מַחֲבַת
a pan for baking in
Definition
The Hebrew word מַחֲבַת (machăbath) refers to a flat pan or griddle used for baking bread or grain offerings. It is a specific type of cooking vessel, distinct from a pot or oven, designed for dry-heat cooking. In the biblical context, it is most prominently used for preparing grain offerings (Leviticus 2:5, 6:21, 7:9), where unleavened cakes were baked on it. The word also appears in a prophetic act where Ezekiel is instructed to bake bread on an iron plate (Ezekiel 4:3), and in a list of temple utensils for preparing showbread (1 Chronicles 23:29).
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in priestly and ritual contexts within the Old Testament. Its five occurrences are found in Leviticus (chapters 2, 6, 7), 1 Chronicles (chapter 23), and Ezekiel (chapter 4). In Leviticus, it is a prescribed utensil for preparing the grain offering (minḥah), specifying that the offering cakes must be baked on a מַחֲבַת (Leviticus 2:5). In 1 Chronicles 23:29, it is listed among the temple vessels used for the bread of the Presence. Ezekiel 4:3 uses the term for an iron plate, symbolizing the siege of Jerusalem.
Etymology
The noun מַחֲבַת (machăbath) is derived from the root ח־ב־ת (ḥ-b-t), which relates to sacrificing or slaughtering. It shares this root with the word חָבֵת (ḥāḇēṯ, H2281), meaning 'a sacrifice' or 'slaughter.' The development from a root about sacrifice to a term for a baking pan highlights its primary cultic function in preparing offerings, rather than everyday domestic use.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it is intricately connected to the Levitical sacrificial system. The מַחֲבַת was a consecrated vessel used specifically for preparing the grain offering (minḥah), which symbolized dedication, thanksgiving, and atonement (Leviticus 2). Understanding that this was a designated, holy utensil enriches the reading of these texts by emphasizing the care, purity, and specificity required in worship. Its use in Ezekiel 4:3 also ties it to prophetic acts of judgment, showing how even a common object can become a symbol in God's communication.
In ancient Israelite culture, the מַחֲבַת was a flat metal plate, likely made of bronze or iron, used over an open fire. It differed from a modern frying pan, as it was used for baking unleavened bread quickly with dry heat, not for frying with oils. Its primary association was with the tabernacle and temple rituals, not common household cooking, marking it as a specialized cultic object. The instruction in Ezekiel to use an 'iron' plate (Ezekiel 4:3) would have been unusual and symbolized the hardness of the coming siege.
מַרְחֶשֶׁת (marḥesheth, H4227) — a pan or pot for boiling, used for the peace offering (Leviticus 2:7; 7:9). פַּרּוּר (parrûr, H6517) — a pot or pan, sometimes for baking (1 Samuel 2:14). סִיר (sîr, H5518) — a general term for pot or cauldron, often for boiling (2 Kings 4:38).
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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