בְּאֹשׁ (be.osh)
be.osh
stench
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun be’osh refers to a stench or foul odor. It appears in only three verses across the Old Testament, primarily within the prophetic books of Joel, Isaiah, and Amos. The word describes a smell so offensive it serves as a marker of decay, death, or divine judgment.
In these contexts, be’osh is not merely unpleasant; it is repulsive. For instance, Joel 1:17 uses the term to describe the rotting seeds in the ground during a drought, linking physical spoilage with national distress. Similarly, Amos 5:21 employs it metaphorically when God rejects Israel’s festivals because they are filled with injustice, comparing their worship to a stench He cannot tolerate.
This rare word carries significant theological weight. By using be’osh for spiritual rebellion, the prophets emphasize that sin is not just a legal violation but something morally repugnant to God. The physical reality of rotting food or dead bodies becomes a vivid image for the condition of a people who have turned away from covenant faithfulness.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word be’osh describes a smell so foul it turns the stomach. In the Old Testament, prophets used this image to show how sin affects both people and God. It is not just an unpleasant odor but a sign of decay and judgment.
When Joel spoke of rotting seeds or Amos described the stench of rejected worship, he was showing that sin separates us from God. Yet even in these harsh warnings, there is hope. God calls His people back to Himself, offering forgiveness and restoration when we turn away from what harms our relationship with Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- stench/ their1×
- stench/ its1×
- [the] stench of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בְּאֹ֤שׁ1×
- בָאְשָׁ֑/ם1×
- בָאְשׁ֗/וֹ1×
Key Verses
-
Joel 2:20
But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things.
This verse shows how the stench of a defeated army serves as evidence of God's deliverance and protection for His people.
-
Amos 4:10
“I sent plagues among you like I did Egypt. I have slain your young men with the sword, and have carried away your horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp, yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
Here, the foul smell reminds Israel that despite experiencing divine discipline, they still have not returned to God.
-
Isaiah 34:3
Their slain will also be cast out, and the stench of their dead bodies will come up. The mountains will melt in their blood.
The rising stench of slain bodies illustrates the finality and horror of judgment against nations opposed to God.