חָלָב

n.m. milk (NH id. (and vb. denom.); Aramaic חַלְבָּא, ܚܰܠܒܳܐ, Ph. חלב; Arabic حَليبٌ n. fresh milk, حَلَبَ vb. milk; Assyrian alibu, milk, v. DlPr 174; Ethiopic ሐሊብ )—ח׳ abs. Gn 18:18 + 35 times + Ez 34:3 (v. infr.); cstr. חֲלֵב Ex 23:19 + 5 times; sf. חֲלָבִי Ct 5:1, חֲלָבֵךְ Ez 25:4;—milk: as common food Gn 18:8 (J; distinct from חֶמְאָה curd, q.v.), חֲלֵב צֹאן Dt 32:14 (poet.; distinct from חֶמְאַת בָּקָר); in Ju 5:25 חָלָב is used parallel with חֶמְאָה; elsewhere חֶמְאָה seems to be produced from חָלָב:—מִיץ חָלָב יוֹצִיא חֶמְאָה Pr 30:33 a pressing (squeezing) of milk produces curd; מֵרֹב עֲשׂוֹת חָלָב יֹאכַל חֶמְאָה Is 7:22 because of abundant yield of milk he shall eat curd; cf. also חֲרִצֵי הֶחָלָב 1 S 17:18 cuts of milk, i.e. cheeses; it was received in buckets or pails (עֲטִינָיו) Jb 21:24 (v. Ew De Di VB), and kept in skins (נֹאוד ח׳) Ju 4:19; men drank it (שׁתה) Ez 25:4 (cf. השׁקה Ju 4:19), but also ate it (אכל), if emend. הֶחָלָב Ez 34:3 (for הַחֵלֶב) is right, 𝔊 𝔙 Bö Hi-Sm Co, al.; it was poured out, v. sim. of formation of the embryo הֲלֹא כֶח׳ תַּתִּיכֵנִי Jb 10:10 hast thou not poured me out like milk? specif. (1) חֲלֵב עִזִּים לְלַחְמְךָ Pr 27:27 milk of goats for thy food (RSSem i. 204). (2) c. אֵם mother’s milk: of kid לֹא־תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ Ex 23:19 = 34:26 (JE) = Dt 14:21, cf. טְלֵה ח׳ 1 S 7:9 sucking lamb (for sacrif.); but also of human beings גְּמוּלֵי מֵח׳ Is 28:9 weaned from milk (‖ עַתִּיקֵי מִשָּׁדָ֑יִם); fig. in promise to Zion וְיָנַקְתְּ חֲלֵב גּוֹיִם Is 60:16 and thou shalt suck the milk of nations (‖ וְשֹׁד מְלָכִים תִּינָ֑קִי). (3) ח׳ with wine, as especially delicacy Ct 5:1 (v. De), fig. of י׳’s choicest blessings Is 55:1. (4) often in phr. of productiveness of land of Canaan זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָ֑שׁ (דְּבַשׁ) flowing with milk and honey Ex 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:3 Nu 13:27; 14:8; 16:14 (all JE), Lv 20:24 (H), Dt 6:3; 11:9; 26:9, 15; 27:3; 31:20 Jos 5:6 Je 11:5; 32:22 Ez 20:6, 15, of Egypt Nu 16:13; the hills תֵּלַכְנָה ח׳ Jo 4:18 (‖ יִטְּפוּ הֶהָרִים עָסִיס); fig. of charms of loved one דְּבַשׁ וְח׳ תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנֵךְ Ct 4:12 honey and milk are under thy tongue. milk as white לְבֶן־שִׁנַּיִם מֵח׳ Gn 49:12 white of teeth, from milk; צַחוּ מֵח׳ La 4:7 they were whiter than milk (‖ זַכּוּ מִשֶּׁלֶג); so also prob. of eyes (iris) רֹחֲצוֹת בֶּח׳ Ct 5:12 bathed in milk, i.e. the white of the eye.—On milk as not used by Israel in sacrifice v. RSSem 204.