is still used an a perfume, incense, anti-stress, sedative and herbal medicine.
During the early Roman empire, nardus was the main ingredient of a perfume (unguentum nardinum). The Romans also used nardus to flavor wine.
In the New Testament this word is the rendering of the Greek Nardos pistike.
The margin of the Revised King James Version in these passages has “pistic nard,” pistic being perhaps a local name. Some take it to mean genuine, and others liquid. The most probable opinion is that the word pistike designates the nard as genuine or faithfully prepared.
More information
- About ointments in the Bible
- Perfume and sweet fragrances in the Bible
- What is incense and how was it used in the worship of God?
- What are censers?
- Oils of the Bible
- Plants of the Bible