[Greek] ὀσμή (osmē), [Latin] odor: scent, aroma, odor, smell, fragrance; Jn.12:3, 2Cor.2:14-16, Eph.5:2, Php.4:18
Background information:
Greek Hellenism: This term means smell, odor, sense (of smell), scent, perfume, and mist (vapor). Odors (scents), coming from nature, often have the power to give life over death. Scents can also come from the gods (deities). The ‘sweet savor of the gods’ is the scent which comes from the gods. Plato’s Timaeus 66e makes reference to smells existing the intermediate state when water is changing into air (or when air is changing into water). Euripides’ Hippolytus 1391 states “But what is this? O breath of divine fragrance. The goddess Artemis is in this place.” Homer’s Iliad 14.415 states “And even as when beneath the blast of father Zeus and oak falleth uprooted, and a dread reek of brimstone ariseth therefrom.” Sophocles’ Antigone 412 states “We then sat down on the brow of the hill to winward, fleeling the smell from him, lest it strike us.” Sophocles’ Philoctetes 891 states “Do not trouble your men, so that they may not suffer from the foul stench before it is necessary. It will be trial enough for them to live on board with me.”
Old Testament: This term, used in both a positive and sense, means being morally offensive, smelling bad, becoming odious, fragrance, sweet odor, perfume, and aroma. The odor of soothing becomes a metaphorical term for a sacrifice to God. The Old Testament view holds that God “inhales” the savor of a sacrifice pleasing to Him. Pleasing sacrifices serve as a sweet savor to Him. Scents can provide powers of growth and protection (against demons). Wisdom also gives out a sweet savor. Likewise, if a sacrifice has no sweet savor, this is a sign of rejection. Their slain shall be cast out, their corpses shall send up a stench (Isa.34:3). The fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field that the Lord has blessed (Gen.27:7). You have brought us into bad odor with Pharaoh (Exo.5:21). Yet at the first whiff of water it may flourish again (Job 14:9). When the Lord smelled the sweet odor, He said, ‘Never again will doom the earth’ (Gen.8:21). Send up the sweet odor of your hymn of praise (Sir.39:14). I will lay waste your cities and devastate you sanctuaries, refusing to accept your sweet-smelling offerings (Lev.26:31).
New Testament: This term, used in both a literal and metaphorical (figurative) sense, means odor, fragrance, and scent. Such examples include fragrance (of oil), a pleasing sacrifice, an odor of knowledge, an aroma of Christ, and an odor of death. Judas, one of the disciples, complained about Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with fragrant oil. Jesus offers Himself up as a fragrant aroma. The elderly Epaphroditus, in serving God and Paul, dies as a fragrant aroma. Christ perfuses the knowledge of God. Paul and others also perfuse the aroma of Christ. The odor of death leads to separation, judgment, and death.
Scripture:
“Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” Jn.12:3
This is a literal example of a fragrance. Judas complained that this expensive oil could have been sold for money to be given to the poor. Jesus stated that Mary’s actions were proper.
“And live in love, as Christ loved us and handed Himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to Go for a fragrant aroma.” Eph.5:2
Jesus’ sacrificial self-offering of Himself is likened to sweet swelling aroma. This sacrifice pleases God like a pleasant aroma.
“But thanks be to God, who always lead us in triumph in Christ and manifest through us the odor of knowledge of Him in every place. For we are the aroma of Christ for God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to the latter an odor of death that leads to death, to the former and odor of life that leads to life.” 2Cor.2:14-16
The knowledge (odor) of God is dispensed by the Apostles. Paul himself perfuses the knowledge of Christ. Death has its unique odor. Life has its unique odor.
Odor of Sanctity (Osmogenesia): This is a supernaturally pleasant odor coming from the body or wounds, usually after death. It was presented as a physical sign of the superior spirituality of a person. This is also a favorable sign of holiness.
Scents associated with saints:
St. Padre Pio: roses and pipe tobacco
St. Polycarp: frankincense and myrrh
St. Therese of Lisieux: lilies, violets and roses
St. Teresa of Avila: roses
Etymology: The Latin verb perfumare literally means to smoke through. Perfume are fumes from a burning substance. The Latin perfundere means to pour (melt) over. The Latin perfusus is the past participle of perfundere. And for a final topping to this idea, a fondue is something literally melted.
Conclusion:
Osmosis, odor
In the Greek Hellenistic era, it was interesting to discover that scents came from both nature and the gods. So it can be easy to make the connection with a pleasing sacrifice to a pleasing scent. I can imagine the gods would be pleased in ‘inhaling’ a sweet smelling aromatic sacrifice. This is then in stark contrast to the odor of corruption and death. It is also amusing that
Sophocles makes reference to B.O. (body odor). [Seinfeld would be proud!]
Perhaps not surprisingly, the Old Testament also holds the notion that God ‘inhales’ a pleasing sacrifice. On the other hand, a sacrifice without savor is insufficient.
The New Testament stresses the metaphorical (figurative) notion of a pleasing sacrifice. Jesus offers Himself as a fragrant aroma perfusing the knowledge of God. In God’s ‘eyes’, a pleasing sacrifice is a function of one’s self-giving of himself. Life and death each have their respective odors. The elderly Ephaphroditus, in his service to God and Paul, becomes a fragrant aroma. It is not surprising that some incorrupt saints perfuse a pleasant ‘aroma’.
Update: Our new president now says that we are now a systemically racist country. It stinks that he would see our country in this way.
I hope this post was able to perfuse further knowledge (understanding) about this term, either by sight or osmosis.