נִיחֹחַ H5207
Soothing, pleasing — a sacrificial term for the aroma acceptable to God (reach nikhoakh)
A noun derived from the root n-w-kh ('to rest, settle'), describing the quality of an offering's aroma that brings divine satisfaction. It appears almost exclusively in the cultic formula reach nikhoakh, 'a soothing aroma,' the standard Priestly description of properly performed burnt offerings, grain offerings, and peace offerings ascending to YHWH (Lev 1:9, 13, 17). The term first appears when Noah sacrifices after the flood and God smells 'the soothing aroma' (Gen 8:21). Ezekiel extends the phrase both positively — to the restored worship of the future (Ezek 20:41) — and negatively — to idolatrous incense (Ezek 6:13; 16:19).
Senses
1. soothing, pleasing (aroma) — A soothing or pleasing quality ascribed to sacrificial aromas. Bound almost entirely to the formula reach nikhoakh (Gen 8:21; Exod 29:18; Lev 1:9 and 30+ Priestly texts), conveying that the offering 'settles' divine displeasure. Spanish 'agradable' and French 'agréable' capture the qualitative sense. In Numbers 28:2, God personalizes it: nikhoakhi, 'my soothing aroma.' 43×
AR["سَرُورٍ", "سُرُورٍ"]·ben["নিখোখ", "প্রশান্তিকর", "সন্তোষজনক", "সুখকর", "সুগন্ধের"]·DE["pleasing"]·EN["pleasing"]·FR["agréable"]·heb["ניחוח"]·HI["सुखदायक"]·ID["menyenangkan", "yang-menyenangkan"]·IT["gradita"]·jav["arum", "arum;", "pinareng", "seger"]·KO["기쁘게-하는", "좋은", "향기로운-것"]·PT["agrado", "agradável", "descanso", "satisfação"]·RU["приятного", "приятное"]·ES["agradable", "descanso", "grato", "satisfacción"]·SW["nzuri"]·TR["hoş", "hoşnutluk"]·urd["خوشگوار", "پسندیدہ"]
Gen 8:21, Exod 29:18, Exod 29:25, Exod 29:41, Lev 1:9, Lev 1:13, Lev 1:17, Lev 2:2, Lev 2:9, Lev 2:12, Lev 3:5, Lev 3:16 (+31 more)
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
נִיחֹחַ and (Lv 1:9) נִיחוֹחַ43 n.[m.] a quieting, soothing, tranquillizing (cf. i. נַחַת Jb 36:16) (ריח ניחח also Ecclus 45:16 c; on format. v. Ol§ 187 b Sta§ 233 BaNB § 142 Köii. 1, 151, 489, where, after PhilippiBAS ii. 362, ִי expl. as dissim. from וֹ);— abs. נ׳ Gn 8:21 +; sf. נִיחֹחִי Nu 28:2, נִיחֹחֲכֶם Lv 26:31, נִיחוֹחֵיהֶם Ez 20:28;—a soothing, tranquilizing, only in phr. רֵיח נ׳ =…