Original Word: נִיחוֹחַ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: niychowach
Pronunciation: nee-kho'-akh
Phonetic Spelling: (nee-kho'-akh)
KJV: sweet odour (savour)
NASB: acceptable sacrifices, fragrant incense
Word Origin: [corresponding to H5207 (נִיחוַֹח נִיחוַֹח - soothing)]

1. pleasure

sweet odor, savor

(Aramaic) or (shorter) niychoach (Aramaic) {nee-kho'-akh}; corresponding to nichowach; pleasure -- sweet odour (savour).

see HEBREW nichowach

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to nichoach
Definition
soothing, tranquilizing
NASB Translation
acceptable sacrifices (1), fragrant incense (1).

[נִרחוֺךְַ] noun [masculine] soothing, tranquillizing (probably Hebraism, see Biblical Hebrew id., √ נוּחַ (√ also ᵑ7 Syriac)); — plural נִיח(וֺ)חִין Ezra 6:10; Daniel 2:46 i.e. soothing offerings.

Meaning and Nuance

נִיחוֹחַ (Strong’s Hebrew 5208) occurs in the Aramaic portions of Ezra and Daniel. Cognate with the more familiar Hebrew נִיחוֹחַ (Strong’s 5207), it denotes an odor that is soothing, acceptable, or pleasing. The word therefore moves beyond the mere physical sense of smell and touches the sphere of relational communion—what delights a superior and secures favor from him.

Old Testament Occurrences

• Ezra 6:10 situates the term in the Persian royal decree authorizing supplies for the rebuilt temple: “so that they may offer sacrifices of a pleasing aroma to the God of heaven and pray for the lives of the king and his sons”.
• Daniel 2:46 shows King Nebuchadnezzar ordering homage to Daniel: “Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell facedown, paid honor to Daniel, and ordered that an offering and fragrant incense be presented to him”.

Both contexts fall within imperial Aramaic narratives and reveal Gentile rulers recognizing, or in Nebuchadnezzar’s case misdirecting, the principle of rendering acceptable worship.

Sacrificial and Liturgical Background

The pleasing aroma motif permeates the Torah, especially Leviticus (for example, Leviticus 1:9; 2:2; 3:5). Offerings ascending in smoke symbolize the worshiper’s devotion rising to God and being received with delight. The Aramaic usage in Ezra confirms continuity between the Mosaic liturgy and the post-exilic temple: what was satisfying to God in the wilderness remains satisfying in Jerusalem under Persian oversight. The verse in Daniel, however, underscores how that same imagery can be abused when directed toward a human being.

Historical Significance

1. Temple Restoration (Ezra 6). The Persian decree insists that the restored community maintain regular sacrificial worship. By employing נִיחוֹחַ, the edict reflects detailed knowledge of Israel’s cultic vocabulary and the imperial desire to curry divine favor through Israel’s God.
2. Court Diplomacy (Daniel 2). Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction illustrates the danger of conflating divine revelation with the human instrument who conveys it. The king’s gesture of incense toward Daniel foreshadows later conflicts (Daniel 3) between mandated idolatry and exclusive allegiance to the Most High.

Theological Themes

• Divine Pleasure. The term links sacrifice with God’s gracious acceptance, reinforcing that true worship is defined by what pleases Him, not merely by human sincerity or extravagance.
• Mediation and Intercession. In Ezra 6:10 the pleasing aroma accompanies prayer “for the lives of the king and his sons,” revealing sacrifice as a means of intercession for others, including civil authorities (compare 1 Timothy 2:1–2).
• Misplaced Worship. Daniel 2:46 warns that supernatural insight, unmoored from theological discernment, can tempt people to venerate the servant rather than the Sender (cf. Revelation 19:10).

Christological Fulfillment

Ephesians 5:2 declares that “Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” The apostolic language intentionally echoes the נִיחוֹחַ tradition, presenting Jesus’ self-giving as the ultimate pleasing aroma that fulfills and surpasses all earlier sacrifices (Hebrews 10:12-14).

Implications for Ministry Today

1. Worship. Corporate gatherings should aim at what is agreeable to God, governed by Scriptural patterns rather than cultural trends.
2. Intercession for Authorities. The Ezra context encourages regular prayer for governmental leaders, coupling worship with civic blessing.
3. Guarding Against Celebrity. Daniel warns against elevating gifted servants to quasi-divine status; ministry must continually redirect praise to the Lord.
4. Gospel Witness. As believers embody Christ’s sacrificial love, they become “the aroma of Christ” among both the saved and the perishing (2 Corinthians 2:15), spreading the fragrance originally signified by נִיחוֹחַ into every sphere of life.

וְנִ֣יחֹחִ֔ין וניחחין נִיחוֹחִ֖ין ניחוחין nî·ḥō·w·ḥîn nichoChin nîḥōwḥîn veNichoChin wə·nî·ḥō·ḥîn wənîḥōḥînInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts