The Greek verb enchriō (ἐγχρίω) means 'to rub in,' 'to smear,' or 'to anoint' (from en- + chriō, 'to anoint'). It appears once in Revelation 3:18 in Christ's message to Laodicea: 'buy from me... salve [enchriō] to put on your eyes so that you can see.'
The Laodicean church (Revelation 3:14–22) is the most severely rebuked of the seven churches — lukewarm, self-satisfied, claiming to need nothing. Christ's prescription is striking and ironic: Laodicea was famous for Phrygian eye powder, a medical compound exported throughout the empire. Yet Christ tells them to buy His eye salve — because for all their worldly sophistication and medical expertise, they were spiritually blind. This is one of the New Testament's most powerful images of spiritual self-deception: those who think they see clearly are the most blind. True spiritual sight comes not from cultural achievement or religious confidence but from the anointing of Christ Himself (cf. 1 John 2:27: 'the anointing you received from him remains in you').