Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 21:24
His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.
24. His breasts are full of milk ] Perhaps, his vessels are full of milk; but the meaning is uncertain, the word rendered “breasts” not occurring again. The word however has analogies in the cognate languages, and may mean vessels, or troughs, marg. milk-pails, the reference being to the plenty and richness of the man’s herds and possessions, though this is a figure for plenty in general. By a slight alteration in spelling the word “milk” means fat, and the ancient versions so read, translating, his inwards, or sides, are full of fat.
his bones are moistened with marrow ] Rather, and the marrow of his bones is moistened, lit. watered, i. e. made fresh and strong. If the first clause be translated with the ancient Versions this clause is parallel in sense; otherwise, it describes the effect of his plenty on the man himself.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
His breasts – Margin, milk pails. The marginal translation is much the most correct, and it is difficult to understand why so improbable a statement has been introduced into our common version. But there has been great variety in the translation. The Vulgate renders it, Viscera ejus plena sunt adipe – his viscera are full of fat. So the Septuagint, ta engkata autou plere steatos. The Syraic, his sides; Prof. Lee, his bottles; Noyes, his sides; Luther, sein milkfass – his milk-pail; Wemyss, the stations of his cattle; Good, his sleek skin. In this variety of rendering, what hope is there of ascertaining the meaning of the word? It is not easy to account for this variety, though it is clear that Jerome and the Septuagint followed a different reading from the present, and instead of atynayv, they read batynayv – from beten – the belly; and that instead of the word chalab as at present pointed, meaning milk, they understood it as if it were pointed cheleb – meaning fat – the same letters, but different vowels.
The word which is rendered breast ( atyn) occurs nowhere else in the Hebrew Scriptures. It has become necessary, therefore, to seek its meaning in the ancient versions, and in the cognate languages. For a full examination of the word, the reader may consult Bochart, Hieroz. P. 1, Lib. ii. c. xliv., pp. 455, 458; or Rosenmuller, where the remarks of Bochart are abridged; or Lee on Job, in loc. The Chaldee renders it , his breasts. So Junius et Tre. Piscator, and others. Among the rabbis, Moses Bar Nackman, Levi, and others, render it as denoting the breasts, or mulctralia – milk-vessels, denoting, as some have supposed, the lacteals. This idea would admirably suit the connection, but it is doubtful whether it can be maintained; and the presumption is, that it would be in advance of the knowledge of physiology in the times of Job. Aben Ezra explains it of the places where camels lie down to drink – an idea which is found in the Arabic, and which will well suit the connection.
According to this, the sense would be, that those places abounded with milk – that is, that he was prospered and happy. The Hebrew word atyn, as has been observed, occurs nowhere else. It is supposed to be derived from an obsolete root, the same as the Arabic atana, to lie down around water, as cattle do; and then the derivative denotes a place where cattle and flocks lie down around water; and then the passage would mean, the resting places of his herds are full, or abound with milk. Yet the primary idea, according to Castell, Golius, and Lee, is that of saturating with water; softening, scil. a skin with water, or dressing a skin, for the purpose of using it as a bottle. Perhaps the word was used with reference to the place where camels came to drink, because it was a place that was saturated with water, or that abounded with water. The Arabic verb, also, according to Castell, is used in the sense of freeing a skin from wool and hairs – a lana pilisve levari pellem – so that it might be dressed for use.
From this reference to a skin thus dressed, Prof. Lee supposes that the word here means a bottle, arid that the sense is, that his bottles were full of milk; that is, that he had great prosperity and abundance. But it is very doubtful whether the word will bear this meaning, and whether it is ever used in this sense. In the instances adduced by Castell, Schultens, and even of Prof. Lee, of the use of the word, I find no one where it means a skin, or denotes a bottle made of a skin. The application of the verb to a skin is only in the sense of saturating and dressing it. The leading idea in all the forms of the word, and its common use in Arabic, is that of a place where cattle kneel down for the purpose of drinking, and then a place well watered, where a man might lead his camels and flocks to water. The noun would then come to mean a watering place – a place that would be of great value, and which a man who had large flocks and herds would greatly prize. The thought here is, therefore, that the places of this kind, in the possession of the man referred to, would abound with milk – that is, he would have abundance.
Are full of milk – Milk, butter and honey, are, in the Scriptures, the emblems of plenty and prosperity. Many of the versions, however, here render this fat. The change is only in the pointing of the Hebrew word. But, if the interpretation above given be correct, then the word here means milk.
And his bones are moistened with marrow – From the belief, that bones full of marrow are an indication of health and vigor.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 24. His breasts are full of milk] The word atinaiv, which occurs nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible, is most likely an Arabic term, but probably so provincial as to be now lost. [Arabic] atana signifies to macerate hides so as to take off the hair: hence Mr. Good thinks it means here, that sleekness of skin which is the effect of fatness both in man and beast. But as the radical idea signifies to stink, as leather does which is thus macerated, I cannot see how this meaning can apply here. Under the root atan, Mr. Parkhurst gives the following definitions:” occurs, not as a verb, but as a noun masculine plural, in construction, atiney, the bowels, intestines; once Job 21:24, atinaiv, his bowels or intestines, are full of, or abound with, chalab, fat. So the LXX.: . The VULGATE: Viscera, ejus plena sent adipe, ‘his intestines are full of fat.’ May not atinim be a noun masculine plural from atah, to involve, formed as gailyonim, mirrors, from galah, to reveal? And may nor the intestines, including those fatty parts, the mesentery and omentum, be so called on account of their wonderful involutions?” I think this conjecture to be as likely as any that has yet been formed.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
His breasts: the Hebrew word is not elsewhere used, and therefore it is diversely translated; either,
1. Breasts. But that seems very improper here, because mens breasts do not use to be filled with milk. Or,
2. Milk-pails. But their fulness is common, and no sign of eminent plenty, which is here designed. Besides, the following branch, which in Job and elsewhere frequently explains the former, implies that it signifies some part of mans body, as all the ancient interpreters render it; either the sides, as some of them have it; or the bowels, as others. But for the following milk they read fat; the Hebrew letters being exactly the same in both words; and the Hebrews by the name of milk do oft understand fat.
His bones are moistened with marrow; which is opposed to the dryness of the bones, Job 30:30 Psa 102:3, which is caused by old age, or grievous distempers or calamities.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24. breastsrather, “skins,”or “vessels” for fluids [LEE].But [UMBREIT] “stationsor resting-places of his herds near water”; in opposition toZophar (Job 20:17); the firstclause refers to his abundant substance, the second to his vigoroushealth.
moistenedcomparingman’s body to a well-watered field (Pro 3:8;Isa 58:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
His breasts are full of milk,…. As this is not literally true of men, some versions read the words otherwise; his bowels or intestines are full of fat, as the Vulgate Latin and Septuagint; and others, his sides or ribs are full of fat, as the Syriac and Arabic; the words for “side” and “fat” being near in sound to those here used; and so it describes a man fit and plump, and fleshy, when death lays hold upon him, and not wasted with consumptions and pining sickness, as in the case of some, Job 33:21; the word for breasts is observed by some h to signify, in the Arabic language, “vessels”, in which liquors are contained, and in the Misnic language such as they put oil in, out of which oil is squeezed; and so are thought here to intend such vessels as are milked into; and therefore render it by milk pails; so Mr. Broughton, “his pails are full of milk” i; which may denote the abundance of good things enjoyed by such persons, as rivers of honey and butter; contrary to Zophar’s notion, Job 20:17; and a large increase of oil and wine, and all temporal worldly good; amidst the plenty of which such die:
and his bones are moistened with marrow; not dried up through a broken spirit, or with grief and trouble, and through the decays of old age; but, being full of marrow, are moist, and firm and strong; and so it intimates, that such, at the time when death seizes them, are of an hale, healthful, robust, and strong constitution; see Ps 73:4.
h See Kimchi, Sepher Shorash. rad. , and Jarchi and Ben Melech in loc. i “muletralia ejus”, Montanus, Beza, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Mercerus, Bolducius, Drusius, Cocceius, Schmidt.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(24) His breasts.This is an uncertain word, occurring only here. Some understand it literally of milk-pails, others of the lacteals of the human body, which certainly suits the parallelism better.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
24. His breasts The Vulgate followed the Septuagint in rendering this troublesome word, , thus: “His inwards are full of fat.” Furst and Rodwell, among others, conceive that the parallelism of the text demands some part of the human body: the former of them consequently rendering ‘ hatin “veins;” the latter, “loins.” Schlottmann, on the other hand, observes that, “In contrast to the well-watered marrow, one expects a reference to a rich, nutritious drink.” The Hebrew word occurs nowhere else in the Scriptures, and is apparently of foreign origin, perhaps kindred with the Arabic hatan, “resting places,” (for herds,) an idea which Hitzig accepts. Delitzsch, Dillmann, and Zockler read, “his troughs are full of milk.” Our Authorized Version adopts the version of the Targum, than which Tayler Lewis thinks there is nothing better.
Moistened with marrow And the marrow of his bones is well watered. The human body is likened to the soil of the field, which is not suffered to dry, but is plentifully watered and made fruitful. (Umbreit.) Comp. Isa 58:11.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 21:24 His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.
Ver. 24. His breasts are full of milk, and his bones, &c. ] He is well lined within, as we say, having abundance of good blood and fresh spirits in his body; fat and plump, and well liking. He is enclosed in his own fat, Psa 17:10 . His back is well larded, and his bones are moistened with marrow; which, Plato saith, is not only the source and seminary of generation, but the very seat of life (Plat. in Timaeo). Now such a state of body as is here described is no defence at all against death, saith Job; nay, it is a presage and a forerunner of it many times. For ultimus sanitaria gradus est morbo proximus, say physicians; the highest degree of health is nearest to sickness; we many times chop into the earth before we are aware; like a man, walking in a field covered with snow, who falleth into a pit suddenly.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
breasts = skin bottles.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
His breasts: or, His milk pails, Job 15:27, Psa 17:10
moistened: Pro 3:8
Reciprocal: Psa 73:4 – no Jer 5:28 – waxen Jam 1:11 – so