H6709 H6709
stench, foul smell
This noun refers to a repulsive odor, particularly of decay. Joel 2:20 uses it in parallel with another word for stench to describe the smell of the invading northern army when God drives it away. The doubling of stench-words ('his foul smell' parallel to 'his stench') emphasizes the complete putrefaction of the defeated horde. French 'puanteur' directly captures this sense of repulsive smell.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A foul, nauseating smell, especially of rotting organic matter. Joel 2:20 depicts God's judgment on the invading army: 'his foul smell will rise up,' paralleled by 'his stench.' The imagery suggests corpses decomposing in the sun, a graphic picture of total defeat. The Siracide reference (11:12) also uses it for offensive odor. 1×
AR["عُفونَتُهُ"]·ben["তার-পচন"]·DE["[צחנתו]"]·EN["his-foul-smell"]·FR["puanteur"]·heb["צחנתוֹ"]·HI["सड़ांध-उसकी"]·ID["busuknya,"]·IT["[צחנתו]"]·jav["ambetipun"]·KO["그의-냄새-가"]·PT["mau-cheiro-seu"]·RU["смрад-его"]·ES["pestilencia-de-él"]·SW["harufu-mbaya-yake"]·TR["pis-kokusu"]·urd["اُس-کی-سڑاند"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [צַחֲנָה] n.f. stench;—sf. צַחֲנָתוֹ Jo 2:20 (‖ בָּאְשׁוֹ).—cf. עפר צחנה Ecclus 11:12.