Smells play an important role for people. Scents can affect us on a physical, psychological and social level. Just think of the use of perfume, deodorant and air fresheners. The smell of delicious food makes your mouth water. Scents are important. A particular scent can trigger strong emotional responses. A smell can be associated with a positive experience, but if it is a bad smell it can disgust us. In Bible times, scents were used in the service of God. For example, an incense offering was offered. Frankincense, myrrh and perfumes were used for their pleasant scent.
The use of scents
Scents play an important role in our lives. We want it to smell good in our environment. We have come up with all kinds of means for this. For example, the toilet or bath drain has a water seal so that we do not have to smell the sewer smell. We use air fresheners at home. We make sure it is clean. Cleaning products, fabric softeners, soap and shampoo all have a nice scent. We use deodorant and we make sure our breath is fresh. We try to remove or mask unpleasant odors. This was different in ancient times. People did not have the options that we have at our disposal to make the environment and ourselves smell nice.
Functions of scents in Biblical times
In Biblical times, scents were helpful in life. If something smelled bad it was dangerous. A nasty smell sent out a message: Get away, don’t touch it. Diseases could be diagnosed by smell and stench. Bad smell was a warning sign of disease, decay and death. If something smelled you could no longer eat or use it. An example of this is in Exodus 7 verse 21: ‘The fish died and the river stank so bad that the Egyptians could no longer drink from it’. Another example is the manna that the Israelites were not allowed to keep until the next day. “The next morning it was full of worms and stinking” (Exodus 16:20). Or “a precious ointment is spoiled by one dead fly” (Ecclesiastes 10:1). Wonderful and fresh scents were a sign of health and vitality.
Recognition by smell
Every person has their own scent. With that personal scent he or she can be recognized by others. This often happens unconsciously or because other senses function less well. The Bible tells the story of Isaac (Genesis 27). He is blind and therefore depends more on his other senses. His hearing, sense of touch and smell have become more important to him. He sent his eldest son Esau to make him a hunting dish. When Esau returns, Isaac will give him the blessing. Jacob, the younger brother, also wants that blessing. Jacob disguises himself as Esau and goes to father Isaac with a freshly baked kid. He doubts whether the person in front of him is Esau. The smell of Esau, the smell of the field convinces him. Isaac blesses Jacob.
Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near, my son, and kiss me.” He came close to him and kissed him. When Isaac smelled his clothes, he blessed him: “The smell of my son is the smell of the field, the field that the LORD has blessed. (Genesis 27:26-27)
Social distinction through odors
In Biblical times, scents were not just a matter of taste and preference. In ancient times, scents were also a means by which people of a certain class could distinguish themselves from the rest. Through the use of perfume, wealthy people could distinguish themselves from those who were less fortunate. Rich people could of course afford everything: perfumes, incense and scented lamp oil. They had the ability to ventilate their homes well and they had slaves to keep their homes clean. Poor people did not have these options. Conclusions could therefore be drawn about his or her social position based on the smell that someone had around him or her. Ahasuerus, the king of the Persian empire, was able to give the girl who would become his future bride an extremely luxurious beauty treatment due to his enormous wealth.
It was a girl’s turn to spend the night with King Ahasuerus when, after twelve months, her beauty treatment was completed according to the regulations for women: six months she was treated with oil of myrrh, six months with balsam and other cosmetics. (Esther 2:12)
Perfume in Biblical times
In our current time we make a difference between scents and substances that we put in perfume and that we use for food. Nowadays it is not wise to put perfume or deodorant in food. It is highly unpalatable and probably poisonous too. In earlier times, there was no such difference between scents in perfumes and food. In ancient times, the ingredients of perfumes included rose liquid, wine, honey and cinnamon. Just like now, perfumes then also had the function of masking unpleasant body odors.
Sweet is the scent of your skin, your name is a precious perfume. That’s why the girls love you. (Song of Songs 1:3)
Perfumes on different body parts
Perfumes used by both men and women. The perfume was rubbed on the hair. Sometimes it was done on the chest or on legs or feet. The Bible tells the story of Jesus’ feet being anointed with expensive perfumed oil (Luke 7:37-38). Perfume lovers were not satisfied with just one scent. Whenever possible, they used different perfumes for different parts of the body.
A woman known in the city as a sinner had heard that he was going to eat at the Pharisee’s house, and she went to the house with an alabaster flask of fragrant oil. She stood behind Jesus at the foot of the couch; she cried and his feet became wet with her tears. She dried them with her hair, kissed them and rubbed them with the oil. (Luke 7:37-38)
The smell of incense to God
The Bible often mentions that God likes certain smells. For example, Genesis 8 verse 21 states: ‘The smell of the sacrifices pleased the LORD’. Frankincense is an important component of the incense offerings used in Israel’s worship (Exodus 30:1-10). Incense then refers to the prayer that ascends upwards. Through the incense God was worshiped and honored (Leviticus 2:1). The smell of the incense offering was determined by its composition. God claimed exclusive rights to this mixture. This smell belonged to God. It was, as it were, an expression of his personality. Anyone who tried to imitate this scent was banned.
The LORD said to Moses, “Take the resin of balsam, the resin of cistus, and the galbanum, and of these spices, pure frankincense, an equal quantity of each, and make a mixture of incense, such as a perfumer makes. Mix salt with it, it must be pure and holy. Rub some of it fine and place it in the tent of meeting, in front of the covenant text, where I will meet you. Treat it as most sacred. This incense is holy, for the LORD alone; incense for yourself should not be prepared in the same way. Anyone who makes something similar to enjoy the smell should be expelled from the community.’ (Exodus 20:34-38)
Fragrances in the New Testament
At the beginning of the New Testament we are told about the wise men from the East. They pay tribute to the newborn child, Jesus. They give him gifts: myrrh, frankincense and gold (Matthew 2:11). These gifts are said to have symbolic value. Gold refers to Jesus’ kingship, frankincense to his priesthood and myrrh to his burial. In the last Bible book of Revelation it is mentioned that with the smoke of incense the prayers of the saints ascend to God (Revelation 8:4).
Scents at a funeral
When Jesus stands at the grave of his friend Lazarus, Jesus wants to raise him from the dead. Jesus orders the stone to be removed from the tomb. Marta, the sister of the deceased, said to him: But Lord, the stench! He’s been there for four days! (John 11:39). In Israel, a dead person was buried on the day of death, because in the warm climate the body decomposes quickly. Sometimes herbs and spices were used at the funeral to counteract the stench. After Jesus’ burial, on the first day of the week, the women went to his tomb with the fragrant oil they had prepared (Luke 24:1).
Incense as a symbol for Paul
The apostle Paul brings together several symbols of incense and fragrance. In his second letter to the church at Corinth. He compares the believers to incense. They spread a pleasant scent. However, this smell is not pleasant for those who do not believe, he says.
Thank God that he leads us, who are one with Christ, into his triumphal procession and that through us he spreads the knowledge of him everywhere like a pleasant fragrance. We are the incense that Christ burns before God, both among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. For the latter it is an unpleasant odor that leads to death, for the former it is a wonderful odor that gives life. (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)
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