H2529a H2529a
Curds, curdled milk — a thick dairy product from cows, sheep, or goats, signifying pastoral abundance
The noun חֶמְאָה (chem'ah) denotes curds or curdled milk, a staple of pastoral life in the ancient Near East. Abraham set curds and milk before his three visitors at Mamre (Gen 18:8), and Jael offered Sisera curds in a lordly bowl (Judg 5:25). Moses' Song celebrates the land's bounty with 'curds of the herd and milk of the flock' (Deut 32:14). The word also appears in wisdom and poetic contexts: Job 20:17 envisions rivers of curds and honey, while Proverbs 30:33 observes that churning milk produces curds. The image consistently evokes richness, hospitality, and the good life. Spanish 'mantequilla/cuajada' and English 'curds/butter' both approximate the thick dairy product.
Senses
1. curds / curdled milk — A thick, curdled dairy product — curds, clotted cream, or a butter-like substance — obtained by churning or naturally thickening milk from cattle or sheep. A marker of pastoral abundance and generous hospitality: Abraham serves it to divine visitors (Gen 18:8), Jael offers it to Sisera (Judg 5:25), and it symbolizes the richness of the promised land (Deut 32:14). Also used in proverbial wisdom about the churning process (Prov 30:33) and in descriptions of wished-for prosperity (Job 20:17; 29:6; 2 Sam 17:29). Spanish 'cuajada' and French 'lait caillé' reflect the curdled texture. 10×
AR["بِ-الزُبدِ", "زُبدَةً", "زُبْدَةً", "زُبْدَةَ", "سَمْناً", "وَ-سَمْنٍ", "وَ-سَمْنَةً"]·ben["এবং-মাখন", "এবং-মাখনের", "মাখন", "মাখনে"]·DE["Butter", "[בחמה]", "[וחמאה]", "[חמאה]", "curds", "curds-von", "und-curds"]·EN["and-cream", "and-curds", "curds", "curds-of", "in-cream"]·FR["beurre", "curds", "curds-de", "dans-בחמה", "et-curds", "et-וחמאה", "חמאה"]·heb["ב-חמאה", "ו-חמאה", "חמאה", "חמאת"]·HI["और-चट्टान", "और-मक्खन", "और-मख्खन", "मखन", "मख्खन", "मलाई"]·ID["Dadih", "Mentega", "dadih", "dan-mentega", "dengan-mentega", "keju", "mentega"]·IT["burro", "curds", "curds-di", "e-curds", "e-e-cream", "in-in-cream"]·jav["Mentega", "Mertega", "ing-mantèga", "lan-krim", "lan-mertega", "mentega", "mentèga", "mertega"]·KO["그리고-버터와", "그리고-버터의", "버터(접)", "버터-를", "버터로", "버터를", "버터와", "응유와"]·PT["Coalhada", "Manteiga-de", "coalhada", "e-manteiga", "em-manteiga", "manteiga"]·RU["Масло", "и-масла", "и-масло", "масло", "маслом", "сливки"]·ES["Cuajada", "cuajada", "en-leche", "mantequilla", "mantequilla-de", "y-mantequilla", "y-mantequilla."]·SW["Siagi", "katika-siagi", "na-siagi", "siagi", "siagi-ya"]·TR["Tereyagi", "kaymak", "tereyagi", "tereyağı", "tereyağıyla", "ve-tereyağı", "ve-tereyağının"]·urd["اور-مکھن", "اور-مکھن-کے", "مکھن", "مکھن-سے"]
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×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)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×)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×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חֶמְאָה n.f. curd;—ח׳ Gn 18:8 + 6 times; = חֵמָה Jb 29:6; cstr. חֶמְאַח Dt 32:14; curd, curdled milk, mod. leben on mode of making lebben, by shaking milk in sour milk-skin, v. DoughtyArabic Des. i. 221, 263; ii. 304, etc. Thomson Land and Book ii. 418. See also ARSKEncy. Bib. Milk. מִיץ חָלָב יוֹצִיא ח׳ Pr 30:33, elsewhere joined with חָלָב Gn 18:8 (J) Dt 32:14 (poem; חֶמְאַת בָּקָר וַחֲלֵב…