H2459 H2459
Fat, suet — the fatty portions of sacrificial animals; figuratively, the best or richest part of something
In the sacrificial system, חֵלֶב refers specifically to the internal fat and suet surrounding the kidneys, liver, and intestines — the portions belonging exclusively to the LORD and burned on the altar (Lev 3:16: 'all fat is the LORD's'). Because fat was considered the choicest, richest part of an animal, the word naturally extended to mean 'the best of' any category of goods. When God promises Israel 'the fat of the land' (Gen 45:18) or when Numbers 18:12 speaks of 'the best of the oil and the best of the wine,' the same word חֵלֶב carries the metaphor. Spanish distinguishes these neatly: 'grasa' for literal fat versus 'lo mejor de' for the figurative sense.
Senses
1. fat, suet — Physical fat or suet — the adipose tissue of animals, especially the sacrificial fat portions (kidneys, entrails, liver lobe) consecrated to God and burned on the altar. French 'graisse,' German 'Fett,' and Spanish 'grasa' all render the concrete substance. Leviticus 3–4 details which fat belongs to God (Lev 3:9–11, 14–16), and Judg 3:22 memorably describes Ehud's sword being swallowed by Eglon's belly fat. 84×
AR["-الشَّحْمَ", "-الشَّحْمِ", "الشَّحمَ", "الشَّحمِ", "شَحْمٌ", "شَحْمٍ"]·ben["চর্বি", "সেই-চর্বি"]·DE["der-fett", "fett"]·EN["fat", "the-fat"]·FR["graisse", "le-graisse"]·heb["ה-חלב", "חלב"]·HI["चर्बी"]·ID["lemak", "lemak-itu"]·IT["grasso", "il-fat", "il-grasso"]·jav["gajih"]·KO["그-기름", "그-기름과", "그-기름을", "기름", "기름-과", "기름-은"]·PT["a-gordura", "gordura"]·RU["жир", "тук"]·ES["grasa", "la-grasa"]·SW["mafuta"]·TR["-yağ", "yağ", "yağını"]·urd["-چربی", "چربی"]
Exod 23:18, Exod 29:13, Exod 29:13, Exod 29:22, Exod 29:22, Exod 29:22, Lev 3:3, Lev 3:3, Lev 3:4, Lev 3:9, Lev 3:9, Lev 3:10 (+38 more)
2. best, finest part — The best, finest, or richest part of something — a figurative extension from the choicest portion of an animal to the choicest portion of any resource. Spanish 'lo mejor de,' German 'das Beste,' and English 'finest of' all shift register from physical to qualitative. Gen 45:18 (Joseph's promise: 'you shall eat the fat of the land'), Num 18:12 ('all the best of the oil and all the best of the wine'), and Num 18:29–30 use this sense for consecrated firstfruits. 8×
AR["دَسَمَ", "دَسَمَهُ", "دَسَمِ", "دَسَمِهِ", "سَمِينُ", "مِنْ-شَحْمِ"]·ben["চর্বি", "তার-সর্বোত্তম", "তার-সর্বোত্তমকে", "শ্রেষ্ঠ", "সর্বোত্তম", "সেরা-থেকে"]·DE["best-von", "das-Fett", "finest-of", "mit-der-finest-von", "sein-best"]·EN["best-of", "fat-of", "finest-of", "its-best", "with-the-finest-of"]·FR["best-de", "de-graisse", "graisse", "graisse-de", "son-best"]·heb["חלב", "מ-חלב"]·HI["उत्तम", "उत्तम-से", "उसका-उत्तम", "उसके-उत्तम", "चर्बी-से", "मलाई"]·ID["dari-lemak", "lemak", "yang-terbaik"]·IT["best-di", "da-grasso", "fat-di", "grasso", "suo-best"]·jav["gajih", "gajih-piyambakipun", "ingkang-paling-sae", "lemonipun", "saking-lemak"]·KO["그것-의-좋은-것", "그것-의-좋은-것-을", "기름을", "기름진-것으로", "에서-기름진-것을", "좋은-것-의"]·PT["com-a-gordura", "com-a-melhor", "gordura-de", "melhor-de", "melhor-dele"]·RU["от-тука", "тук", "тук-его", "тука-его", "туком"]·ES["de-lo-mejor-de", "grosura-de", "lo-mejor-de", "lo-mejor-de-él"]·SW["bora-kila", "bora-ya", "bora-yake", "bora-yake-yote", "kwa-bora-ya", "ngano"]·TR["en-iyisinden", "yağı", "yağından", "yağını", "yağını-"]·urd["اُس-کی-چربی", "زرخیزی", "مِن-بہترین-چربی", "چربی"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. חֵ֫לֶב n.m. Ex 29:13 fat (NH id., fat, so Ph. חלב (prob.); Aramaic ܚܶܠܒܳܐ (also diaphragm in Lexx., v. PS1274) orig. diaphragm, midriff; Arabic خِلْبٌ, incl. midriff-fat, RSSem i. 360);—ח׳ abs. Lv 3:16 + 40 times; cstr. Gn 45:18 + 21 times; sf. חֶלְבּוֹ Lv 3:9 + 6 times; חֶלְבָּהּ Lv 4:31, 35, חֶלְבָּם Nu 18:17, חֶלְבָּ֫מוֹ ψ 17:10, חֶלְבְּהֶ֑ן Lv 8:16, 25 (read n.pl. חלביהן Sam. Di); pl.…