Fat

Fat - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

(Heb. heleb) denotes the richest part of the animal, or the fattest of the flock, in the account of Abel's sacrifice (Gen. 4:4). It sometimes denotes the best of any production (Gen. 45:18; Num. 18:12; Ps. 81:16; 147:47). The fat of sacrifices was to be burned (Lev. 3:9-11; 4:8; 7:3; 8:25; Num. 18:17. Comp. Ex. 29:13-22; Lev. 3:3-5).

It is used figuratively for a dull, stupid state of mind (Ps 17:10).

In Joel 2:24 the word is equivalent to "vat," a vessel. The hebrew word here thus rendered is elsewhere rendered "wine-fat" and "press-fat" (Hag. 2:16; Isa. 63:2).

Fat - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

FAT, a.

1. Fleshy; plump; corpulent; abounding with an oily concrete substance, as an animal body; the contrary to lean; as a fat man; a fat ox.

2. Coarse; gross.

Nay, added fat pollutions of our own.

3. Dull; heavy; stupid; unteachable.

Make the heart of this people fat. Isa 6.

4. Rich; wealthy; affluent.

These are terrible alarms to persons grown fat and wealthy.

5. Rich; producing a large income; as a fat benefice.

6. Rich; fertile; as a fat soil; or rich; nourishing; as fat pasture.

7. Abounding in spiritual grace and comfort.

They [the righteous] shall be fat and flourishing. Psa 42.

FAT, n.

1. An oily concrete substance, deposited in the cells of the adipose or cellular membrane of animal bodies. In most parts of the body, the fat lies immediately under the skin. Fat is of various degrees of consistence, as in tallow, lard and oil. It has been recently ascertained to consist of two substances, stearine and elaine, the former of which is solid, the latter liquid, at common temperatures, and on the different proportions of which its degree of consistence depends.

2. The best or richest part of a thing.

Abel brought of the fat of his flock. Gen 4.

FAT, v.t. To make fat; to fatten; to make plump and fleshy with abundant food; as, to fat fowls or sheep.

FAT, v.i. To grow fat, plump and fleshy.

An old ox fats as well, and is as good, as a young one.

FAT,

VAT, n.

A large tub, cistern or vessel used for various purposes, as by brewers to run their wort in, by tanners for holding their bark and hides, _c. It is also a wooden vessel containing a quarter or eight bushels of grain, and a pan for containing water in salt-works, a vessel for wine, _c.

The fats shall overflow with wine and oil. Joel 2.

FAT, n. A measure of capacity, but indefinite.

(chelebh, chelebh): The layer of subcutaneous fat and the compact suet surrounding the viscera and imbedded in the entrails, which, like the blood, was forbidden as food in the Mosaic code (Le 3:17). It was to be sacrificed to God by being burnt upon the altar (Le 3:16; 30). This had to be done on the very day on which a beast had been slaughtered, to remove temptation from the Israelite to use it otherwise (Ex 23:18). The law was probably a sanitary restriction, for, at an early date, leprosy, scrofula and disfiguring cutaneous diseases were thought to be caused by the use of fat as food. It was, moreover, an important pedagogical provision teaching the idea of self-denial, and the maxim that the richest and best meat of the edible animal belonged to Yahweh.

See also FATLING; FOWL, FATTED.

The expression "fat" is often used in figurative senses, e.g. abundant, exuberant, lusty, fertile, robust, outwardly successful (De 32:15; Ps 92:14 the King James Version; Ps 119:70; Pr 11:25; 13:4, etc.).

H. L. E. Luering

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