Cockle

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

כאשה . This word occurs only in  Job 31:40 . By the Chaldee it is rendered noxious herbs; by Symmachus, ατελεσφορητα , plants of imperfect fruit; by the Septuagint, βατος , the blackberry bush; by Castelio, ebulus, "dwarf elder;" by Celsius, aconite; and by Bishop Stock and Dr. Good, the night-shade. M. Michaelis maintains, after Celsius, that both this word and באשים ,  Isaiah 5:2;  Isaiah 5:4 , denote the aconite, a poisonous plant, growing spontaneously and luxuriantly on sunny hills, such as are used for vineyards. He says that this interpretation is certain, because, as Celsius had observed, ביש , in Arabic, denotes the aconite; and he intimates that it best suits   Job 31:40 , where it is mentioned as growing instead of barley. The word appears to import a weed not only noxious, but of a fetid smell.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): (n.) A bivalve mollusk, with radiating ribs, of the genus Cardium, especially C. edule, used in Europe for food; - sometimes applied to similar shells of other genera.

(2): (v. t.) To cause to contract into wrinkles or ridges, as some kinds of cloth after a wetting.

(3): (n.) The Lotium, or darnel.

(4): (n.) The mineral black tourmaline or schorl; - so called by the Cornish miners.

(5): (n.) The fire chamber of a furnace.

(6): (n.) A cockleshell.

(7): (n.) The dome of a heating furnace.

(8): (n.) A hop-drying kiln; an oast.

(9): (n.) A plant or weed that grows among grain; the corn rose (Luchnis Githage).

King James Dictionary

Cockle n. A plant or weed that grows among corn, the cornrose, a species of Agrostemma. It is also applied to the Lolium or darnel.

COCKLE, n.

1. A small testaceous shell or rather a genus of shells, the Cardium. The general characteristics are shells nearly equilateral and equivalvular hinge with two small teeth, one on each side near the beak, and two larger remote lateral teeth, one on each side prominent ribs running from the hinge to the edge of the valve. 2. A mineral a name given by the Cornish miners to shirl or shorl. 3. A young cock.

COCKLE, or t. To contract into wrinkles to shrink, pucker, or wrinkle, as cloth.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

COCKLE ( bo’shâh ,   Job 31:40 ). AVm [Note: Authorized Version margin.] ‘stinking weeds’ or RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] ‘noisome weeds’ are both more correct. Sir J [Note: Jahwist.] . Hooper has suggested ‘stinking arums,’ which are common Palestine plants, but the more general rendering is safer.

E. W. G. Masterman.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Ba'Esha , from a root "to stink" ( Job 31:40). Probably the "tares" ( Zizania ) of  Matthew 13:30. Bad weeds in general; or barley affected by Uredo Fetida , "the stinking rust."

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Job asked that if he had done wickedly cockle might grow instead of barley: in the margin it reads 'noisome weeds.'  Job 31:40 . Some suppose the darnel is alluded to, as in  Matthew 13:25 .

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Cockle, Slinking Like Carrion. This word may denote troublesome or offensive weeds in general  Job 31:40.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Cockle. Probably signifies Bad Weeds or Fruit.  Job 31:40.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Job 31:40  Matthew 13:30 Isaiah 5:2,4

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A plant growing among wheat,  Job 31:40 . The Hebrew word seems to denote some noisome weed which infests cultivated grounds.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Job 31:40 Lolium temulentum

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( בָּאְשָׁה , Boshah', an Offensive plant, q. d. stink-weed; Sept. Βάτος , i.e. bramble) occurs only in  Job 31:40 : "Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and Cockle instead of barley." It is probably a mere general term signifying Weed, perhaps like the Darnel ( Ζιζάνια , "tares") of  Matthew 13:30. Celsius ( Hierobot. 2, 199) would identify it with the Aconite, but Gesenius questions this ( Jesaia, 1, 230; 2:364), as the word must not be confounded with the plur. form ( בְּאֻשַׁים , Beiishim' ) , "wild grapes" (q.v.), in  Isaiah 5:2;  Isaiah 5:4. (See Botany).

Codex Alexandrinus, etc.

(See Alexandrian Manuscript), etc.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

This word occurs in the singular form in , and in the plural form in; , where, however, it is rendered 'wild grapes.' It is probable that the same plant is referred to in these two passages; but difficulties have here, as elsewhere, been experienced in ascertaining the precise plant intended. All, however, are agreed that some useless, if not noxious, herb must be understood in both cases. The probability is in favor of its being the ox's grape or wolf-grape, either of which somewhat resembles the grape in the form of its berried fruit, but is very different in its properties, being narcotic and poisonous. Hasselquist, in reference to the passage of Isaiah, says, 'I am inclined to believe that the prophet here means the hoary nightshade, because it is common in Egypt and Palestine, and the Arabian name agrees well with it. The Arabs call it anib-el-dib, i.e. wolf-grape. The prophet could not have found a plant more opposite to the vine than this, for it grows much in the vineyards, and is very pernicious to them, wherefore they root it out: it likewise resembles a vine by its shrubby stalk.'

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kok ´' l (King James Version margin "stinking weeds," the Revised Version, margin "noisome weeds"; בּאשׁה , bo'shāh , from Hebrew root בּאשׁ , bā'ash , "to stink"; βάτος , bátos ): "Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley" ( Job 31:40 ). On account of the meaning of the Hebrew root we should expect that the reference was rather to repulsive, offensive weeds than to the pretty corn cockle. It is very possible that no particular plant is here intended, though the common Palestinian "stinking" arums have been suggested by Hooker.