A. Hi Jane* 

      Though today the word “embalm” means "to treat (a dead body) so as to preserve it, as with chemicals, drugs" (www.Dictionary.com), in the Bible times they used spices. The Hebrew word for this is (chanat), which literally means to make spicy (Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon). It is found in Gen 50:2, "Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel" (NASV, KJV, NIV, etc).

 

      The Greek biblical word for embalming used here in the LXX as well as in the New Covenant Greek is (entaphiazo) which means literally to prepare for burial. This is the word used in John 19:40, "So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews." (See also in Matthew 26:12). On this word the Thayer Lexicon says "to prepare a body for burial, by the use of every requisite provision and funeral adornment, to wit, baths, vestments, flowers, wreaths, perfumes, libations, etc." The Lust-Eynikel-Hauspie's A Greek-English Lexicon, states "to prepare for burial, to lay out, to embalm."

 

      The general idea then of embalm is to treat a corpse with spices (then) or preservatives (today) so it would not decay. His disciples did this to honor Him, as Yeshua said in Matthew 26:12 "For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.” Here too the same Greek word is used for “to prepare Me for burial” as in John 19:40.

 

I hope this helps.

Sam