### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **mallûwach**, represented by `{{H4408}}`, refers to **mallows** or sea-purslain, a plant known for its saltiness. This term is exceptionally rare in the biblical text, appearing just **1 time** in **1 unique verse**. Its singular usage provides a potent image of sustenance sought in times of extreme hardship.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H4408}}` is found in the book of Job, where Job describes the miserable condition of the poor and outcast. He details their desperation, noting they are the ones "Who cut up **mallows** by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat" [[Job 30:4]]. In this context, the plant is not a desirable food source but a symbol of abject poverty, something foraged from the wilderness when nothing else is available.
### Related Words & Concepts
The verse where `{{H4408}}` appears connects it to other significant words that frame its meaning:
* `{{H6998}}` **qâṭaph** (to strip off; crop off, cut down): This is the action performed to obtain the mallows. While the root can describe standard harvesting, like when one is permitted to **pluck** ears of corn from a neighbor's field [[Deuteronomy 23:25]], here it describes a desperate foraging for wild, uncultivated plants.
* `{{H3899}}` **lechem** (food, especially bread): In the same verse, juniper roots are used for their "meat" or food [[Job 30:4]]. This contrasts sharply with the typical use of **lechem** to mean **bread**, the staple of life and a symbol of God's provision. The Psalmist states he has never seen the righteous forsaken or "his seed begging **bread**" [[Psalms 37:25]], making the meal of mallows and roots a stark depiction of a forsaken state.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4408}}` is derived entirely from its context of suffering within Job's lament.
* **A Symbol of Desperation:** Eating **mallows** represents the absolute limit of human destitution. It is a food of last resort, illustrating a life devoid of comfort, security, and basic provision.
* **The Antithesis of Provision:** The meal described in [[Job 30:4]] stands in direct opposition to the biblical theme of divine provision. While God promises to bless the **bread** `{{H3899}}` and water of his people [[Exodus 23:25]], the mallow represents sustenance scavenged from the wild earth in a state of apparent abandonment.
* **The Human Condition in a Fallen World:** The act of cutting up `{{H6998}}` these bitter herbs for food serves as a powerful metaphor for the harsh realities and sorrows of human existence that are central to the discussions in the book of Job.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4408}}` is a hapax legomenon whose meaning is inseparable from its singular, powerful context. It is more than a botanical term; it is a biblical symbol for extreme poverty and the struggle for survival. Its appearance in [[Job 30:4]] paints a vivid picture of life on the margins, a condition that contrasts sharply with the ideal of divine care and provision seen elsewhere in scripture.
TRV