STRONGS NUMBER H2461


Word Summary
chalab: milk
Original Word: חָלָב
Transliteration: chalab
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-lawb')
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Short Definition: milk
Meaning: milk
Strong's Concordance
cheese, milk, sucking

From the same as cheleb; milk (as the richness of kine) -- + cheese, milk, sucking.

see HEBREW cheleb

Brown-Driver-Briggs

H2461. chalab

חָלָבnoun masculine milk (Late Hebrew id. (and verb denominative); Aramaic חַלָבָּא‎, , Phoenician חלב‎; Arabic noun fresh milk, verb milk; Assyrian alibu, milk, see DlPr 174; Ethiopic ) — ׳ח‎ absolute Genesis 18:18 35t. + Ezekiel 34:3 (see below); construct חֲלֵבExodus 23:19 5t.; suffix חֲלָבִיSong of Solomon 5:1, חֲלָבֵךְEzekiel 25:4; — milk:

a. as common food Genesis 18:8 (J; distinct from חֶמְאָהcurd, q. v.), צאֹן חֲלֵבDeuteronomy 32:14 (poetry; distinct from בָּקָר חֶמְאַת‎); in Judges 5:25 חָלָב‎ is used parallel with חֶמְאָה‎; elsewhere חֶמְאָה‎ seems to be produced from חָלָב‎: — חֶמְאָה יוֺצִיא חָלָב מִיץProverbs 30:33 a pressing (squeezing) of milk produces curd; חֶמְאָה יאֹכַל חָלָב עֲשׂוֺת מֵרֹבIsaiah 7:22 because of abundant yield of milk he shall eat curd; compare also הֶחָלָב חֲרִצֵי1 Samuel 17:18 cuts of milk, i.e. cheeses; it was received in buckets or pails (עֲטִינָיו‎) Job 21:24 (see Ew De Di VB), and kept in skins (ח ׳נאֹוד‎) Judges 4:19; men drank it (שׁתה‎) Ezekiel 25:4 (compare השׁקהJudges 4:19), but also ate it (אכל‎), if emendation הֶחָלָבEzekiel 34:3 (for הַחֵלֶב‎) is right, ᵑ9 ᵐ5‎ Bo Hi-Sm Co, and others; it was poured out, see simile of formation of the embryo כֶח ׳הֲלֹא תַּתִּיכֵנִיJob 10:10 hast thou not poured me out like milk? specifically (1) לְלַחְמְךָ עִזִּים חֲלֵבProverbs 27:27 milk of goats for thy food (RSSemitic i. 204). (2) with אֵםmother's milk: of kid אִמּוֺ בַּחֲלֵב גְּדִי לֹאתְֿבַשֵּׁלExodus 23:19 = 34:26 (JE) = Deuteronomy 14:21, compare ח ׳טְלֵה1 Samuel 7:9 sucking lamb (for sacrifice); but also of human beings מֵח ׳גְּמוּלֵיIsaiah 28:9 weaned from milk ("" מִשָּׁדָ֫יִם עַתִּיקֵי‎); figurative in promise to Zion גּוֺיִם חֲלֵב וְיָנַקְתְּ60:16 and thou shalt suck the milk of nations ("" מְלָכִים וְשֹׁד תִּינָ֑קִי‎). (3) ׳ח‎ with wine, as especially delicacy Song of Solomon 5:1 (see De), figurative of ׳י‎s choicest blessings Isaiah 55:1. (4) often in phrase of productiveness of land of Canaan (דְּבַשׁ‎) וּדְבָ֫שׁ חָלָב זָבַתflowing with milk and honey Exodus 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:3; Numbers 13:27; 14:8; 16:13-14, (all J E), Leviticus 20:24 (H), Deuteronomy 6:3; 11:9; 26:9, 15; 27:3; 31:20; Joshua 5:6; Jeremiah 11:5; 32:22; Ezekiel 20:6, 15; in Messianic time the hills ח ׳תֵּלַכְנָה‎ Joel 4:18 ("" עָסִיס הֶהָרִים יִטְּפוּ‎); figurative of charms of loved one וְח ׳דְּבַשׁ לְשׁוֺנֵךְ תַּחַתSong of Solomon 4:12 honey and milk are under thy tongue.

b. milk as white מֵח ׳לְבֶןשִֿׁנַּיִםGenesis 49:12 white of teeth, from milk; מֵח ׳צַחוּLamentations 4:7 they were whiter than milk ("" מִשֶּׁלֶג זַכּוּ‎); so also probably of eyes (iris) בֶּח ׳רֹחֲצוֺתSong of Solomon 5:12 bathed in milk, i.e. the white of the eye. — On milk as not used by Israel in sacrifice see RSSemitic 204.

II. חלב‎ (√of following; perhaps compare Assyrian —alâbu, be covered, VR Cant 8:83 LyonManual, Gloss, —allibu, cover, clothe IR:18, 68 —allubtu, clothing, LyonSargontexte 14, —itlupatu, na—lapu (read b for p) SchrCOT Gloss).