Phil 4:18: "a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice" and the Old Testament offering formula
Says Phil 4:18 calls the gifts ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, θυσίαν δεκτήν, εὐάρεστον τῷ θεῷ ("a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God," BSB), with no quotation formula.
Says The Hebrew formula is רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ (reakh nikhoakh; "scent," BDB p. 926; "soothing," BDB p. 629). Exod 29:18 has עֹלָה הוּא לַיהוָה רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ ("a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma," BSB); Swete has ὁλοκαύτωμα Κυρίῳ εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, adding εἰς. Lev 1:9, 13, 17 repeat it.
Says Gen 8:21: וַיָּרַח יְהוָה אֶת־רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ ("the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma," BSB); Swete ὠσφράνθη Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, Paul's accusative without εἰς.
Says Swete's Lev 1:9, κάρπωμά ἐστιν, θυσία, ὀσμὴ εὐωδίας τῷ κυρίῳ, puts θυσία beside ὀσμὴ εὐωδίας, as Paul does.
Says For "acceptable," Lev 1:3 has לִרְצֹנוֹ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה ("for its acceptance before the Lord," BSB; רָצוֹן, BDB p. 953); Swete has δεκτὸν αὐτῷ ἐναντίον Κυρίου. No verse here has θυσίαν δεκτήν.
Says Ezek 20:41 applies it to people: בְּרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ אֶרְצֶה אֶתְכֶם ("I will accept you as a pleasing aroma," BSB); אֶרְצֶה (Qal imperfect first singular of רָצָה) takes a plural object. Swete has ἐν ὀσμῇ εὐωδίας προσδέξομαι ὑμᾶς, dative after ἐν; προσδέξομαι is related to δεκτήν, not identical.
Uncertain Form comparison cannot tie Phil 4:18 to one verse. A lean is taken: since the formula recurs through the offering laws, Paul uses the common offering idiom; the main alternative is a deliberate allusion to one verse. Ezek 20:41, where God accepts people, is closest in thought.
Claims
- SaysPhil 4:18 calls the gifts ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, θυσίαν δεκτήν, εὐάρεστον τῷ θεῷ, with no quotation formula.
- SaysThe Hebrew formula is רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ (scent; soothing); Exod 29:18 has עֹלָה הוּא לַיהוָה רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ, and Swete ὁλοκαύτωμα Κυρίῳ εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας adds εἰς; Lev 1:9, 13, 17 repeat it.
- SaysGen 8:21 וַיָּרַח יְהוָה אֶת רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ; Swete ὠσφράνθη Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας has Paul's accusative without εἰς.
- SaysSwete Lev 1:9 κάρπωμά ἐστιν, θυσία, ὀσμὴ εὐωδίας τῷ κυρίῳ puts θυσία beside ὀσμὴ εὐωδίας, as Paul does.
- SaysLev 1:3 לִרְצֹנוֹ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה; Swete δεκτὸν αὐτῷ ἐναντίον Κυρίου. None of the Swete verses compared has θυσίαν δεκτήν.
- SaysEzek 20:41 בְּרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ אֶרְצֶה אֶתְכֶם applies the formula to people; אֶרְצֶה (Qal imperfect first singular of רָצָה) takes a plural object. Swete ἐν ὀσμῇ εὐωδίας προσδέξομαι ὑμᾶς has the dative after ἐν; προσδέξομαι is related to δεκτήν, not identical.
- UncertainForm comparison cannot tie Phil 4:18 to one verse; lean, since the formula recurs through the offering laws: Paul uses the common offering idiom, with Ezek 20:41 closest in thought; main alternative: a deliberate allusion to one verse.
Citations
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Exod 29:18 (רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ); Lev 1:3 (לִרְצֹנוֹ morph HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms); Lev 1:9, 13, 17; Gen 8:21 (וַיָּרַח morph HC/Vhw3ms); Ezek 20:41 (אֶרְצֶה morph HVqi1cs; אֶתְכֶם morph HTo/Sp2mp)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 רֵיחַ (H7381), p. 926, entry t.bk.ac; נִיחֹחַ (H5207), p. 629, entry n.by.ag; רָצָה (H7521), p. 953, entry t.ee.aa; רָצוֹן (H7522), p. 953, entry t.ee.ab
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 8:21 (vol. 1 p. 13; apparatus: "om ο θεος 1° E"); Exod 29:18 (p. 162; apparatus: "Κυριω 1°] pr τω AF | θυμιαμα] θυσιασμα B^ab?AF"); Lev 1:3 (p. 188; apparatus: "δεκτον] δωρον F | om αυτω AF"); Lev 1:9 (p. 188; apparatus: "τω κυριω] om τω F"). LXX read on the Swete page image, vol. 1 (1909), pp. 13, 162, 188. Ezek 20:41 (vol. 3 p. 425; apparatus: nothing at the quoted words). LXX read on the Swete page image, vol. 3 (1912), p. 425.
- SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Phil 4:18
- BSB public domain Phil 4:18; Gen 8:21; Exod 29:18; Lev 1:3, 9; Ezek 20:41
Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits
2026-11-09
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