H0887 H0887
to stink, emit foul odor; to become odious or detestable (literally or figuratively)
This Hebrew verb captures both the physical reality of stench and the social reality of disgrace. In its literal sense, it describes the putrid smell of rotting manna, dead fish in the plague-struck Nile, or festering wounds. But Hebrew uses the same root for social disgrace—making oneself 'stink' in someone's eyes means destroying one's reputation or standing. The Israelites told Moses he had 'made them odious' to Pharaoh, just as David made himself odious to the Philistines. The language treats social repugnance as viscerally as physical decay.
Senses
1. make odious, bring into disrepute (Hifil, figurative) — The Hifil stem with figurative force appears when Jacob's sons feared they had 'made themselves odious' to the Canaanites (Gen 34:30), or when the wicked 'make themselves odious' through shameful conduct (Prov 13:5). The multilingual glosses show Spanish hediondo and French odieux tracking the social disgrace aspect, while English 'acts shamefully' captures the behavioral dimension that produces the odious reputation. 6×
AR["-", "أَنتَنَ", "أَنْتَنْتُمَا", "لِ-تُكَرِّها-نِي", "نَتِنَةً", "يُنْتِنُ"]·ben["ঘৃণা", "ঘৃণিত-করেছে", "দুর্গন্ধ-ছড়ায়", "দুর্গন্ধময়-করে", "দুর্গন্ধময়-করেছ"]·DE["[[הבאיש]]", "[יבאיש]", "du-machte-stink", "er-machte-sich-selbst-odious", "machend-sich-selbst-odious", "mich-stinkend-zu-machen"]·EN["acts-shamefully", "are-put-to-shame", "he-made-himself-odious", "making-himself-odious", "to-make-me-odious", "you-made-stink"]·FR["[[הבאיש]]", "faisant-lui-même-odieux", "il-fit-lui-même-odieux", "tu-fit-stink", "à-faire-moi-odious", "יבאיש"]·heb["[הבאיש]", "הבאיש", "הבאש", "הבאשתם", "יבאיש", "ל-הבאישני-י"]·HI["बदनअम-हुअ", "बदनअम-होन-", "बदबू-करता-है", "बदबू-करने-को-मुझे", "बदूदार-कर-दी-तुमने"]·ID["[akan-malu]", "dia-menjadikan-bau-busuk", "kamu-membuat-bau", "membuat-busuk", "menjadikan-bau-busuk", "untuk-menjadikan-aku-berbau"]·IT["[[הבאיש]]", "a-fare-me-odious", "acts-shamefully", "egli-fece-sé-stesso-odioso", "facendo-sé-stesso-odioso", "tu-fece-stink"]·jav["[dipun-wirangaken]", "mambu", "ndamel-mambu", "piyambakipun-ndamel-mambu", "sami-ndamel-bosok", "supados-damel-mambu-kawula"]·KO["너희가-악하게-했다", "실로-미움받게하였다", "악취나게-하여", "악취나게한다", "정말로-"]·PT["(ketiv)", "faz-feder", "fazendo-fétido", "fizestes-feder", "para-fazer-feder-me", "tornou-se-fétido"]·RU["[кетив]", "сделав-зловонным-меня", "сделали-зловонным", "смрадит", "стал-мерзок", "стал-он-мерзок"]·ES["[fueron-avergonzados]", "hace-heder", "hediondo", "hicisteis-heder", "para-hacer-que-apeste", "se-ha-hecho-hediondo"]·SW["[ameaibishwa]", "analeta-aibu", "kunuka", "kusikika", "mmeiharibisha"]·TR["[k:kokustu]", "kokuşturdu", "kokuşturmak", "kokuşur", "kötü-koku-yapmak-için", "pis-yaptınız"]·urd["بدبو-دار", "بدبو-کرتا-ہے", "بدبو-کرنے", "بدبودار-کیا-تم-نے", "بدبودار-ہو-گیا"]
2. stink, emit foul odor (Qal) — The basic Qal stem describes literal putrefaction: manna left overnight 'grew worms and stank' (Exod 16:20), the plague-struck Nile would 'stink' with dead fish (Exod 7:18), Egypt's land stank from heaps of dead frogs (Exod 8:14). Isaiah warns that fish will 'stink for lack of water' when God withholds the sea (Isa 50:2). The Spanish apestan and French stank preserve the visceral force across Romance languages. 5×
AR["تَنْتِنُ", "فَأَنْتَنَتْ", "وَ-أَنْتَنَ", "وَأَنْتَنَ", "وَيَنْتِنُ"]·ben["এবং-দুর্গন্ধ-হল", "ও-দুর্গন্ধ-ছড়াল", "ও-দুর্গন্ধময়-হবে", "ও-দুর্গন্ধময়-হল", "পচে-যাবে"]·DE["[תבאש]", "und-stank", "und-wird-stink"]·EN["and-stank", "and-will-stink", "stink"]·FR["[תבאש]", "et---stink", "et-stank"]·heb["ו-באש", "ו-הבאיש", "ו-הבאישה", "ו-יבאש", "תבאש"]·HI["और-बदबू-मारी", "और-बदबू-मारेगी", "और-बदबूदार-हुआ", "सड़-जाती-है"]·ID["berbau-busuk", "dan-akan-berbau-busuk", "dan-berbau-busuk"]·IT["[תבאש]", "e-stank", "e-will-stink"]·jav["Mambu-busuk", "lan-mambu"]·KO["그리고-냄새가-났다", "그리고-냄새나리라", "그리고-악취가-났다", "썩느니라"]·PT["e-federá", "e-fedeu", "e-fez-feder;", "fedem"]·RU["и-завоняет", "и-завонял", "и-завоняла", "и-завонялось", "смердит"]·ES["apestan", "y-apestará", "y-apestó", "y-hedió"]·SW["inaoza", "na-ilinuka", "na-ukanuka", "na-utanuka"]·TR["kokar", "ve-kokacak", "ve-koktu", "ve-kokutu"]·urd["اور-بدبو-آئی", "اور-بدبو-آئے-گی", "اور-بدبودار-ہو-گئی", "بدبو-آتی-ہے"]
3. cause to stink (Hifil, literal) — The Hifil with literal meaning is causative: dead flies 'cause the perfumer's oil to stink' (Eccl 10:1), or the psalmist's wounds 'fester and stink' because of his foolishness (Ps 38:5). Intriguingly, manna 'did not stink' when kept for the Sabbath (Exod 16:24), showing divine suspension of natural decay. German stink and Spanish hedió follow the literal stench across Germanic and Romance branches. 3×
AR["أَنْتَنَتْ", "يَبْأِيشْ", "يُنْتِنْ"]·ben["দুর্গন্ধ-করে", "দুর্গন্ধ-হয়েছে", "দুর্গন্ধ-হল"]·DE["[יבאיש]", "stank", "stink"]·EN["cause-to-stink", "stank", "stink"]·FR["le-puer", "stank", "יבאיש"]·heb["הבאיש", "הבאישו", "יבאיש"]·HI["बदबू-करते-हैं", "बदबूदार-करती-हैं", "बदबूदार-हुआ"]·ID["berbau-busuk", "membusukkan"]·IT["cause-a-stink", "puzzo'", "stank"]·jav["Sampun-mambu", "mambu", "ndadosaken-mambu"]·KO["냄새나게-한다", "냄새나지-않았다", "악취나도다"]·PT["Fedem", "fazem-feder", "fez-feder,"]·RU["делают-зловонным", "завонялось", "смердят"]·ES["Hieden", "hacen-heder", "hedió"]·SW["Yananuka", "haikuoza", "huleta-uvundo"]·TR["Koktu", "kokutu", "kokuturur"]·urd["بدبو-آئی", "بدبودار-بناتی-ہیں", "بدبودار-ہو-گئے-ہیں"]
4. become odious, abhorrent (Nifal) — The Nifal stem denotes becoming odious in someone's estimation. Israel 'became odious' to the Philistines after Saul's victories (1Sam 13:4), the Ammonites 'had become odious' to David (2Sam 10:6), and Absalom deliberately 'made himself odious' to his father by sleeping with the concubines publicly (2Sam 16:21). French devint odieux and Spanish se hizo odioso track the passive/reflexive force of the Nifal across both language families. 3×
AR["أَنتَنتَ-", "أَنتَنوا", "أَنْتَنَ"]·ben["দুর্গন্ধ-হয়েছ", "দুর্গন্ধ-হয়েছে", "দুর্গন্ধযুক্ত-হয়েছে"]·DE["became-odious", "du-habe-machte-dich-selbst-odious", "sie-hatte-become-odious"]·EN["became-odious", "they-had-become-odious", "you-have-made-yourself-odious"]·FR["devint-odieux", "ils-avait-deviens-odieux", "tu-ai-fit-toi-même-odieux"]·heb["נבאש", "נבאשו", "נבאשת"]·HI["तूने-बदबू-किया", "दुर्गंध-फैलाई", "दुर्गंधित-हो-गया"]·ID["Israel-menjadi-bau-busuk", "engkau-dibenci", "mereka-telah-menjadi-busuk"]·IT["divenne-odioso", "essi-aveva-diventare-odioso", "tu-avere-fece-te-stesso-odioso"]·jav["dados-mambu", "dados-nistha", "panjenengan-dados-mambu"]·KO["미움받았다고", "악취가-났다", "악취가-났다-그들이"]·PT["fez-se-feder", "te-fizeste-fétido", "tornaram-se-fétidos"]·RU["опозорил-ты", "осквернился", "сделались-зловонными"]·ES["se-hicieron-odiosos", "se-hizo-odioso", "te-hiciste-abominable"]·SW["tumekuwa-harufu-mbaya", "umemchukiza", "wamekuwa-chuki"]·TR["koku-saldılar", "pis-koktu", "pis-kokulu-oldun"]·urd["بدبو-کیا-تو-نے", "بدبو-ہو-گیا", "وہ-بدبو-ہو-گئے"]
5. make oneself odious (Hitpael) — The Hitpael appears once when the Ammonites 'made themselves odious' to David (1Chr 19:6), using the reflexive-intensive stem to emphasize their deliberate self-inflicted disgrace through insulting David's messengers. Both French and German translators left this form untranslated in brackets, recognizing its distinct reflexive force within the semantic cluster. 1×
AR["أَنْتَنُوا"]·ben["দুর্গন্ধযুক্ত-হয়েছে-তারা"]·DE["[התבאשו]"]·EN["they-made-themselves-odious"]·FR["[התבאשו]"]·heb["התבאשו"]·HI["दुर्गन्धित-हो-गए"]·ID["mereka-menjadi-bau"]·IT["[התבאשו]"]·jav["dados-nistha"]·KO["악취를-풍겼다"]·PT["se-tornaram-fétidos"]·RU["стали-ненавистны"]·ES["se-hicieron-odiosos"]·SW["wamejifanya-chuki"]·TR["pis-koku-yaptılar"]·urd["وہ-بدبو-ہو-گئے"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† בָּאַשׁ vb. have a bad smell, stink (Arabic بِئْسَ be evil, Aramaic בְּאֵשׁ, ܒܶܐܫ be evil, Assyrian bîšu Lotz TP 78)— Qal Pf. וּבָאַשׁ consec. Ex 7:18; Impf. וַיִּבְאַשׁ v 21, ־אַ֑שׁ 16:20; 3 fs. תִּבְאַשׁ Is 50:2; וַתִּבְאַשׁ Ex 8:10;—stink, of Nile, on account of dead fish Ex 7:18, 21 (E); of land of Egypt, owing to dead frogs 8:10 (J); of manna kept over 16:20 (P? or R) וַיָּרֻם תּוֹלָעִים…