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…