To spread on, to anoint by smearing — a physical act of applying a substance to a surface. Used exclusively in John's Gospel of Jesus making clay and anointing a blind man's eyes.
Jesus' act of epichriō in John 9:6–11 deliberately echoes Genesis 2:7 — God forming man from dust. By making clay and anointing blind eyes, Jesus performs a new creation act. He doesn't just heal — He recreates. The physical smearing is intentionally earthy, connecting the incarnate Christ to the material creation He came to redeem. Sight restored becomes a sign of spiritual illumination.