Hebrew word · H1277

בָּרִיא

bari'

fat

Fat, plump, well-fed, healthy. Used of the fat cows of Pharaoh's dream (Gen 41:2–20), of Eglon (Judg 3:17), and of rich food (Hab 1:16).

Appears 13 times in 13 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) fat

2) (TWOT) fat, fatter, fed, firm, plenteous, rank

Also means: ber.yah (בִּרְיָה "fat" H1274)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Ezekiel 34:3

Range of meaning

Fat, plump, well-fed, healthy. Used of the fat cows of Pharaoh's dream (Gen 41:2–20), of Eglon (Judg 3:17), and of rich food (Hab 1:16).

Against the English

BSB's 'fattened sheep' suggests animals the shepherds raised for slaughter. The Hebrew only says they are fat or healthy. KJV's 'them that are fed' and WEB's 'fatlings' are closer. ESV/NASB-style 'fat ones' is closest.

Used elsewhere in the period

Same root as in Ezek 34:20 ('the fat sheep and the lean sheep'). Ezek 34:16 uses the related word šāmēn: 'the fat and the strong I will destroy'.

From the study of Zechariah 11:16

Range of meaning

Fat, plump, well-fed, sturdy. It is a positive word for healthy, prime animals or people (Gen 41:2–20, the 'fat' cows; Judg 3:17; Dan 1:15).

Against the English

KJV/ESV 'the fat' is literal. BSB/NIV 'choice sheep' and NLT 'fattest sheep' give the value judgment. Modern 'fat' can sound negative, but here it means 'the best'.

How it drifted

In modern English 'fat' is usually unflattering. In the ancient world fat meant health, wealth and the best portion.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ezek 34:3 has the same word: 'you slaughter the fat ones (habberi'ah), but you do not feed the flock'. Ezek 34:16, 20 also uses it.

Where it appears

Genesis · 6

  1. Genesis 41:2 וּבְרִיאֹ֣ת and fat of

    when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.

  2. Genesis 41:4 וְהַבְּרִיאֹ֑ת and <the> fat

    And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up,

  3. Genesis 41:5 בְּרִיא֥וֹת fat

    but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk.

  4. Genesis 41:7 הַבְּרִיא֖וֹת <the> fat

    And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream.

  5. Genesis 41:18 בְּרִיא֥וֹת fat of

    when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.

  6. Genesis 41:20 הַבְּרִיאֹֽת׃ <the> fat

    Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first.

Judges · 1

  1. Judges 3:17 בָּרִ֖יא fat

    and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an obese man.

1 Kings · 1

  1. 1 Kings 4:23 בְּרִאִ֗ים fat

    ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry.

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 73:4 וּבָרִ֥יא and [is] fat

    They have no struggle in their death; their bodies are well-fed.

Ezekiel · 1

  1. Ezekiel 34:3 הַבְּרִיאָ֖ה the fat [sheep]

    You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened sheep, but you do not feed the flock.

    Here: 'The fat one(s)': the healthy, well-fleshed animals, the flock's strength and future. Singular form used for the whole group. The word doesn't say the shepherds fattened them.

Daniel · 1

  1. Daniel 1:15 וּבְרִיאֵ֖י and fat of

    And at the end of ten days, they looked healthier and better nourished than all the young men who were eating the king’s food.

Habakkuk · 1

  1. Habakkuk 1:16 בְּרִאָֽה׃ [is] fat

    Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich.

Zechariah · 1

  1. Zechariah 11:16 הַבְּרִיאָה֙ the fat [sheep]

    For behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will neither care for the lost, nor seek the young, nor heal the broken, nor sustain the healthy, but he will devour the flesh of the choice sheep and tear off their hooves.

    Here: 'The fat one', the plump, healthy, best animal. It is the same word Ezekiel uses for the fat sheep the bad shepherds slaughter (Ezek 34:3). He keeps the best of the flock for himself.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.