Greek word · G2175

εὐωδία

euōdia

aroma

A pleasant smell or fragrance: of perfume, flowers, incense, or burnt offerings. In Jewish Greek it is above all a temple word. In the phrase osmē euōdias, 'odor of pleasing smell', it translates the Hebrew reaḥ niḥoaḥ, 'soothing/pleasing aroma', the smell of an offering that God accepts.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 22, 2026

What it means

εὐωδία, -ας, ἡ

(εὐώδης, fragrant; ὄζω) [in LXX for נִיחוֹחַ, Genesis 8:21, al. (ὀσμὴ εὐωδίας); Sirach 20:9 24:15, al. ;]

fragrance: metaphorically, Χριστοῦ εὐ,., 2 Corinthians 2:15; ὀσμὴ εὐωδίας (a metaphor of sacrifice, most frequently in Pent. and Ez.), Ephesians 5:2, Philippians 4:18.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 2 Corinthians 2:15

Range of meaning: A pleasant smell or fragrance: of perfume, flowers, incense, or burnt offerings. In Jewish Greek it is above all a temple word. In the phrase osmē euōdias, 'odor of pleasing smell', it translates the Hebrew reaḥ niḥoaḥ, 'soothing/pleasing aroma', the smell of an offering that God accepts.
Against the English: "Sweet aroma" (BSB), "sweet savour" (KJV), "pleasing aroma" (NIV) keep the 'good' part of the word. "Aroma" (ESV) and "a fragrance" (NASB) drop it and blur the difference from the plainer osmē ('smell, odor') of vv.14 and 16. KJV's "sweet savour" is the same phrase KJV uses for the offerings in Leviticus, so a KJV reader of old heard the sacrificial echo. Modern readers usually don't.
How it drifted: In modern English 'aroma' and 'fragrance' suggest something nice that people enjoy, like coffee or perfume. The temple meaning, a smell going up to God from an offering, has faded, and 'savour' has shifted toward taste.
Used elsewhere in the period: LXX Gen 8:21 (after Noah's sacrifice 'the Lord smelled the pleasing odor'); Lev 1:9, 13, 17 and dozens more in Leviticus and Numbers; Ezek 20:41 (God accepts Israel itself 'as a pleasing odor'). Sirach 24:15 compares Wisdom to perfume and incense. Paul uses it for an offering elsewhere: the Philippians' gift is 'a fragrant offering (osmē euōdias), an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God' (Phil 4:18), and Christ 'gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma' (Eph 5:2).

Similar words

Εὐοδία euodia · Euodia

Where it appears

2 Corinthians · 1

2 Corinthians 2:15 εὐωδία a sweet perfume

For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

Here: Literally a 'good smell'. In the Greek Old Testament it is the standard word for the smell of a sacrifice that God accepts. It picks up the 'fragrance' (osmē) of v.14 and makes it more specific: this smell is pleasing to God.

Ephesians · 1

Ephesians 5:2 εὐωδίας.¶ of a sweet smell.

and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.

Here: "Of pleasing fragrance". The phrase is the Greek Old Testament's wording for an offering God accepts with favour (Hebrew rēaḥ nîḥōaḥ, "soothing aroma").

Philippians · 1

Philippians 4:18 εὐωδίας, of a sweet smell,

I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.

Here: Together with osmē it forms the standard Greek Old Testament wording for 'a pleasing aroma' to the LORD, said of sacrifices that God accepts (Gen 8:21; Lev 1:9).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.