Definition and Description:
Butter, in the context of the Bible, refers to a dairy product made by churning milk or cream to separate the butterfat from the buttermilk. It is a staple food product that has been used for cooking, anointing, and as a symbol of abundance and prosperity in ancient times.

Biblical References:
Butter is mentioned several times in the Bible, often in conjunction with milk, as a symbol of nourishment and hospitality. In Genesis 18:8, Abraham offers butter, along with milk and a calf, to the three visitors who come to him by the oaks of Mamre: "Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set them before the men. And he stood by them under the tree as they ate." This passage highlights the use of butter as part of a meal offered to guests, reflecting the customs of hospitality in the ancient Near East.

In the poetic and wisdom literature, butter is used metaphorically to describe richness and abundance. Job 29:6 states, "when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil," illustrating a time of prosperity and blessing in Job's life. The imagery of butter and cream signifies a period of ease and plenty.

Cultural and Historical Context:
In ancient Israel, butter was made from the milk of cows, sheep, or goats. The process involved churning the milk in a skin bag or a similar container until the butterfat separated. This method of butter-making was common in pastoral societies and is still practiced in some traditional communities today.

Butter, along with other dairy products, was an important part of the diet in biblical times. It was valued not only for its nutritional content but also for its role in religious and social practices. The offering of butter to guests, as seen in the account of Abraham, underscores its significance in hospitality and communal meals.

Symbolism and Theological Significance:
In the Bible, butter often symbolizes abundance, richness, and divine blessing. It is associated with the land "flowing with milk and honey," a phrase used to describe the Promised Land (Exodus 3:8). This imagery conveys the idea of a land that provides generously for its inhabitants, with butter representing the richness of the produce.

The use of butter in biblical narratives and poetry also reflects the agrarian lifestyle of the Israelites, where dairy products were a key component of sustenance and economic stability. The presence of butter in these texts serves as a reminder of God's provision and the blessings of the land.

Practical Applications:
For modern readers, the biblical references to butter can serve as a reminder of the importance of hospitality, generosity, and gratitude for God's provision. The imagery of butter as a symbol of abundance encourages believers to recognize and appreciate the blessings in their own lives and to share them with others.

In summary, butter in the Bible is more than just a food item; it is a symbol of hospitality, abundance, and divine blessing, deeply rooted in the cultural and historical context of the ancient Near East.Butter

Curdled milk. (Genesis 18:8; 32:14; Judges 5:25; Job 20:17) Milk is generally offered to travellers in Palestine in a curdled or sour state, leben , thick, almost like butter. Hasselquist describes the method of making butter employed by the Arab women: "they made butter in a leather bag, hung on three poles erected for the purpose, in the form of a cone, and drawn to and fro by two women."

Butter

The Hebrew word usually rendered butter denotes, properly, sour or curdled milk, Genesis 18:8; Jud 5:25; Job 20:17. This last is a favorite beverage in the East to the present day. Burckhardt, when crossing the desert from the country south of the Dead sea to Egypt, says, "Besides flour, I carried some butter and dried leben, (sour milk,) which, when dissolved in water, not only forms a refreshing beverage, but is much to be recommended as a preservative of health when travelling in summer." Yet butter may have been known to the Hebrews. It is much used by the Arabs and Syrians at the present day, and is made by pouring the milk into the common goatskin bottle, suspending this from the tent-poles, and swinging it to and fro with a jerk, until the process is completed. Still it is not certain that the Hebrew word rendered butter ever denotes that article. Even in Proverbs 30:33 we may render, "The pressing of milk bringeth forth cheese;" and everywhere else the rendering "curd," or "curdled milk," would be appropriate.

(Hebrews hemah), curdled milk (Genesis 18:8; Judges 5:25; 2 Samuel 17:29), or butter in the form of the skim of hot milk or cream, called by the Arabs kaimak, a semi-fluid (Job 20:17; 29:6; Deuteronomy 32:14). The words of Proverbs 30:33 have been rendered by some "the pressure [not churning] of milk bringeth forth cheese." 1. (n.) An oily, unctuous substance obtained from cream or milk by churning.

2. (n.) Any substance resembling butter in degree of consistence, or other qualities, especially, in old chemistry, the chlorides, as butter of antimony, sesquichloride of antimony; also, certain concrete fat oils remaining nearly solid at ordinary temperatures, as butter of cacao, vegetable butter, shea butter.

3. (v. t.) To cover or spread with butter.

4. (v. t.) To increase, as stakes, at every throw or every game.

5. (n.) One who, or that which, butts.

BUTTER

See FOOD.

4260. machamaah -- smoother than butter
... 4259, 4260. machamaah. 4261 . smoother than butter. Transliteration: machamaah
Phonetic Spelling: (makh-am-aw-aw') Short Definition: butter. ...
/hebrew/4260.htm - 6k

2529. chemah -- curd
... Definition: curds. Word Origin from an unused word Definition curd NASB Word
Usage butter (2), curds (8). butter. Or (shortened) chemah ...
/hebrew/2529.htm - 6k

It was Late in the Afternoon when Diamond and his Mother and the ...
... And with a good fire, and tea and bread and butter, things cannot be said to be
miserable. ... "What nice bread and butter this is!" said Diamond. ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 15 it was late.htm

Of the Prophecies of the Birth and Achievements of Christ.
... the virgin [1250] shall conceive, and bear a son, and ye shall call his name Emmanuel"
[1251] (which is, interpreted, "God with us" [1252] ): "butter and honey ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter ix of the prophecies of.htm

"Pan, Pan is Dead"
... Then a man selling native butter-milk comes working his way in and out of the press,
and we become conscious that of all things in the world the thing we yearn ...
/.../wilson-carmichael/things as they are/chapter xxiii pan pan is.htm

A vindication of the Prophecy in Isa. vii. 14 against the ...
... Butter and honey shall He eat: before He knows or chooses out things that are evil,
He shall exchange them for what is good; for before the child knows good or ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxi a vindication of the.htm

A Spirit Illumined Mind.
... She will spend hours chewing the cud, and then give us the rich milk and
cream and butter which she has extracted from her food. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on prayer/a spirit illumined mind.htm

Isaiah's Prophecies Considered the virginity of Christ's Mother a ...
... lance before they lacerate; [3259] swathed at first in sunshine and ointment, [3260]
afterwards armed with the satchel, [3261] and rationed on bread and butter ...
/.../chapter xiii isaiahs prophecies considered the.htm

When one at the Back of the North Wind Wanted to Know How Things ...
... "So it is! I forgot. Well, none of these things are odder to me than it is to you
to eat bread and butter.". ... "I should just like a slice of bread and butter! ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 11 when one at.htm

My California Trip
... The Word says, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them
that fear him." We felt led to divide the flour, meat, fruit, and butter we had ...
/.../cole/trials and triumphs of faith/chapter xvii my california trip.htm

Brother Hugh
... Goodbye to beef, butter, and good red wheat; white corn, sad vegetables, cold water,
sackcloth take their place, with fasts on bread and water, and festivals ...
/.../marson/hugh bishop of lincoln/chapter ii brother hugh.htm

Shepherd Life in the Orient.
... people. From sheep the people are furnished with nearly all the necessaries
of life"with meat, clothing, milk, butter, and cheese. ...
/.../callan/the shepherd of my soul/ii shepherd life in the.htm

Butter (10 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary (Hebrews hemah), curdled milk (Genesis 18:8; Judges
5:25; 2 Samuel 17:29), or butter in the form of the skim of hot milk or cream ...
/b/butter.htm - 10k

Curd (8 Occurrences)
... Genesis 18:8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and
set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. ...
/c/curd.htm - 9k

Cream (5 Occurrences)
... It is the part of milk from which butter is obtained. ... (DBY). Job 20:17 He shall not
look at the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter. (See NIV). ...
/c/cream.htm - 8k

Meal-time (1 Occurrence)
... Doughty tells: "The Arab housewives make savory messes of any grain, seething it
and putting thereto only a little salt and samn (clarified butter)." 4. Oil ...
/m/meal-time.htm - 24k

Milk (66 Occurrences)
... (2.) Hebrews hem'ah, always rendered "butter" in the Authorized Version.
It means "butter," but also more frequently "cream," or ...
/m/milk.htm - 34k

Mealtime (1 Occurrence)
... Doughty tells: "The Arab housewives make savory messes of any grain, seething it
and putting thereto only a little salt and samn (clarified butter)." 4. Oil ...
/m/mealtime.htm - 24k

Meals (8 Occurrences)
... Doughty tells: "The Arab housewives make savory messes of any grain, seething it
and putting thereto only a little salt and samn (clarified butter)." 4. Oil ...
/m/meals.htm - 27k

Honey (62 Occurrences)
... with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8). Milk and honey were among the chief dainties
in the earlier ages, as they are now among the Bedawin; and butter and honey ...
/h/honey.htm - 34k

Yielding (19 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 7:22 And it hath come to pass, From the abundance of the yielding of milk
he eateth butter, For butter and honey doth every one eat Who is left in the ...
/y/yielding.htm - 12k

Rivulets (11 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Rivulets (11 Occurrences). Job 20:17 He looketh not
on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter. (YLT). ...
/r/rivulets.htm - 9k

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