חֵ֫לֶב
che.lev
fat
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredBased on the Strong's number H2459, the Hebrew word "חֵ֫לֶב" (chelev) has a short definition of "fat." Its occurrence within the semantic domain of Body & Health indicates that this word is often associated with the physical characteristics of animals or humans. The frequency of its occurrence in the Bible, with 92 instances, suggests that "chelev" is an important term in biblical Hebrew, potentially used to describe the fatty parts of animals, such as meat or organs. The range of usage might include references to animal sacrifices, cooking, or general descriptive purposes. The significance of "chelev" lies in its association with purity laws and dietary restrictions in the Torah. As "chelev" is also used to describe the forbidden fat on animals (as per Leviticus 3:3), its importance extends to the realm of moral and ritual purity in ancient Jewish culture.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
92 total occurrences across the text — showing 50
Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of Yahweh’s house was set in order.
2 Chronicles 35:14Afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron were busy with offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night. Therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron.
Job 15:27because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
Psalms 17:10They close up their callous hearts. With their mouth they speak proudly.
Psalms 63:5My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food. My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,
Psalms 73:7Their eyes bulge with fat. Their minds pass the limits of conceit.
Leviticus 3:16The priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma; all the fat is Yahweh’s.
Leviticus 3:17“ ‘It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that you shall eat neither fat nor blood.’ ”
Psalms 81:16But he would have also fed them with the finest of the wheat. I will satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”
Leviticus 8:16He took all the fat that was on the innards, and the cover of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat; and Moses burned it on the altar.
Psalms 119:70Their heart is as callous as the fat, but I delight in your law.
Psalms 147:14He makes peace in your borders. He fills you with the finest of the wheat.
Isaiah 1:11“What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?”, says Yahweh. “I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed animals. I don’t delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of male goats.
Isaiah 34:6Yahweh’s sword is filled with blood. It is covered with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for Yahweh has a sacrifice in Bozrah, And a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
Isaiah 34:6Yahweh’s sword is filled with blood. It is covered with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for Yahweh has a sacrifice in Bozrah, And a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
Isaiah 34:7The wild oxen will come down with them, and the young bulls with the mighty bulls; and their land will be drunken with blood, and their dust made greasy with fat.
Isaiah 43:24You have bought me no sweet cane with money, nor have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices, but you have burdened me with your sins. You have wearied me with your iniquities.
Ezekiel 34:3You eat the fat. You clothe yourself with the wool. You kill the fatlings, but you don’t feed the sheep.
Ezekiel 39:19You shall eat fat until you are full, and drink blood until you are drunk, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
Ezekiel 44:7in that you have brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to profane it, even my house, when you offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant, to add to all your abominations.
Ezekiel 44:15“ ‘ “But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who performed the duty of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me. They shall stand before me to offer to me the fat and the blood,” says the Lord Yahweh.
Genesis 4:4Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering,
Genesis 45:18Take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’
Exodus 23:18“You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread. The fat of my feast shall not remain all night until the morning.
Exodus 29:13You shall take all the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar.
Exodus 29:13You shall take all the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar.
Exodus 29:22Also you shall take some of the ram’s fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration),
Exodus 29:22Also you shall take some of the ram’s fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration),
Exodus 29:22Also you shall take some of the ram’s fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration),
Leviticus 3:3He shall offer of the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to Yahweh. The fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
Leviticus 3:3He shall offer of the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to Yahweh. The fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
Leviticus 3:4and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.
Leviticus 3:9He shall offer from the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to Yahweh; its fat, the entire tail fat, he shall take away close to the backbone; and the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat that is on the entrails,
Leviticus 3:9He shall offer from the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to Yahweh; its fat, the entire tail fat, he shall take away close to the backbone; and the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat that is on the entrails,
Leviticus 3:9He shall offer from the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to Yahweh; its fat, the entire tail fat, he shall take away close to the backbone; and the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat that is on the entrails,
Leviticus 3:10and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.
Leviticus 3:14He shall offer from it as his offering, an offering made by fire to Yahweh; the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
Leviticus 3:14He shall offer from it as his offering, an offering made by fire to Yahweh; the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
Leviticus 3:15and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.
Leviticus 4:8He shall take all the fat of the bull of the sin offering from it: the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
Leviticus 4:8He shall take all the fat of the bull of the sin offering from it: the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
Leviticus 4:8He shall take all the fat of the bull of the sin offering from it: the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
Leviticus 4:9and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall remove,
Leviticus 4:19All its fat he shall take from it, and burn it on the altar.
Leviticus 4:26All its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and he will be forgiven.
Leviticus 4:26All its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and he will be forgiven.
Leviticus 4:31All its fat he shall take away, like the fat is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
Leviticus 4:31All its fat he shall take away, like the fat is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
Leviticus 4:35He shall remove all its fat, like the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall burn them on the altar, on the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned, and he will be forgiven.
Leviticus 4:35He shall remove all its fat, like the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall burn them on the altar, on the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned, and he will be forgiven.