The term "sweet-scented" in the context of the Bible often refers to fragrances and aromas that are pleasing and are used in various religious and cultural practices. These scents are typically derived from natural sources such as plants, spices, and oils, and they hold significant symbolic and practical importance in biblical times.

Biblical References and Symbolism

In the Bible, sweet scents are frequently associated with offerings and worship. The use of incense, which is often sweet-scented, is a common practice in the tabernacle and temple worship. In Exodus 30:34-35, God instructs Moses on the composition of a sacred incense: "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal measures, and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.'" This incense was to be used exclusively for worship, symbolizing the prayers of the people ascending to God.

Sweet scents also appear in the context of anointing. In Exodus 30:23-25, God provides Moses with a recipe for a holy anointing oil, which includes myrrh, cinnamon, and other fragrant spices. This oil was used to consecrate the tabernacle and its furnishings, as well as the priests, setting them apart for divine service.

Cultural and Practical Uses

In addition to their religious significance, sweet scents had practical uses in ancient times. They were employed in personal grooming and as a means of hospitality. In the Song of Solomon, the beloved is described with imagery of sweet fragrances, highlighting the romantic and aesthetic appreciation of such scents: "Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with the choicest fruits, with henna and nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the finest spices" (Song of Solomon 4:13-14).

Spiritual Implications

The use of sweet scents in the Bible often carries deeper spiritual implications. They symbolize purity, holiness, and the pleasing nature of a life dedicated to God. In 2 Corinthians 2:15, Paul writes, "For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." Here, the metaphor of a sweet aroma is used to describe the witness of believers, whose lives are meant to be a fragrant offering to God, reflecting the character and love of Christ.

Conclusion

Sweet-scented elements in the Bible serve as powerful symbols of worship, consecration, and the divine-human relationship. They remind believers of the importance of living lives that are pleasing to God, much like the fragrant offerings of old.(a.) Having a sweet scent or smell; fragrant.2238. heduosmon -- sweet smelling
... mint. Neuter of the compound of the same as hedeos and osme; a sweet-scented
plant, ie Mint -- mint. see GREEK hedeos. see GREEK osme. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2238.htm - 6k4840. merqach -- spice, perfume
... Word Origin from raqach Definition spice, perfume NASB Word Usage sweet-scented
herbs (1). sweet. From raqach; a spicy herb -- X sweet. see HEBREW raqach. ...
/hebrew/4840.htm - 6k

The Embalming of the Body of Jesus.
... They then placed beneath his hips a sheet which was a yard in width and three in
length, laid upon his lap bundles of sweet-scented herbs, and shook over the ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter li the embalming of.htm

What the Flowers Say.
... Be quite sure, my children, that the best place for us is where God puts us. Have
you ever noticed the sweet-scented wall flowers growing on an old stone wall? ...
/.../the life of duty a years plain sermons v 2/sermon lxi what the flowers.htm

The Origin of the Way of the Cross.
... sufferings of her Son, did she lay up in her heart the inexhaustible merits of his
Passion, and gather them up as precious stones or sweet-scented flowers to ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter xviii the origin of.htm

Of the Method by which we Can Remove the Dross from Our Memory.
... have been carefully taken in and stored up in the recesses of the soul and stamped
with the seal of silence, afterwards like some sweet scented wine that ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xiii of the method.htm

The Adventures of Saint Denis of France.
... I will have the steeds ready, and at early dawn we will ride forth, and leave a
sweet-scented billet to thank the lady for her courtesy, and to inform her of ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter five the adventures of.htm

In Jericho and at Bethany - Jericho - a Guest with Zacch??us - the ...
... All around wave groves of feathery palms, rising in stately beauty; stretch gardens
of roses, and especially sweet-scented balsam-plantations, the largest ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxiv in jericho and.htm

The Imagination.
... The imagination, that active agent of the senses, is the bee which, in its continual
excursions, gathers from the flower-cups the sweet scented dust from which ...
/.../sainte-foi/serious hours of a young lady/chapter x the imagination.htm

Of the Good which an Attack of Temptation Brings About.
... Are not your ways rather crooked?" [2348] And indeed if you will compare the sweet
scented flower of virginity, and tender purity of chastity to the foul and ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xxv of the good.htm

Persons of the Dialogue:
... fruits that hung joyfully from their branches were of equal beauty; and there were
ever-blooming meadows strewn with variegated and sweet-scented flowers, from ...
/.../persons of the dialogue .htm

The Chain of Circumstance had Lengthened by Several Links Round ...
... bunches of beautiful flowers which Sylvie had laid on her coverlet,"daffodils, anemones,
narcissi, violets, jonquils, and all the sweet-scented flowers of ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxxiii the chain of circumstance.htm

Sweet-scented (2 Occurrences)
Sweet-scented. Sweetness, Sweet-scented. Sweetsmelling . Noah Webster's
Dictionary ... Multi-Version Concordance Sweet-scented (2 Occurrences). ...
/s/sweet-scented.htm - 7k

Sweetness (11 Occurrences)

/s/sweetness.htm - 9k

Vine (76 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 18:5), "blossom"; nitstsah, either the blossom or half-formed clusters of
grapes (Genesis 40:10 Isaiah 18:5); cemadhar, "sweet-scented blossom" (Songs 2 ...
/v/vine.htm - 46k

Lily (9 Occurrences)
... the expression "His lips are as lilies" (Songs 5:13) might imply a scarlet flower,
but more probably in oriental imagery signifies a sweet-scented flower; the ...
/l/lily.htm - 15k

Reclined (7 Occurrences)
... Matthew 26:7 a woman came to Him with a jar of very costly, sweet-scented ointment,
which she poured over His head as He reclined at table. (WEY NAS). ...
/r/reclined.htm - 8k

Rose (279 Occurrences)
... found only in these passages), rendered "rose" (RV marg., "autumn crocus"), is supposed
by some to mean the oleander, by others the sweet-scented narcissus (a ...
/r/rose.htm - 37k

Powders (1 Occurrence)
... They may have been some sweet-scented wood in powder, or else some form of
incense. Multi-Version Concordance Powders (1 Occurrence). ...
/p/powders.htm - 7k

Costly (26 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Matthew 26:7 a woman came to Him with a jar of very costly, sweet-scented
ointment, which she poured over His head as He reclined at table. (WEY NAS). ...
/c/costly.htm - 14k

Sweetsmelling (1 Occurrence)

/s/sweetsmelling.htm - 6k

Botany
... The hawthorn (Crataegus; Arabic za`rur), of which there are 4 varieties, occurs
as a shrub or small tree everywhere, its sweet-scented white or pink blossom ...
/b/botany.htm - 38k

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