H4220 H4220
fatling, fat animal (noun); a fattened animal for sacrifice or consumption
This plural noun denotes fatlings or fattened animals, used for choice sacrifices or food. Psalm 66:15 lists 'burnt offerings of fatlings' among premium sacrifices. Isaiah 5:17's usage is textually disputed—some read it as 'fatlings' parallel to lambs (representing the rich), others emend the text. The Phoenician cognate means 'fat' as an adjective; the nominal use emphasizes animals specifically fattened for special purposes, making them more valuable and desirable.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Refers to fattened animals, particularly those chosen for burnt offerings or consumption, emphasizing their premium quality. The Psalm context lists them among choice sacrifices offered in fulfillment of vows. Spanish uses 'animales cebados' and 'engordados' (fattened animals), clearly indicating livestock deliberately fed to increase size and richness. The Isaiah passage may use this metaphorically for wealthy people (if the text is correct), extending the agricultural image to social critique. 2×
AR["السِّمَانِ", "سَمينَةٍ"]·ben["পুষ্টদের", "মোটাদের"]·DE["[מחים]", "fatlings"]·EN["fat-ones", "fatlings"]·FR["[מחים]", "de-gras"]·heb["מחים"]·HI["मोटे-पशुओं-की", "मोटों-के"]·ID["hewan-gemuk", "yang-gemuk"]·IT["[מחים]"]·jav["ingkang-lema", "saking-lembu"]·KO["살진-것-들-의", "살진-것의"]·PT["de-animais-gordos", "gordos"]·RU["тучных"]·ES["animales-cebados", "engordados"]·SW["ya-wanono", "zenye-mafuta"]·TR["semiz-hayvanlardan", "semizlerin"]·urd["موٹوں-کی", "موٹے-جانوروں-کی"]
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
† [מֵחַ] n.[m.] fatling (Ph. מח fat (adj.); NH מֵיחָא fig. of choice flour);—only pl. abs.: עֹלוֹת מֵיחִים ψ 66:15 burnt offerings of fatlings; so מֵחִים Is 5:17 (‖ כְּבָשִׂים) according to Hi Du CheHpt (read חֳרָבוֹת and del. גָּרִים); most, fat ones, fig. for rich men.