Hebrew word · H451

אַלְיָה

ha'alyah

fat tail

The fat tail of the fat-tailed sheep. It occurs only in Exodus and Leviticus, in sacrificial lists for sheep (Exod 29:22; Lev 3:9; 7:3; 8:25; 9:19).

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

tail, fat-tail (of sheep-an Eastern delicacy)

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 Leviticus 8:25

Range of meaning

The fat tail of the fat-tailed sheep. It occurs only in Exodus and Leviticus, in sacrificial lists for sheep (Exod 29:22; Lev 3:9; 7:3; 8:25; 9:19).

Against the English

KJV 'rump' makes modern readers think of the buttocks or hindquarters. The Hebrew means the broad, fat-filled tail itself. Modern versions correctly say 'fat tail'.

How it drifted

Early English translators did not know fat-tailed breeds, and 'rump' then also meant the tail end of an animal. Today 'rump' suggests the backside, a cut of beef, or a leftover remnant.

Used elsewhere in the period

Herodotus (Histories 3.113) describes Arabian sheep with tails so large that shepherds tied little carts under them. Fat-tailed breeds such as the Awassi are still common in the Levant, with tails that can weigh several kilograms. Lev 3:9 says the tail is cut off 'close to the backbone,' so all of it is taken.

Where it appears

Exodus · 1

  1. Exodus 29:22 וְהָֽאַלְיָ֜ה and the fat tail

    Take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh (since this is a ram for ordination),

Leviticus · 4

  1. Leviticus 3:9 הָאַלְיָ֣ה the fat tail

    And from the peace offering he shall bring a food offering to the LORD consisting of its fat: the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them,

  2. Leviticus 7:3 הָֽאַלְיָ֔ה the fat tail

    And all the fat from it shall be offered: the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails,

  3. Leviticus 8:25 הָֽאַלְיָ֗ה the fat tail

    And Moses took the fat—the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with their fat—as well as the right thigh.

    Here: The broad, fat-filled tail of the region's fat-tailed sheep, a prized and heavy store of fat. It is listed only for sheep offerings. Here the animal is the ram of ordination.

  4. Leviticus 9:19 הָֽאַלְיָ֤ה the fat tail

    They also brought the fat portions from the ox and the ram—the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver—

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