מְרִיא (me.ri)
me.ri
fatling
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Definition
Definition
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word מְרִיא refers to a fattened animal, specifically a young calf or ox raised for special occasions like feasts or sacrifices. In ancient Israel, these were not everyday meals but reserved for significant events, symbolizing honor, celebration, and the best of what one possessed.
Seeing this term in Scripture helps us understand the weight behind certain actions. When Adonijah used fatlings to declare himself king, it was a display of royal power and wealth. Conversely, when God rejects such offerings in Isaiah, He highlights that ritual without right heart matters little. The value lies not in the animal itself, but in the intention behind giving it.
For your daily life, this reminds us that God looks at the posture of our hearts. Whether we are celebrating a blessing or offering thanks, the sincerity of our devotion is what truly counts before Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ fatling4×
- fatlings/ your1×
- fatlings1×
- and/ a fatling1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּֽ/מְרִיא\־2×
- מְרִיאֵי/כֶ֖ם1×
- מְרִיאִ֑ים1×
- וּ/מְרִיא֙1×
- וּ/מְרִֽיא\׃1×
- וּ/מְרִ֔יא1×
Key Verses
-
I Kings 1:9
Adonijah killed sheep, cattle, and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En Rogel; and he called all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants;
This verse shows how Adonijah used fatlings to publicly demonstrate his claim to royal authority and secure support from key figures.
-
Isaiah 1:11
“What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?”, says Yahweh. “I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed animals. I don’t delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of male goats.
Here God expresses weariness with sacrifices of fattened animals when they are offered without genuine justice or repentance.
-
Amos 5:22
Yes, though you offer me your burnt offerings and meal offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat animals.
The prophet records God rejecting peace offerings from fat animals because the people's hands are full of violence and injustice.