### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **gᵉbinâh**, represented by `{{H1385}}`, translates to **cheese** or curdled milk. It is a highly specific term, appearing only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** throughout the scriptures. Its meaning is derived from the process of milk curdling to become a solid substance.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single use of `{{H1385}}` occurs in Job's appeal to God. In a poignant metaphor for his own creation, Job asks, "Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like **cheese**?" [[Job 10:10]]. Here, the process of cheesemaking—transforming a liquid into a solid—is used to describe the intricate and deliberate formation of a human being in the womb. Job employs this imagery to question why a being so carefully crafted would be subjected to such immense suffering.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words in the surrounding text illuminate the cheesemaking metaphor:
* `{{H2461}}` **châlâb** (milk): This is the base substance from which cheese is formed. While used in Job's metaphor for creation, it more commonly represents abundance and blessing, as seen in the description of the promised land as a land "flowing with **milk** and honey" [[Exodus 3:8]].
* `{{H5413}}` **nâthak** (to flow forth, pour): This word describes the initial action in the process. In [[Job 10:10]], it refers to being "poured out" like milk. It is also used figuratively to describe the pouring out of God's wrath [[Jeremiah 7:20]].
* `{{H7087}}` **qâphâʼ** (to shrink, thicken, curdle): This verb represents the solidification process that turns milk into cheese. Beyond this context, it is used to describe waters that "congealed" [[Exodus 15:8]] and men who have "settled" in their ways [[Zephaniah 1:12]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H1385}}` is tied entirely to its singular, metaphorical context in the book of Job.
* **Divine Craftsmanship:** The imagery of turning milk into cheese portrays God as a skillful artisan. It suggests that human formation is not a random occurrence but a deliberate, intricate process guided by a creator.
* **Metaphor for Creation:** The word provides a powerful and earthy metaphor for the mystery of life's beginning. The transformation from a simple liquid to a complex solid illustrates the wondrous nature of God's creative power.
* **Context of Lament:** Job uses this metaphor to heighten the tragedy of his suffering. By reminding God of the care with which he was made, he underscores the seeming contradiction of his current state of affliction.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H1385}}` is a rare biblical word whose importance lies not in its frequency but in its powerful metaphorical application. Its single appearance in [[Job 10:10]] transforms the common process of making **cheese** into a profound illustration of divine creation and craftsmanship. The term serves as a key component in one of the Bible's most poignant expressions of the relationship between Creator and created being, particularly in the midst of suffering.
TRV