ὄζω

Pronunciation Guide: OH-dzoh

Quick Answer: ὄζω (ozo) means “to emit a smell” or “to stink,” specifically referring to the offensive odor of decomposition. This powerful Greek verb captures the harsh reality of death’s corruption and humanity’s desperate need for divine resurrection power.

1. What Does ὄζω Mean?

Strong’s G3605: ὄζω is a vivid Greek verb meaning “to emit a smell” or “to stink,” particularly referring to the putrid odor of decomposing flesh. The word carries an intensely physical and visceral quality, describing not just any smell but specifically the offensive, nauseating stench associated with death and decay. In its biblical context, ὄζω confronts us with the stark reality of human mortality and the corrupting power of sin upon our physical bodies. This isn’t merely a clinical description but a deeply sensory word that would have immediately communicated the finality and horror of death to ancient audiences.

Key Insight: The word ὄζω forces us to confront the harsh physical reality of death, making resurrection miracles all the more profound and necessary.

2. Where Does ὄζω Come From?

• Part of Speech: Verb (active voice, present tense)
• Root Etymology: From an ancient Indo-European root meaning “to smell” or “emit odor”
• Language Origin: Classical Greek, appearing in medical and literary texts
• Primary Usage: Predominantly in narrative contexts describing physical decomposition
• Grammatical Function: Always used to describe the emission of unpleasant odors

3. What Is the History of ὄζω?

The verb ὄζω has ancient roots in classical Greek literature, where it appeared in medical treatises and dramatic works to describe the unpleasant odors of disease, death, and decay. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used this term in his medical writings to describe the smell of infected wounds and putrefying flesh. The word also appeared in Greek tragedies, where playwrights like Sophocles employed it to create visceral, emotional responses from their audiences when describing battlefields littered with decomposing bodies.

In the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, ὄζω was used to translate Hebrew words describing corruption and decay, particularly in contexts where the physical consequences of sin and death were being emphasized. The early church fathers, including John Chrysostom and Origen, recognized the theological significance of this word, noting how it highlighted the complete victory of the Messiah over death’s most repulsive manifestations.

Historical Summary: From classical medical texts to biblical narratives, ὄζω consistently emphasized the harsh physical reality of death and corruption throughout Greek literature.

4. How Should ὄζω Be Translated?

Primary meanings of ὄζω:

• To emit an offensive odor
• To stink or reek
• To be putrid or corrupted
• To decay with accompanying smell
• To be malodorous due to decomposition

Translation Tip: Context always determines whether to emphasize the smell itself (“stinks”) or the underlying corruption (“putrid”), but both concepts are inseparable in biblical usage.

ὄζω Translation Options:

• “To stink” – Direct, visceral translation that captures the immediate sensory impact
• “To emit a foul odor” – More formal but comprehensive translation
• “To be putrid” – Emphasizes the underlying corruption causing the smell
• “To reek” – Intensifies the offensive nature of the odor
• “To decompose with odor” – Technical translation that includes both process and result

5. How Is ὄζω Used in the Bible?

The word ὄζω appears only once in the New Testament, making its usage both unique and highly significant. In John 11:39, Martha’s stark declaration “Lord, by this time he stinks, for he has been dead four days” uses ὄζω to emphasize the complete finality of Lazarus’s death. This wasn’t mere concern about unpleasantness—Martha was confronting Jesus with the biological impossibility of what He was proposing to do.

The verb’s rarity in Scripture makes its appearance in this pivotal resurrection narrative all the more striking. By the fourth day after death, Jewish understanding held that the soul had permanently departed and the body had begun irreversible decay. Martha’s use of ὄζω represents the voice of human reason and experience declaring the absolute hopelessness of the situation. This sets up the magnificent contrast with the Messiah’s power over death itself.

Usage Summary: ὄζω appears once in the New Testament, strategically positioned to emphasize death’s finality before demonstrating God’s resurrection power over complete corruption.

Cross-reference verses using ὄζω:

• “Lord, by this time he stinks [ὄζω], for he has been dead four days.” John 11:39

6. What Cultural Context Surrounds ὄζω?

In first-century Jewish culture, the process of death and burial carried profound theological and practical implications that make Martha’s use of ὄζω particularly poignant. Jewish burial practices involved immediate interment due to the Mediterranean climate and religious requirements, but also because of the rapid onset of decomposition. The mention of four days wasn’t arbitrary—Jewish tradition held that the soul hovered near the body for three days, but after the fourth day, decomposition was so advanced that resurrection was considered impossible even by divine intervention.

Martha’s blunt statement using ὄζω also reflects the practical, unvarnished way Jewish women of her era dealt with death and burial preparations. As the head of her household, Martha would have been intimately familiar with the realities of caring for the dying and preparing the dead. Her use of this visceral term wasn’t crude but rather reflected the honest acknowledgment of death’s power that made the coming miracle so astounding. The word also connects to Hebrew concepts of corruption (שחת, shachat) that appear throughout the Tanakh, where physical decay symbolizes the broader corruption of sin.

Cultural Context: In Jewish burial culture, the fourth day marked the point of no return—when physical corruption made resurrection humanly impossible, setting up divine intervention.

7. What Does ὄζω Teach Us About God?

The presence of ὄζω in Scripture reveals profound truths about God’s character and power that encourage our faith in seemingly impossible circumstances. When Martha declared that Lazarus stank, she was essentially saying that human hope had reached its absolute limit—yet this became the very moment when divine power would be most gloriously displayed. The Messiah Jesus didn’t avoid or minimize the reality of death’s corruption; instead, He confronted it head-on, demonstrating that His resurrection power extends even to the most hopeless situations.

This teaches us that יהוה (Yahweh) is not a God who works only in pleasant circumstances or when things look promising. His power is most clearly seen when human possibilities are completely exhausted. The word ὄζω reminds us that our Savior doesn’t offer mere improvement or healing—He offers complete transformation even when corruption seems total. Just as the stench of death couldn’t prevent Lazarus’s resurrection, no situation in our lives is too far gone for God’s redemptive power to reach and transform.

Theological Core: ὄζω demonstrates that God’s resurrection power operates most gloriously when human hope and possibility have reached their absolute end point.

8. How Can I Apply ὄζω to My Life?

While we may never face the literal situation Martha encountered, the spiritual principle behind ὄζω speaks powerfully to every believer’s experience. There are seasons in our lives when our circumstances seem to “stink”—when relationships appear dead, when dreams have been buried too long, when sins have caused such corruption that restoration seems impossible. Martha’s honest assessment using ὄζω teaches us that acknowledging the full extent of our hopelessness isn’t faithlessness; it’s actually the prelude to witnessing God’s greatest miracles.

When we find ourselves in situations that seem to emit the stench of death—whether spiritual, relational, financial, or physical—we can remember that this is precisely when the Messiah’s power shines brightest. Don’t be afraid to honestly assess how “dead” your situation appears. Like Martha, we can bring our most hopeless circumstances to Jesus, trusting that His resurrection power can bring life even to what has begun to decay.

Self-Examination Questions: What areas of my life feel “dead” and beyond hope? How can I honestly acknowledge these situations while still trusting in God’s resurrection power? Am I willing to let Jesus work even in my most “corrupt” circumstances?

9. What Words Are Similar to ὄζω?

• σαπρός (sapros) – “rotten” or “corrupt,” emphasizing moral and physical decay but without the specific sensory element of smell – See G4550
• φθείρω (phtheiro) – “to corrupt” or “destroy,” focusing on the process of decay rather than its olfactory result – See G5351
• νεκρός (nekros) – “dead,” the general term for death without the visceral emphasis on decomposition – See G3498
• διαφθορά (diaphthora) – “corruption” or “decay,” used metaphorically for moral corruption and literally for physical decomposition – See G1312
• μιαίνω (miaino) – “to defile” or “stain,” emphasizing ceremonial uncleanness rather than physical corruption – See G3392

10. Did You Know?

• What does ὄζω mean in modern Greek? Modern Greek still uses ὄζω (pronounced “OH-zo”) to mean “to smell” or “to stink,” maintaining the same visceral quality it had in biblical times, though it’s now used more broadly for any strong odor.
• How did Hippocrates use ὄζω? The father of medicine frequently employed ὄζω in his medical treatises to describe the smell of infected wounds and diseased tissue, establishing it as a clinical term for diagnosing the severity of medical conditions.
• What’s the difference between ὄζω and σαπρός? While σαπρός emphasizes the state of being rotten or corrupt, ὄζω specifically focuses on the sensory experience of smelling that corruption—making it more visceral and immediate.
• Why does the Bible use ὄζω only in John’s Gospel? John’s Gospel uniquely emphasizes the physical reality of Jesus’s miracles to counter early Gnostic tendencies that spiritualized away the material world—ὄζω forces readers to confront death’s harsh physical reality.
• How does ὄζω relate to resurrection theology? The word establishes the complete hopelessness that makes resurrection miraculous—true resurrection power must overcome not just death but the corruption and decay that follows.
• What causes spiritual “stench” today? Just as physical corruption creates offensive odors, unconfessed sin, broken relationships, and abandoned callings can create spiritual “stench” that only God’s resurrection power can cleanse and restore.

11. Remember This?

When life circumstances begin to emit the stench of death and hopelessness, remember that this is not the end of the story but the perfect setup for God’s resurrection power to be magnificently displayed.