Bray signifying in Old English to pound, stands in the Auth. Vers. at Pr 27:22, for כָּתִשׁ, ka. thash', to beat to pieces in a mortar (q.v.). This punishment is still in use among Oriental nations. Roberts observes, " Cruel as it is, this is a punishment of the state; the poor victim is thrust into the mortar, and beaten with the pestle. The late King of Kandy compelled one of the wives of his rebellious chiefs thus to beat her own infant to death. Hence the saying, 'Though you beat that loose woman in a mortar, she will not leave her ways;' which means, though you chastise her ever so much, she will never improve." SEE PUNISHMENT'.
As the appropriate word for the voice of the ass, " bray" represents, in Job 6:5 (figuratively in 30:7), נָהִק, nahak'. See Ass.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More