רִיחַ (ru.ach)
ru.ach
to smell
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 11 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb rîaḥ means to smell or perceive an odor. In the Old Testament it appears in eleven verses, primarily in Genesis, Psalms, and Leviticus. Its usage ranges from literal scent detection to metaphorical acceptance.
In its most common form, the Hiphil stem describes a sensory action. For example, God “smells” the pleasing aroma of Noah’s sacrifice after the flood (Genesis 8:21), indicating divine approval rather than physical inhalation. Similarly, in Psalm 141:2, the psalmist asks that his prayer be counted as incense rising before God, linking the sense of smell with worship.
The word also carries a metaphorical weight, suggesting delight or favor. When Scripture says God “smells” something pleasing, it conveys acceptance and pleasure in the offering or act. This usage highlights how ancient Hebrew thought connected physical senses with spiritual realities, where scent became a symbol of relationship and reverence.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word rîaḥ describes the simple act of smelling, yet Scripture uses it to express something profound about how God relates to us. In Genesis 8:21, after the floodwaters receded, we read that Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma of Noah’s offering. This was not a physical need for scent, but a poetic way of saying God accepted the sacrifice and promised never to curse the ground again because of human sin.
This imagery invites us to see our worship as something tangible to God. When Psalm 141:2 asks that prayer be like incense rising before Him, it suggests that our sincere devotion reaches Him just as a fragrance fills a room. It is a reminder that God pays attention to the heart behind the act, finding pleasure in genuine reverence rather than empty ritual.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 11 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they smell/ !2×
- and/ he smelled2×
- when/ smells/ it1×
- to/ smell1×
- may he smell1×
- it smells1×
- and/ delighting/ he1×
- I will smell1×
- I delight1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/הָרִ֣יחַ1×
- יָרַ֣ח1×
- יָרִ֣יחַ1×
- יְרִיחֽוּ/ן\׃1×
- יְרִיחֻֽ/ן\׃1×
- וַ/יָּ֣רַח1×
- וַ/יָּ֛רַח1×
- וַ/הֲרִיח֖/וֹ1×
- בַּ/הֲרִיח֣/וֹ1×
- אָרִ֖יחַ1×
- אָרִ֔יחַ1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 8:21
Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma. Yahweh said in his heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. I will never again strike every living thing, as I have done.
This verse uses the word to signify divine acceptance and a covenantal promise of mercy after judgment.
-
Psalms 115:6
They have ears, but they don’t hear. They have noses, but they don’t smell.
Here the term highlights the impotence of idols, which have noses but lack the ability to perceive spiritual reality.
-
Genesis 27:27
He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said, “Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which Yahweh has blessed.
Isaac blesses Jacob based on the smell of his clothing, showing how scent can convey identity and favor in ancient culture.