אֶשְׁכּוֹל

(אֶשְׁכֹּל Ct 1:14) n.m. Nu 13:23 cluster (Ethiopic አስካል Arabic إِثْكَالٌ, Aramaic אִיתְכְּלָא; etym. dub.; Thes MV sub √שׁכל, but no suitable meaning proven; Sta§ 258, 300 der. from √ אשׁך c. afformat. ל)—א׳ abs. Nu 13:24 +; cstr. v 23 +; pl. אַשְׁכֹּלוֹת Ct 7:8; cstr. אַשְׁכְּלֹת Dt 32:32, אֶשְׁכְּלוֹת Ct 7:9; sf. אַשְׁכְּלֹתֶיהָ Gn 40:10;— cluster of grapes, א׳ עֲנָבִים Nu 13:23 cf. v 24; vid. also Gn 40:10 הִבְשִׁילוּ א׳ עֲנָבִים its clusters ripened grapes; hence fig. of deeds of enemies of Israel, clusters of gall have they Dt 32:32 (‖ עִנְּבֵי רוֹשׁ); fig. of Isr. Is 65:8 יִמָּצֵא הַתִּירוֹשׁ בָּא׳; Mi 7:1 אֵין אֶשְׁכּוֹל לֶאֱכוֹל fig. of desolation of Israel under Yahweh’s judgment; Ct 7:9 in sim. שָׁדַיִךְ כְּאֶשְׁכְּלוֹת הַגֶּפֶן cf. v 8 (where Thes MV think of clusters of dates, v. תָּמָר palm-tree, ib.) cluster of henna-flowers, א׳ הַכֹּפֶר (v. כפר), metaph. of the beloved one Ct 1:14. (Cf. GrünwaldIsrael. Letterbode, Amst., xi, 148 f.)