1385. gebinah

Lexical Summary

gebinah: Cheese

Original Word: גְּבִנָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: gbinah
Pronunciation: gheh-bee-NAH
Phonetic Spelling: (gheb-ee-naw')
KJV: cheese
NASB: cheese
Word Origin: [feminine from the same as H1384 (גִּבֵּן - hunchback)]

1. curdled milk

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

cheese

Feminine from the same as gibben; curdled milk -- cheese.

see HEBREW gibben

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as gibben
Definition
curd, cheese
NASB Translation
cheese (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

גְּבִינָה noun feminine curd, or cheese (Late Hebrew id., Arabic Ethiopic Aramaic גּוּבְנָא, , compare) — וְכַגְּבִינָה תַּקְמִּיאֵנִי Job 10:10 ("" חָלָב).

Topical Lexicon

Term Overview

גְּבִנָה denotes a coagulated dairy product—cheese or curds—formed when milk is poured out and allowed to thicken. The noun’s only biblical appearance is in the poetic dialogue of Job, yet the concept of cheese and curdled milk recurs elsewhere under different Hebrew terms, underscoring its commonplace role in ancient Israelite diet and economy.

Single Scriptural Occurrence (Job 10:10)

“Did You not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese?” (Job 10:10).

Here Job likens his prenatal development to the familiar household process of cheese-making. Just as a dairy-maid carefully pours milk and waits for the curdling that produces a new substance, so Job perceives God’s intimate, intentional craftsmanship in shaping human life.

Historical and Cultural Background

1. Dairy husbandry was integral to pastoral life in the Ancient Near East. Goats, sheep, and cattle supplied milk, which spoils quickly in the region’s climate unless preserved.
2. Cheese production offered portable nutrition rich in protein, fat, and salt. Archaeological finds from Bronze and Iron Age sites in Canaan include perforated ceramic strainers likely used for draining curds.
3. Cheese served both everyday and diplomatic purposes; David sent “ten cheeses” to the commander of Israel’s army (1 Samuel 17:18), though that passage uses a different Hebrew expression.
4. In later rabbinic literature, cheese is a staple in Sabbath and festival meals, revealing an unbroken culinary tradition that stretches back to Job’s era.

Symbolic Significance in Job

• Intimacy of Formation: The imagery highlights God’s direct involvement in embryonic development, echoing Psalms 139:13–16. The curdling process cannot be rushed or outsourced; likewise, human life emerges under God’s deliberate hand.
• Fragility and Dependence: Milk is easily spoiled; its preservation into cheese mirrors human vulnerability apart from divine oversight.
• Transformation: Curdling alters milk’s nature, pointing to God’s power to bring forth new substance and purpose from raw material.

Comparison with Other Dairy Imagery

– “Curds” (חֶמְאָה) in Deuteronomy 32:14 and Isaiah 7:15 depict richness and blessing.

– “Butter” and “honey” in Judges 5:25 symbolize hospitality.

– The different vocabulary broadens the theological tapestry: whether cheese, curds, or butter, dairy imagery conveys provision, nurture, and the work of unseen processes.

Theological Implications

1. Doctrine of Creation: Job’s metaphor supports a view of God as both transcendent and immanent, supervising microscopic biological events.
2. Providence and Sovereignty: Even when Job feels abandoned, he acknowledges God’s original care, forming the basis for his appeal for justice.
3. Sanctity of Life: The verse affirms life’s sacredness from conception, informing ethical positions on human dignity.

Ministry and Pastoral Application

• Counseling Suffering Believers: Job’s acknowledgment of divine craftsmanship provides a starting point for affirming worth and purpose amid pain.
• Teaching on God’s Nearness: Object lessons using cheese-making can vividly illustrate the message to contemporary audiences.
• Worship and Thanksgiving: Recognizing everyday foods as tokens of God’s creative wisdom encourages gratitude (1 Timothy 4:4).

Summary

גְּבִנָה may appear only once, yet its dairy imagery offers rich insight into God’s creative artistry, human vulnerability, and the provision woven into ordinary sustenance. The single curdling metaphor invites believers to savor both the theological depth and the pastoral comfort contained in a simple piece of ancient cheese.

Forms and Transliterations

וְ֝כַגְּבִנָּ֗ה וכגבנה vechaggevinNah wə·ḵag·gə·ḇin·nāh wəḵaggəḇinnāh

Englishman's Concordance

Job 10:10
HEB: כֶ֭חָלָב תַּתִּיכֵ֑נִי וְ֝כַגְּבִנָּ֗ה תַּקְפִּיאֵֽנִי׃
NAS: And curdle me like cheese;
KJV: as milk, and curdled me like cheese?
INT: milk pour cheese and curdle

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1385
1 Occurrence

wə·ḵag·gə·ḇin·nāh — 1 Occ.