חַלָּמוּת

n.f. name of a plant, with thick, slimy juice, purslain, Jb 6:6 RVm, so Thes Rob Ges al.; 𝔖 ܚܠܰܡܬܳܐ, anchusa PS i, 1284; on this, and later interpr. v. Bö Di Löw pp. 165, 361; only אִם־יֶשׁ־טַעַם בְּרִיר חַלָּמוּת Jb 6:6 is there any taste in the juice of ח׳ (fig. of insipid and dull discourse); > AV RV Ew Hi SS after 𝔗 Saad Rabb. in the white of an egg. The ref. is to Job’s suffering (from which as little joy comes as from eating unsavoury food, so now Comm. generally), rather than to the unpalatable words of his friends. It is doubtful whether Di’s reason for perferring purslain to 𝔗 חֶלְמוֹנָא yolk of egg (רִיר ח׳ slime of yolk, i.e. the white of the egg) is convincing, viz. that ancient Hebrews did not keep hens, or that of De, viz. that white of egg is not slime and is not unpalatable; meaning yolk preferred also by Da Bu Du.