FATLING, FATTED. (An animal, esp. a young one—a calf, lamb, or kid—fattened for slaughter). It is the tr. of four Heb. words. 1. מֵחִ֣ים (Ps 66:15; Isa 5:17 KJV “fat ones”).

2. בֵּרִי, H1373, (Ezek 34:3 KJV “them that are fed,” tr. “fat sheep” in v. 20 RSV, and “fat cows” in Genesis 41:2-4, 18, etc.).

3. מְרִיא, H5309, pl. merī’im (2 Sam 6:13; 1 Kings 1:9, 19, 25; Isa 11:6; Ezek 39:18; “fatted beasts” in Amos 5:22).

4. מִשְׁנֶה, H5467, (1 Sam 15:9). This Heb. word does not really mean fatlings, but “of the second sort,” or, “of the second birth.” Some scholars have suggested that it means “of the second rank,” as though the animals referred to were divided into groups according to their value; others have said that it means “of the second birth,” animals considered better than the others, although Gesenius says that they were inferior. Most scholars have thought it best to amend the Heb. text into מַשְׁמַנִּ֜ים, found in Nehemiah 8:10 where it means “fatted things” and is supported by some of the ancient VSS (Targum, Syriac, and Arabic) and is followed by ERV.

In Matthew 22:4 the word σιτιστά, is tr. “fatlings” in the KJV, but “fat calves” in the RSV.