Biblica Analytica

אָבַס

a.vas (H0075)

to fatten

2 verses 2 books OT 2 / NT 0
AI Word Study

# Analysis of אָבַס (avas) The Hebrew word אָבַס appears only twice in the biblical text, making it one of the rarer verbs in Scripture. Its basic meaning is "to fatten," suggesting a process of increasing body weight or mass, typically applied to animals being prepared or fattened for a purpose. The limited attestation of this term means its usage pattern cannot be extensively documented from biblical sources alone. Because this word occurs in only two instances, our understanding of its range and nuance remains restricted to those specific contexts. The word likely belonged to agricultural or pastoral vocabulary, relevant to ancient Israelite practices of animal husbandry. The verb's rarity in the biblical corpus suggests either that the concept it expressed was not frequently discussed in the texts that survive, or that other more common terms were preferred when similar ideas needed expression. The significance of אָבַס lies primarily in what it reveals about biblical Hebrew's specialized vocabulary for animal management. Even words used infrequently were preserved in the tradition, indicating the text's concern with practical details of ancient life. Without access to those specific two occurrences, however, the broader implications of how and why this term was chosen remain constrained by the evidence available.

AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.

1 Kings 4:23

ten head of fat cattle, twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, and one hundred sheep, in addition to deer, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fattened fowl.

Proverbs 15:17

Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a fattened calf with hatred.