Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, the term "curdled" is often associated with the process of milk turning into curds, a transformation that is both natural and symbolic. The imagery of curdling is used in various contexts within the Bible, often to convey ideas of change, formation, and sometimes judgment or distress.
Biblical References:1.
Job 10:10 : "Did You not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese?" In this passage, Job is lamenting his suffering and questioning God's purposes in his creation. The metaphor of being "curdled like cheese" suggests a process of formation and shaping, indicating the intricate and deliberate nature of God's creation. Job uses this imagery to emphasize the care and attention God has given to his formation, even as he struggles to understand his current afflictions.
2.
Psalm 119:83 : "Though I am like a wineskin dried by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes." While the term "curdled" is not directly used in this verse, the imagery of transformation and distress is similar. The psalmist compares himself to a wineskin, which, like milk curdling, undergoes a change in state. This transformation is used to express a sense of weariness and affliction, yet it is coupled with a steadfast commitment to God's laws.
Symbolism and Interpretation:In the biblical context, curdling can symbolize the process of change and the complexity of creation. It reflects the idea that God is intimately involved in the formation of life, as seen in Job's reflection on his own creation. The transformation from milk to curds is a natural process, yet it requires specific conditions, much like the conditions God orchestrates in the lives of His people.
The imagery of curdling also carries connotations of judgment or distress. Just as milk curdles under certain conditions, so too can circumstances in life lead to periods of trial and transformation. These moments are often seen as opportunities for growth and reliance on God's sovereignty.
Theological Insights:From a theological perspective, the concept of curdling can be seen as a metaphor for the sanctification process. Just as milk is transformed into curds, believers undergo a transformation through the work of the Holy Spirit. This process involves trials and challenges, but ultimately leads to spiritual maturity and a deeper relationship with God.
Furthermore, the imagery of curdling underscores the idea of God's intimate involvement in the lives of His people. It serves as a reminder that, even in times of distress, God is actively shaping and molding His creation according to His divine purposes.
In summary, the biblical use of "curdled" provides rich imagery for understanding the processes of creation, transformation, and divine involvement in the lives of believers. Through this metaphor, Scripture communicates themes of formation, judgment, and the ongoing work of God in the world.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
imp. & p. p.) of Curdle.
Strong's Hebrew
7087. qapha' -- to thicken, condense, congeal... A primitive root; to shrink, ie Thicken (as unracked wine,
curdled milk, clouded
sky, frozen water) -- congeal, curdle, dark, settle. 7086, 7087.
...2529. chemah -- curd
... butter. Or (shortened) chemah {khay-maw'}; from the same root as chowmah;curdled
milk or cheese -- butter. see HEBREW chowmah. 2528, 2529. chemah. 2530 ....
1385. gebinah -- curd, cheese
... cheese. Feminine from the same as gibben;curdled milk -- cheese. see HEBREW
gibben. 1384, 1385. gebinah. 1386 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
Teth.
... 69. "Their heart iscurdled as milk" (ver.70). Whose, save the proud, whose
iniquity he hath said hath been multiplied upon him?...
A view of God's Glory
... Surely after he had uttered the desire, his bones must have trembled, his blood
curdled in his veins, and his hair must have stood on end....
A Refutation of the Same on the Grounds of the Human Constitution.
... And he would take up, too, this wonderful account of his formation as it has been
given by one of old: "Hast Thou not poured me out as milk, andcurdled me as...
Ode to the North-East Wind
... Through the black fir-forest Thunder harsh and dry, Shattering down the
snow-flakes Off thecurdled sky. Hark! The brave North-easter!...
Generation Something Akin to the First Formation of Eve from the...
... the marrow-like and generative part of the blood, like a kind of liquid bone, coming
together from all the members, worked into foam andcurdled, is projected...
Ephesians iv. 17-19
... Psalm 14:1.) Now blindness arises from no other cause than from want of feeling;
this clogs the channel; for whenever the fluids arecurdled and collected into...
January.
... curlew pipe. Through the black fir forest Thunder harsh and dry, Shattering
down the snow-flakes Off thecurdled sky. . . . . Come...
How this that is Said of the Devil in the Gospel is to be...
... the Creator of all, as David says: "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me:" [1574]
And the blessed Job: "Hast thou not milked me as milk, andcurdled me as...
The Lonely Christ
... We are too apt to conceive of Christ's temptations as all gathered together"curdled
and clotted, as it were, at the two ends of His life, leaving the space...
Women who Saved a Nation
... than all nomad women! Water he asked, milk she gave,Curdled milk she brought
him In a bowl well fitted for lords! She put her hand...
Thesaurus
Curdled (2 Occurrences)... (imp. & pp) of Curdle. Multi-Version Concordance
Curdled (2 Occurrences).
... (See NIV).
Job 10:10 Haven't you poured me out like milk, and
curdled me like cheese?
...Cheese (3 Occurrences)
... (2.) 2 Samuel 17:29, "cheese of kine" = perhapscurdled milk of kine.... (3.) Job
10:10,curdled milk is meant by the word. Noah Webster's Dictionary....
Curdle (1 Occurrence)
...curdled me like cheese?" ie made him take solid form.... Curdle (1 Occurrence). Job
10:10 Haven't you poured me out like milk, andcurdled me like cheese?...
Curds (9 Occurrences)
Milk (66 Occurrences)
... It means "butter," but also more frequently "cream," or perhaps, as some think,
"curdled milk," such as that which Abraham set before the angels (Genesis 18:8...
Tyre (59 Occurrences)
... A short Phoenician text of the fourth century BC is the only monument yet recovered.".
Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.)Curdled milk. 2. (n. & v.) Attire....
Butter (10 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary (Hebrews hemah),curdled milk (Genesis 18:8; Judges
5:25; 2 Samuel 17:29), or butter in the form of the skim of hot milk or cream...
Sisera (18 Occurrences)
... Jael, Heber's wife, received him into her tent with apparent hospitality, and "gave
him butter" (ie, lebben, orcurdled milk) "in a lordly dish." Having drunk...
Immanuel (3 Occurrences)
... enemies. Immanuel should eatcurdled milk and honey (7:15), devastation
reducing the land from an agricultural to a pastoral one....
Haven't (87 Occurrences)
... (WEB). Job 10:10 Haven't you poured me out like milk, andcurdled me like
cheese? (WEB). Job 21:29 Haven't you asked wayfaring men?...
Resources
Who was Jael in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgCurdled: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
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