Lexical Summary reach: smell Original Word: רֵיחַ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance smell (Aramaic) corresponding to reyach -- smell. see HEBREW reyach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to reach Definition a smell NASB Translation smell (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs רֵיחַ noun feminine smell; — construct נוּר ׳ר Daniel 3:27. Topical Lexicon Summary רֵיחַ (Strong’s Hebrew 7382) denotes a smell or odor. In its sole canonical appearance, Daniel 3:27, it is used to testify that the three Hebrew men emerged from Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace without even the “smell of fire” upon them. The term therefore carries a unique theological weight as a witness to divine preservation and to the absolute thoroughness of God’s deliverance. Scriptural Context: Daniel 3:27 “The satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisers gathered around and saw that the fire had had no effect on the bodies of these men; not a hair of their heads was singed; their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them.” Here רֵיחַ underscores what sight alone might miss. The bodies, hair, and garments are visually intact, but the complete absence of odor seals the miracle. Instead of a lingering reminder of judgment, the lack of smell proclaims God’s supremacy to every observer in Babylon’s court. Symbolism and Theology of Smell in Scripture 1. Evidence of Divine Intervention 2. Separation from Judgment 3. Witness before the Nations Historical and Cultural Background In the ancient Near East, smell was an accepted proof of contact with fire or ritual. The odor of smoke on one’s clothes after tending a hearth or offering sacrifices was commonplace. To stand unscathed—odorless—before imperial authorities challenged the normal expectations of court protocol and affirmed that a higher King had intervened. Ministry Implications 1. Assurance of Total Deliverance 2. The Christian’s Spiritual Aroma “But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.” (2 Corinthians 2:14) 3. Pastoral Encouragement Christological Fulfillment The furnace episode foreshadows the incarnation of the Son of God, who “walked” with the three men (Daniel 3:25) and later entered the ultimate furnace—Calvary—emerging in resurrection free from decay (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:31). The absence of רֵיחַ anticipates the incorruptibility of Christ’s body and the believers’ future resurrection bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). New Testament Parallels • Ephesians 5:2: “Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” These texts transform the Old Testament imagery: from the negative absence of fire’s odor to the positive presence of Christ’s pleasing aroma. Worship and Homiletic Application • Liturgical readings of Daniel 3 can highlight the sensory completeness of divine salvation. Related Terms Though רֵיחַ (7382) appears only once, it is cognate with רֵיחַ (7381), the common word for smell or fragrance, used of both pleasing sacrifices (Genesis 8:21) and corrupt stench (Isaiah 3:24), framing a comprehensive biblical theology of aroma that spans judgment and grace. Conclusion Strong’s 7382 serves as a compact yet potent witness: God’s salvation is so thorough that even the faintest trace of former judgment is removed. In Christ, believers not only escape the flames but are freed from their lingering odor, becoming instead a fragrance that glorifies God among the nations. Forms and Transliterations וְרֵ֣יחַ וריח veReiach wə·rê·aḥ wərêaḥLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 3:27 HEB: לָ֣א שְׁנ֑וֹ וְרֵ֣יחַ נ֔וּר לָ֥א NAS: nor had the smell of fire KJV: nor the smell of fire INT: nor damaged had the smell of fire nor 1 Occurrence |
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