Genesis 41:20 — Word Study
WLCוַתֹּאכַ֙לְנָה֙ הַפָּר֔וֹת הָרַקּ֖וֹת וְהָרָע֑וֹת אֵ֣ת שֶׁ֧בַע הַפָּר֛וֹת הָרִאשֹׁנ֖וֹת הַבְּרִיאֹֽת׃
BSAThen the thinraq [emaciated, lean] uglyraʻ cowspârâh devouredʼâkal▸ [ate up, consumed] the sevenshebaʻ well-fedbârîyʼ [fat, plump] cowspârâh that were there firstriʼshôwn [present, in existence, initially, at the beginning]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּאכַ֙לְנָה֙ | and they ate | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person feminine plural |
| הַפָּר֔וֹת | the cows | Particle, noun common feminine plural absolute |
| הָרַקּ֖וֹת | thin | Particle |
| וְהָרָע֑וֹת | and displeasing | Conjunction, particle |
| אֵ֣ת | the object marker | Particle |
| שֶׁ֧בַע | seven | Adj |
| הַפָּר֛וֹת | the cows | Particle, noun common feminine plural absolute |
| הָרִאשֹׁנ֖וֹת | former | Particle |
| הַבְּרִיאֹֽת׃ | fat | Particle |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first. |
| KJV | And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: |
| ASV | and the lean and ill-favored kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: |
| YLT | 'And the lean and the bad kine eat up the first seven fat kine, |
| WEB | The thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle; |
| BBE | And the thin cows made a meal of the seven fat cows who came up first; |
Where they part company is אָכַל — see How Translations Differ.
One main clause with a subject and an object, followed by a descriptive clause that adds detail to the object.
3 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbאָכַל
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Genesis 41:20
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Joseph's Interpretation of Pharaoh's Dreamgenerated
Genesis 41:20 describes a dream Joseph interprets for Pharaoh, where thin and ugly cows consume the fat and healthy ones. This imagery serves to foreshadow a coming famine in Egypt, highlighting the significance of the dream in the narrative. The context emphasizes Joseph's role as an interpreter of dreams, a gift he uses to convey God's messages, as seen throughout the story of Joseph in Genesis.
Cross References
The Key Word — אָכַל, va.to.Khal.nahgenerated
The verb אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' or 'to devour'. It is a Qal verb in the sequential imperfect tense, indicating an action that is ongoing or habitual. This word encompasses a wide range of meanings, from literal consumption to metaphorical uses, such as destruction or oppression.
In this verse, it describes the act of the thin cows consuming the fat ones, emphasizing the severity of the situation. The use of this verb illustrates not just eating but a complete devouring, which adds to the dramatic imagery of the dream.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is וַתֹּאכַלְנָה, and they ate, which governs the entire sentence. The structure follows a noun phrase as the subject, describing the cows, followed by adjectives that characterize them, and concludes with a noun phrase as the object, detailing what was consumed.
The order of the words highlights the emphasis on the thin and ugly cows, which precede the description of the well-fed cows, underscoring the dramatic contrast between the two groups.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, אָכַל is rendered as κατέφαγον, meaning 'they ate up'. This choice emphasizes the totality of the consumption, paralleling the Hebrew meaning of devouring, and maintains the imagery of complete destruction.
The Greek word choice aligns closely with the Hebrew, reinforcing the narrative's intent to convey the severity of the situation.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Genesis 41:20 describes how the thin and ugly cows consumed the seven well-fed cows that were there first. This dream, interpreted by Joseph, symbolizes the coming famine in Egypt, where the lean years will devour the years of plenty.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The dream represents the coming famine in Egypt, where the lean cows symbolize years of scarcity that will consume the years of abundance.
The description emphasizes the stark contrast between the healthy and unhealthy, highlighting the severity of the impending famine.
Joseph interprets the dream as a warning from God about the future, indicating that Egypt will experience seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.
Joseph serves as a dream interpreter, using his gift to convey God's messages and provide guidance to Pharaoh.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What lessons can we learn from Joseph's interpretation of dreams?
- How does the imagery of the cows reflect the concept of abundance and scarcity?
- In what ways can we recognize signs of change in our own lives, similar to Joseph's interpretation?
- How can we prepare for challenges that may come, as Joseph advised Pharaoh?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Genesis 41:20 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd the lean and the ill favoured kine,.... The same as previously described; [See comments on Genesis 41:4].
Read John Gill on Genesis 41 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 41 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsGenesis 41:20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: Ver. 20.
Read John Trapp on Genesis 41 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first.
The thin and ugly cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle;
Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first.
The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven fat cows.
Tyndale line
And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
and the lean and ill-favored kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
and the lean and ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
And the lean and the ill-favored cows ate up the first seven fat cows:
And the leane and euilfauoured kine did eate vp the first seuen fat kine.
Strictly literal
And the lean and bad kine ate up the seven first fat kine;
'And the lean and the bad kine eat up the first seven fat kine,
And the lean and the bad cows eat up the first seven fat cows,
And the lean and the ill-favored cows did eat up the first seven fat cows;
The thin and undesirable cows ate up the first seven fat cows.
From the Latin
And they devoured and consumed the former,
Simplified
These skinny, ugly cows ate the first seven healthy-looking cows.
And the thin cows made a meal of the seven fat cows who came up first;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is consistent with the Septuagint, with eight of the nine words matched. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in two words: it uses ראישׁונות (first) and בריות (fat), indicating a variation in the description of the cows, but the overall meaning remains intact.
וַתֹּאכַ֙לְנָה֙ הַפָּר֔וֹת הָרַקּ֖וֹת וְהָרָע֑וֹת אֵ֣ת שֶׁ֧בַע הַפָּר֛וֹת הָרִאשֹׁנ֖וֹת הַבְּרִיאֹֽת׃
8 of the 9 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ותאכלנה הפרות הרקות והרעות את שׁבע הפרות הראישׁונות והבריות
2 words differ from the Masoretic Text: ראישׁונות (first), בריות (fat)
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Genesis 41:20
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.
אָכַל 806 vb. eat
Qal
eat, human subject
of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour
fig. of fire, devour, consume
of sword, devour, slay
in genl., devour, consume, destroy
fig. of oppression, devour the poor
Niph.
be eaten by man
be devoured by fire, consumed
be wasted, destroyed, of flesh
Pu. be consumed
Hiph.
cause to eat, feed with
cause to devoure, obj. sword
base
H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject
. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour
. fig. of fire, devour, consume
. of sword, devour, slay
. in genl., devour, consume, destroy
. fig. of oppression, devour the poor
. . be eaten by man
. be devoured by fire, consumed
. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh
. be consumed
. . cause to eat, feed with
. cause to devoure, obj. sword
398 'akal aw-kal'
a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at
all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),
feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)
meat, X quite.
אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.
1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to eat (human subject)
1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)
1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)
1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)
1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)
1a6) to devour (of oppression)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be eaten (by men)
1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)
1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to cause to eat, feed with
1c2) to cause to devour
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to feed
1d2) to cause to eat
1e) (Piel)
1e1) consume
Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine pluralHc/Vqw3fp
פָּרָה (parah) refers to a heifer or cow, specifically a female bovine. The entries consistently define it as a heifer or cow, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
פָּרָה 26 n.f. heifer, cow
base
H6510 פָּרָה heifer, cow
6510 parah paw-raw'
feminine of 6499; a heifer:--cow, heifer, kine.
see HEBREW for 06499
פָּרָה (pa.rah) — heifer.
cow, heifer
Art | N-fp — Particle · noun common feminine plural absoluteHTd/Ncfpa
רַק (raq) is an adjective meaning 'thin' or 'lean,' and can also function as an adverb indicating restriction, such as 'only' or 'altogether.' It is derived from a root meaning to be emaciated. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.
רַק
adj. thin
adv. with restrictive force, only, altogether, surely
base
H7534 רַק . adj. thin
. adv. with restrictive force, only, altogether, surely
7534 raq rak
from 7556 in its original sense; emaciated (as if flattened
out):--lean((-fleshed)), thin.
see HEBREW for 07556
רַק (raq) — thin.
adj
thin, lean
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aafpa
רַע (ra) is a Hebrew word meaning bad or evil, encompassing a range of negative qualities such as distress, misery, and ethical wrongdoing. It can describe unpleasantness, harm, or low value, and is used in various contexts, including emotional states and moral judgments. The entries also note its comparative form, indicating worse than or worst. The word has feminine forms, such as רָעָה (ra.ah), which similarly convey concepts of evil and distress.
רַע 228 adj. bad, evil
bad, disagreeable, malignant
bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery
evil, displeasing
bad of its kind
bad, , i.e. of low value
מִן comp., worse than
sad, unhappy
devise evil (hurtful) device
bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper
ethically bad, evil, wicked
base
רַע 126 n.m. evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
evil, distress, adversity
evil, injury, wrong
ethical evil
base
רָעָה 310 n.f. evil, misery, distress, injury
evil, misery, distress
evil, injury, wrong
ethical evil
base
H7451a רַע bad, evil . bad, disagreeable, malignant
. bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery
. evil, displeasing
. bad of its kind
. bad, , i.e. of low value
. + מִן comp., worse than
. sad, unhappy
. devise evil (hurtful) device
. bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper
. ethically bad, evil, wicked
H7451b רַע evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity . evil, distress, adversity
. evil, injury, wrong
. ethical evil
H7451c רָעָה evil, misery, distress, injury . evil, misery, distress
. evil, injury, wrong
. ethical evil
7451 ra` rah
from 7489; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral):--
adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure),
distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X
great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured),
+ mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not
please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex,
wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong.
(Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
see HEBREW for 07489
רַע (ra) — bad: harmful.
: harmful
adj
1) bad, evil
1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant
1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
1c) evil, displeasing
1d) bad (of its kind-land, water, etc)
1e) bad (of value)
1f) worse than, worst (comparison)
1g) sad, unhappy
1h) evil (hurtful)
1i) bad, unkind (vicious in disposition)
1j) bad, evil, wicked (ethically)
1j1) in general, of persons, of thoughts
1j2) deeds, actions
רַע (ra) — bad: evil.
1) evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
1a) evil, distress, adversity
1b) evil, injury, wrong
1c) evil (ethical)
רָעָה (ra.ah) — distress: harm.
: harm
1) evil, misery, distress, injury
1a) evil, misery, distress
1b) evil, injury, wrong
1c) evil (ethical)
רַע (ra) — bad: evil.
: evil
adj
1) bad, evil
1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant
1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
1c) evil, displeasing
Conj | Art | Adj — Conjunction · particleHC/Td/Aafpa
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo — ParticleHTo
שֶׁ֫בַע (sheba`) means 'seven' and is a cardinal number. It can also imply 'seven times' or refer to a week. The term appears in various contexts, including combinations like 17 or 700. Its Aramaic equivalent is שִׁבְעָה (shiv.ah), also meaning 'seven'.
שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה 394 n.m. et f. seven
base
H7651 שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה seven
7651 sheba` sheh'-bah
or (masculine) shibrah {shib-aw'}; from 7650; a primitive
cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also
(adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by
extension, an indefinite number:--(+ by) seven(-fold),-s,
(-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare 7658.
see HEBREW for 07650
see HEBREW for 07658
שֶׁ֫בַע (she.va) — seven.
1) seven (cardinal number)
1a) as ordinal number
1b) in combination-17, 700 etc
Aramaic equivalent: shiv.ah (שִׁבְעָה "seven" H7655)
Adj — AdjHAcbsa
sev'-'-n (shebha`; hepta).
See NUMBER.
Seven
This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections as lead to the supposition that it has some typical meaning. On the seventh day God rested, and hallowed it (Gen. 2:2, 3). The division of time into weeks of seven days each accounts for many instances of the occurrence of this number. This number has been called the symbol of perfection, and also the symbol of rest. “Jacob’s seven years’ service to Laban; Pharaoh’s seven fat oxen and seven lean ones; the seven branches of the golden candlestick; the seven trumpets and the seven priests who sounded them; the seven days’ siege of Jericho; the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, and many others, sufficiently prove the importance of this sacred number” (see Lev. 25:4;
The frequent recurrence of certain numbers in the sacred literature of the Hebrews is obvious to the most superficial reader, but seven so far surpasses the rest, both in the frequency with which it recurs and in the importance of the objects with which it is associated, that it may fairly be termed the representative symbolic number. The influence of the number seven was not restricted to the Hebrews; it prevailed among the Persians, ancient Indians, Greeks and Romans. The peculiarity of the Hebrew view consists in the special dignity of the seventh, and not simply in that of seen. The Sabbath being the seventh day suggested the adoption of seven as the coefficient, so to say, for their appointment of all sacred periods; and we thus find the 7th month ushered in by the Feast of Trumpets, and signalized by the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Great Day of Atonement; 7…
As from the beginning this was the number of days in the week, so it often has in Scripture a sort of emphasis attached to it, and is very generally used as a round or perfect number. Clean beasts were taken into the ark by sevens, Ge 7:1-24. The years of plenty and famine in Egypt were marked by sevens, Ge 41:1-57. With the Jews, not only was there a seventh day Sabbath, but every seventh year was a Sabbath, and after every seven times seven years came a jubilee. Their great feasts of unleavened bread and of tabernacles were observed for seven days; the number of animals in many of their sacrifices was limited to seven. The golden candlestick had seven branches. Seven priests with seven trumpets went around the walls of Jericho seven days, and seven times on the seventh day. In…
פָּרָה (parah) refers to a heifer or cow, specifically a female bovine. The entries consistently define it as a heifer or cow, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
פָּרָה 26 n.f. heifer, cow
base
H6510 פָּרָה heifer, cow
6510 parah paw-raw'
feminine of 6499; a heifer:--cow, heifer, kine.
see HEBREW for 06499
פָּרָה (pa.rah) — heifer.
cow, heifer
Art | N-fp — Particle · noun common feminine plural absoluteHTd/Ncfpa
The Hebrew word רִאשׁוֹן (*ri'shown*) means 'first' and can refer to something that is primary, former, or chief. It encompasses meanings related to time, rank, and location, indicating ancestors or previous things. The entries consistently emphasize its use as an adjective and adverb, with no significant disagreement noted among the lexicons.
רִאשׁוֹן 182 adj. former, first, chief
base
H7223 רִאשׁוֹן former, first, chief
7223 ri'shown ree-shone'
or riishon {ree-shone'}; from 7221; first, in place, time or
rank (as adjective or noun):--ancestor, (that were)
before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father)
(-most), former (thing), of old time, past.
see HEBREW for 07221
רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) — first.
: first
adj
1) first, primary, former
1a) former (of time)
1a1) ancestors
1a2) former things
1b) foremost (of location)
1c) first (in time)
1d) first, chief (in degree)
adv
2) first, before, formerly, at first
רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) — first: previous.
: previous
adj
1) first, primary, former
1a) former (of time)
1a1) ancestors
1a2) former things
1b) foremost (of location)
1c) first (in time)
1d) first, chief (in degree)
adv
2) first, before, formerly, at first
רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) — first: chief.
: chief
adj
1) first, primary, former
1a) former (of time)
1a1) ancestors
1a2) former things
1b) foremost (of location)
1c) first (in time)
1d) first, chief (in degree)
adv
2) first, before, formerly, at first
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aofpa
for'-mer:
The word in the sense of "maker," "framer," occurs only in Jer 51:19, "He is the former (from yatsar, "to form") of all things." The adjective, in the sense of preceding in the order of time, is commonly in Hob the translation of ri'shon, "first," "foremost" (Ge 40:13; Nu 21:26; De 24:4, etc.); in Greek of proteros (Eph 4:22; Heb 10:32; 1Pe 1:14); and in two cases (Ac 1:1; Re 21:4) of protos, where…
בָּרִיא (bariy') means 'fat' and can also imply being fatted, plump, firm, or plenteous. It is derived from related roots that suggest a sense of abundance or richness. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to fatness without significant disagreement.
בָּרִיא adj. fat
base
H1277 בָּרִיא fat
1277 bariy' baw-ree'
from 1254 (in the sense of 1262); fatted or plump:--fat
((fleshed), -ter), fed, firm, plenteous, rank.
see HEBREW for 01254
see HEBREW for 01262
בָּרִיא (ba.ri) — fat.
1) fat
2) (TWOT) fat, fatter, fed, firm, plenteous, rank
Also means: ber.yah (בִּרְיָה "fat" H1274)
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aafpa
(chelebh, chelebh): The layer of subcutaneous fat and the compact suet surrounding the viscera and imbedded in the entrails, which, like the blood, was forbidden as food in the Mosaic code (Le 3:17). It was to be sacrificed to God by being burnt upon the altar (Le 3:16; 30). This had to be done on the very day on which a beast had been slaughtered, to remove temptation from the Israelite to use it otherwise (Ex 23:18). The law was probably a sanitary restriction, for, at an early date, leprosy, scrofula and disfiguring cutaneous diseases were thought to be caused by the use of fat as food. It was, moreover, an important pedagogical provision teaching the idea of self-denial, and the maxim that the richest and best meat of the…
Fat
(Heb. heleb) denotes the richest part of the animal, or the fattest of the flock, in the account of Abel’s sacrifice (Gen. 4:4). It sometimes denotes the best of any production (Gen. 45:18; Num. 18:12; Ps. 81:16; 147:47). The fat of sacrifices was to be burned (Lev. 3:9-11; 4:8; 7:3; 8:25; Num. 18:17. Comp. Ex. 29:13-22; Lev. 3:3-5).
It is used figuratively for a dull, stupid state of mind (Ps 17:10).
i.e. VAT, the word employed in the Authorized Version to translate the Hebrew term yekeb , in (Joel 2:24; 3:13) The word commonly used for yekeb is "winepress" or "winefat," and once "pressfat." (Haggai 2:16) The "vats" appear to have been excavated out of the native rock of the hills on which the vineyards lay.
The fat portions of animals offered in sacrifice were always to be consumed, as being the choice part and especially sacred to the Lord. The blood was also sacred, as containing the life of the animal. The Jews were forbidden to eat either, Le 3:16,17; 7:23-27.