Hebrew word · H4770

מַרְבֵּק

marbek

stall

A stall or pen for fattening. The root probably means "to tie up," based on a related Arabic word, suggesting animals confined so that they put on weight. It occurs only four times in the Hebrew Bible.

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

stall (of animals)

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 Amos 6:4

Range of meaning

A stall or pen for fattening. The root probably means "to tie up," based on a related Arabic word, suggesting animals confined so that they put on weight. It occurs only four times in the Hebrew Bible.

Against the English

KJV, WEB, BSB, ESV and NASB say "stall." NIV ("fattened calves") and NLT ("fattened in the stall") bring out the purpose. "Stall" alone is accurate in location but loses the purpose.

How it drifted

To modern ears a stall is merely where a farm animal lives. The Hebrew word names a place where animals are kept in order to be fattened.

Used elsewhere in the period

The medium of En-dor kills a "calf of the stall" to feed King Saul (1 Samuel 28:24); Egypt's mercenaries are "like fattened calves" (Jeremiah 46:21); the healed "leap like calves from the stall" (Malachi 3:20, 4:2 in English).

From the study of Jeremiah 46:21

Range of meaning

A stall or pen where animals were tied up and fattened. It occurs only four times: the medium of Endor's 'fatted calf in the house' that she slaughters for Saul (1 Sam 28:24); the rich of Samaria eating 'calves from the midst of the stall' (Amos 6:4); calves leaping out of the stall (Mal 4:2 [Heb 3:20]); and here. The phrase 'calves of the stall' always means animals kept and fed for slaughter or a feast.

Against the English

BSB, ESV, NASB and NIV say 'fattened calves', which gives the meaning. KJV's 'fatted bullocks' is close. WEB and YLT 'calves of the stall' are literal but may not tell a modern reader that the stall was for fattening.

Used elsewhere in the period

The four uses above. The root is generally connected with tying or tethering (cf. Arabic rabaqa, 'to tie'; BDB, HALOT s.v.). Jeremiah uses a similar picture against Babylon in 50:27: 'Slay all her bulls, let them go down to the slaughter… for their day has come, the time of their reckoning (pequddatam).'

Where it appears

1 Samuel · 1

  1. 1 Samuel 28:24 מַרְבֵּק֙ [the] stall

    The woman had a fattened calf at her house, and she quickly slaughtered it. She also took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread.

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 46:21 מַרְבֵּ֔ק [the] stall

    Even the mercenaries among her are like fattened calves. They too will turn back; together they will flee, they will not stand their ground, for the day of calamity is coming upon them—the time of their punishment.

    Here: The stall where animals were tied up and fattened for a feast or sacrifice. 'Calves of the stall' are sleek, well-fed animals raised to be slaughtered.

Amos · 1

  1. Amos 6:4 מַרְבֵּֽק׃ [the] stall

    You lie on beds inlaid with ivory, and lounge upon your couches. You dine on lambs from the flock and calves from the stall.

    Here: A pen where calves were kept from roaming and fed up for slaughter. It is the last word of the verse and the punchline of the menu: this meat was deliberately fattened for the table.

Malachi · 1

  1. Malachi 4:2 מַרְבֵּֽק׃ [the] stall

    “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.

    Here: The pen where calves were kept and fattened (1 Sam 28:24, 'a fattened calf'; Amos 6:4). These are well-fed animals, shut in until now, released into the morning.

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