רֵיחַ58 H7381
Scent, odor, or aroma; most often the pleasing sacrificial fragrance ascending to God, but also natural fragrances and figurative reputation.
In Hebrew worship, reyach almost always appears in the hallowed phrase reyach nichoach, the 'soothing aroma' of a burnt offering rising to the LORD. This cultic formula pervades Leviticus and Numbers, anchoring the word firmly in the theology of sacrifice. Yet outside the altar, reyach evokes the intoxicating fragrances of Song of Songs — nard, henna, and the beloved's garments — and even the metaphorical 'scent' of Israel's ruined reputation before Pharaoh (Exod 5:21). The span from sacred smoke to sensual perfume to social standing reveals how deeply smell was woven into Israel's experience of the holy and the human.
Senses
1. pleasing sacrificial aroma — The technical cultic phrase reyach nichoach ('soothing aroma') describes the ascending fragrance of a burnt offering that pleases God. Appearing 46 times, it dominates Leviticus, Numbers, and Exodus 29. Spanish olor de and German Geruch von consistently mark it as a specialized ritual term. The phrase first appears at Noah's altar (Gen 8:21) and becomes the standard vocabulary for acceptable sacrifice throughout the Priestly source and Ezekiel. 46×
AR["رائِحَةُ","رَائِحَةَ","رَائِحَةَ-","رَائِحَةُ","رَائِحَةِ"]·ben["গন্ধ","রেয়াখ","সুগন্ধ","সুগন্ধ-","সুগন্ধের"]·DE["Geruch-von","ein-Geruch","ein-Geruch-von","ein-Geruch-von-","ein-pleasing-Geruch"]·EN["a-pleasing-aroma","an-aroma","an-aroma-of","an-aroma-of-","aroma-of"]·FR["aroma-de","odeur-de","un-agréable-aroma","un-aroma","un-aroma-de","un-aroma-de-"]·heb["ריח"]·HI["सुगंध","सुगंध-","सुगन्ध"]·ID["bau","bau-"]·IT["aroma-di","profumo-di","un-gradita-profumo","un-profumo","un-profumo-di","un-profumo-di-"]·jav["ambu","ganda","ganda-","gandaning","gandaning-","gandanipun","gandanipun-"]·KO["향기","향기-를","향기-의","향기니라","향기로운-냄새로","향기를","향기를-"]·PT["aroma-de","aroma-de-","cheiro","cheiro-de"]·RU["благоухание","благоухание-"]·ES["olor","olor-","olor-de"]·SW["harufu","harufu-"]·TR["koku","koku-","kokusu"]·urd["خوشبو","خوشبو-"]
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, Lev 4:31 (+34 more)
2. pleasant fragrance (natural) — The naturally pleasant fragrance of a person, plant, or perfumed oil, used in poetic and prophetic contexts. Song of Songs clusters these occurrences — the beloved's nard (1:12), the scent of mandrakes (7:13), and Lebanon's fragrance likened to restored Israel in Hosea 14:7. French parfum and German Duft distinguish this sensory, aesthetic sense from the ritual vocabulary, marking a shift from altar to garden. 7×
AR["رَائِحَةً","رِيحَ","رِيحُو","كَ-رائِحَةِ","كِ-رِيحَ","وَرَائِحَتُهُ","وَعَبيرُهُ"]·ben["-সুগন্ধের-মতো","এবং-তার-গন্ধ","এবং-তার-সুগন্ধ","গন্ধের-মতো","তার-সুগন্ধ।","সুগন্ধ"]·DE["Duft","[וריחו]","und-Duft","wie-der-Duft"]·EN["and-fragrance","and-his-scent","fragrance","its-fragrance","like-fragrance-of","like-smell-of"]·FR["[וריחו]","comme-le-parfum","comme-sentir-de","et-odeur","leur-parfum,","leur-parfum.","son-parfum."]·heb["ו-ריח","ו-ריחו","כ-ריח","ריח","ריחו"]·HI["अपनी-सुगंध","और-उसकी-सुगंध","और-सुगंध","गंध-की-तरह","सुगंध","सुगंध-के-समान"]·ID["bau-harum","baunya","dan-aromanya","seperti-bau"]·IT["[וריח]","[וריחו]","come-fragranza","come-smell-di","fragranza","fragranza-suo"]·jav["ganda","gandanipun","kados-ambet","kados-ganda","lan-gandanipun"]·KO["같은-냄새","그-향기-를","그리고-그의-향기가","그리고-향기가","향기-를","향기-처럼"]·PT["cheiro","como-cheiro-de","como-o-cheiro-de","e-fra’grância","e-seu-aroma","seu-cheiro"]·RU["аромат","аромат-свой.","и-аромат-его","и-благоухание-","как-аромат","как-запах"]·ES["como-la-fragancia-de","como-olor-de","fragancia","su-fragancia","y-su-aroma","y-su-fragancia"]·SW["harufu","harufu-yake","kama-harufu","na-harufu-yake"]·TR["koku","kokusu-gibi","kokusunu","ve-kokusu"]·urd["اور-خوشبو","اور-خوشبو-اُس-کی","اپنی-خوشبو","خوشبو","خوشبو-کی-طرح"]
3. smell or odor (general) — A general or neutral smell, sometimes even unpleasant by implication, used outside cultic contexts. In Exod 5:21 the Israelites lament 'you have made our smell stink' before Pharaoh — a figurative use for reputation. Job 14:9 speaks of a tree reviving at the mere scent of water. These passages show reyach at its most versatile, extending from physical odor to social perception. 5×
AR["رائِحَةَ","رائِحَةُ","رَائِحَةَ","رَائِحَتَنَا","مِنْ-رَائِحَةِ"]·ben["আমাদের-গন্ধ","গন্ধ","গন্ধ-থেকে","সুগন্ধ"]·DE["Duft","den-Duft","der-Duft","unser-smell"]·EN["from-scent-of","our-smell","scent-of","smell-of"]·FR["de-מריח","notre-sentir","parfum-de","sentir-de"]·heb["מ-ריח","ריח","ריחנו"]·HI["गंध","गनध","गनध-हमारी","सुगन्ध-से"]·ID["Dari-bau","bau","nama-baik-kami"]·IT["da-fragranza","nostro-smell","scent-di","smell-di"]·jav["ambet","ambunipun","ganda","saking-ambu"]·KO["냄새","냄새를","물-냄새에","우리의-냄새를","향기"]·PT["Do-cheiro-de","cheiro-de","cheiro-nosso","o-cheiro"]·RU["запах","запах-наш","от-запаха"]·ES["Del-olor-de","nuestro-olor","olor-de"]·SW["harufu","harufu-ya","harufu-yetu","kwa-harufu-ya"]·TR["kokumuz","kokusu","kokusundan","kokusunu"]·urd["بو-ہماری","خوشبو","خوشبو-اُس","پانی-کی-خوشبو-سے"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
רֵיחַ58 n.m. Je 48:11 scent, odour (proposes breath);—abs. Ct 2:13 +, usually cstr. Gn 8:21 +; sf. רֵיחוֹ Je 48:11 Ct 1:12, רֵי��ֵנוּ Ex 5:21;— 1. scent, odour, of plants and fields Gn 27:27 (JE) Ct 1:12; 2:3; 4:11; 7:14 Ho 14:7, of ointments Ct 1:13; 4:10, of pers. and garments Gn 27:27(×2) (JE) Ct 4:11; 7:9, of water Jb 14:9; fig. of influence, reputation Ex 5:21 (J) Je 48:11. 2. term. techn.,…