Original Word: בָּאַשׁ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ba'ash
Pronunciation: bah-ash
Phonetic Spelling: (baw-ash')
KJV: (make to) be abhorred (had in abomination, loathsome, odious), (cause a, make to) stink(-ing savour), X utterly
NASB: became foul, become foul, become odious, stink, acts disgustingly, grow foul, made
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to smell bad
2. (figuratively) to be offensive morally

make to be abhorred, loathsome, odious, cause a, make to stink, utterly

A primitive root; to smell bad; figuratively, to be offensive morally -- (make to) be abhorred (had in abomination, loathsome, odious), (cause a, make to) stink(-ing savour), X utterly.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to have a bad smell, to stink
NASB Translation
acts disgustingly (1), became foul (3), become foul (2), become odious (2), grow foul (1), made (1), made themselves odious (1), made yourself odious (1), making me odious (1), odious* (1), stink (2), surely made (1), surely made himself odious (1).

Semantic Field and Imagery

בָּאַשׁ expresses the idea of becoming foul, offensive, or loathsome, whether by literal odor or figurative disgrace. Scripture weaves both senses together, allowing the word to serve as a vivid bridge between physical corruption and moral or relational decay. The verb’s eighteen appearances trace a progression from tangible stench (rotting fish, decaying manna) to the intangible “odor” of sin, rebellion, and broken trust.

Physical Odor in the Exodus Narrative

• Exodus 7:18, 21 and 8:14 describe Egypt’s waters and land reeking as the Nile turned to blood and the frogs died: “The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink” (Exodus 7:18). Judgment on Egypt’s gods was experienced through the nose; the sense of smell underscored Yahweh’s supremacy.
• Exodus 16:20 contrasts man-made disobedience with God-given preservation: disobeyed instructions caused manna to “breed maggots and smell so bad,” while obedience (“they set it aside… and it did not stink,” Exodus 16:24) produced preservation. The word therefore links olfactory offense with covenant violation.

Social Reputation and Covenant Witness

בָּאַשׁ regularly depicts the damage sinful or violent actions inflict on a community’s name. Jacob lamented, “You have brought trouble on me, making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites” (Genesis 34:30). Similarly, oppressed Hebrews cried to Moses, “You have made us a stench to Pharaoh” (Exodus 5:21). In each case the verb highlights the public consequence of private wrongdoing; God’s people are called to bear a pleasing aroma among the nations, and failure turns that witness into a smell of death.

Royal and Military Politics

The royal narratives exploit the term for diplomatic hostility:
• Israel became “a stench to the Philistines” after Saul’s raid (1 Samuel 13:4).
• David, feigning defection, “made himself a stench to his people Israel” in Philistine eyes (1 Samuel 27:12).
• The Ammonites, realizing they had become “a stench to David,” hired mercenaries (2 Samuel 10:6; 1 Chronicles 19:6).
• Ahithophel advised Absalom to defile the royal concubines so that Absalom would become “a stench” to his father (2 Samuel 16:21).

In every instance בָּאַשׁ signals irreversible breach of allegiance, warning rulers that treachery leaves a scent no political perfume can mask.

Wisdom Literature: Moral Rot

Wisdom writers apply the root to personal character. “My wounds fester and ooze because of my foolishness” (Psalm 38:5) pairs physical infection with the folly that caused it. Proverbs 13:5 teaches that “the wicked bring shame and disgrace,” literally “cause a stink.” Ecclesiastes 10:1 pictures “dead flies” turning costly perfume rancid—minor folly offsetting great skill. These sayings equate hidden sin with an odor that eventually permeates all of life.

Prophetic Warnings

Isaiah 30:5 and 50:2 extend the image to national judgment: alliances with Egypt would yield only “shame and reproach,” while God can make rivers dry so that “their fish rot for lack of water.” In prophetic rhetoric, moral and spiritual apostasy inevitably produce decay detectable to all.

Theological Reflections

1. Sin carries an aroma. Whether in Eden’s aftermath or Egypt’s plagues, rebellion emits a stench God exposes.
2. Obedience is fragrant. The preserved manna (Exodus 16:24) and acceptable sacrifices elsewhere contrast sharply with the foulness of disobedience.
3. Corporate witness matters. The covenant community’s reputation before the nations can either draw others to the LORD or repel them.

Christ and the Fragrant Offering

The contrast between בָּאַשׁ and the “pleasing aroma” of sacrificial obedience foreshadows the ultimate pleasing fragrance of Christ’s self-offering (compare Ephesians 5:2). He reverses the stench of sin, making His people “the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved” (2 Corinthians 2:15).

Contemporary Ministry Implications

• Personal holiness: tolerate no “dead flies” of secret sin lest they spoil the witness of the gospel.
• Corporate integrity: churches must guard against actions that make believers “a stench” to their communities.
• Evangelistic fragrance: proclaim the gospel that turns moral rot into the sweet smell of redemption.

Thus בָּאַשׁ challenges every generation to flee the stench of sin and spread the fragrance of Christ.

הִֽתְבָּאֲשׁ֖וּ הִבְאִ֔ישׁ הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ הִבְאִישׁ֙ הִבְאַשְׁתֶּ֣ם הַבְאֵ֤שׁ הֹבִ֔ישׁ הבאיש הבאישו הבאש הבאשתם הביש התבאשו וַיִּבְאַ֑שׁ וַיִּבְאַ֣שׁ וַתִּבְאַ֖שׁ וּבָאַ֣שׁ ובאש ויבאש ותבאש יַבְאִ֥ישׁ יבאיש לְהַבְאִישֵׁ֙נִי֙ להבאישני נִבְאֲשׁ֖וּ נִבְאַ֣שְׁתָּ נִבְאַשׁ נבאש נבאשו נבאשת תִּבְאַ֤שׁ תבאש haḇ’êš haḇ·’êš havEsh hiḇ’aštem hiḇ’îš hiḇ’îšū hiḇ·’aš·tem hiḇ·’î·šū hiḇ·’îš hiṯ·bā·’ă·šū hiṯbā’ăšū hitbaaShu hivashTem hivIsh hivIshu hō·ḇîš hōḇîš hoVish lə·haḇ·’î·šê·nî ləhaḇ’îšênî lehaviSheni niḇ’aš niḇ’aštā niḇ’ăšū niḇ·’ă·šū niḇ·’aš niḇ·’aš·tā nivash nivAshta nivaShu tiḇ’aš tiḇ·’aš tivAsh ū·ḇā·’aš ūḇā’aš uvaAsh vaiyivAsh vattivAsh wat·tiḇ·’aš wattiḇ’aš way·yiḇ·’aš wayyiḇ’aš yaḇ’îš yaḇ·’îš yavIshInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts