Before I began my perfume experimentation I wanted to clear something up. Was perfume biblical? For some I’m sure the answer to this question is obvious. But I was a careful youngster and always wanted to be sure I was doing the right, and the best thing. I was aware that some perfume had a seductive connotation. The names of some perfume and advertisements of many made this pretty clear. I was also aware of various conservative individuals and groups who put restrictions or full on prohibitions on certain food, clothing, jewelry, dancing, music and other areas. I assumed perfume would be among some of those other areas. This all gave me pause. And so, I did my own study on the subject.

What I found is the bible is full of rich descriptions of perfumes being crafted and used for various purposes. The passages and implications are many. Below I have outlined several.

Temple Incense

Perfume in the form of incense was used in the temple. God provided some very specific instructions to Moses in Exodus 30:34-38

And the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the Lord. Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

Wow. Pretty serious. Well that’s one recipe that is clearly prohibited from personal use. It is interesting to note the aroma of the temple was important and God intended it to be unique, distinct, set apart. I also noted the art of perfume/incense/apothecary making existed at the time and it suggests would have been used by individuals, not just for worship in the temple.

Personal Ointment

There are various passages that reference perfume ointments and spikenard. These are understood to be oils infused with sweet scented materials. Spikenard was particularly valued compared to other aromatic options.

Proverbs makes this correlation “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.” (Prov. 27:9)

The Song of Solomon which is a love story between a man and a woman makes multiple mentions. In this line the woman is singing of the man: “Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.” (SoS 1:3). And here the man is singing to the woman: “How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!” (SoS 4:10). Which shows both men and woman using aromatic ointments or oils. And they are represented as a good thing. There are several more references to aromatics in the song.

Later in Solomon’s life he wrote this line in Ecclesiastes “A good name is better than precious ointment…” (Ecc. 7:1). Which is interesting as it connects with SoS 1:3.

In the book of Ruth, Naomi instructed her daughter-in-law Ruth to “Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.” in order to make herself attractive to Boaz (Ruth 3:3)

Gift For The King of Kings

Most of us know the story of the wise men from the east who came to worship Jesus shortly after he was born. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” (Matt. 2:11). We all know what gold is. But did you know, the other two items are both perfume? Frankincense and myrrh are both sweet and rich smelling tree resins that were used in making perfumes.

Also significant are the Gospels recordings of the two woman who anointed Jesus with precious oil. The first in Capernaum and later in Bethany.

The Strange Woman

As we already know, perfume can be used for the wrong reasons, as a tool in seduction. Proverbs 7 describes a “strange” woman, a seductress who seeks to ensnare a young man. This woman says to the man “I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.“

Conclusion

At the end of my study I concluded that perfume is a fine thing to participate in, but like anything, you can use it improperly or for the wrong reasons. It was also enlightening to see just how prevalent and significant perfume was in bible times. It is clear that perfume was and is a luxury we should view as a bonus, a blessing, and be careful to keep our vanity in check.

Scriptures are given in KJV