Jump to: ISBE • Easton's • Webster's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms Topical Encyclopedia In biblical times, cakes were a common form of food, often made from grains such as wheat or barley, and sometimes mixed with oil, honey, or other ingredients. They were typically baked or cooked on a hearth and were used in various cultural and religious contexts.Old Testament References Cakes are mentioned numerous times throughout the Old Testament, often in the context of offerings and hospitality. In Genesis 18:6, when three visitors came to Abraham, he instructed Sarah to "quickly prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread." The Hebrew word used here can be translated as "cakes," indicating a form of unleavened bread. In Leviticus, cakes are part of the grain offerings presented to the Lord. Leviticus 2:4 states, "Now if you bring a grain offering of baked goods from the oven, it must consist of fine flour: unleavened cakes mixed with oil or unleavened wafers anointed with oil." These offerings were a significant part of the sacrificial system, symbolizing dedication and thanksgiving to God. Cakes also appear in narratives involving hospitality and sustenance. In 1 Kings 17:12-16, the widow of Zarephath, during a time of famine, tells Elijah, "I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug." Elijah instructs her to make a small cake for him first, promising that her supplies will not run out. This miracle underscores God's provision and faithfulness. New Testament References While the New Testament does not frequently mention cakes, the concept of bread and baked goods remains significant, particularly in the context of the Last Supper and the breaking of bread as a symbol of fellowship and remembrance of Christ's sacrifice. Cultural and Religious Significance Cakes in the Bible often symbolize sustenance, hospitality, and offerings to God. They were a staple in the diet of ancient Near Eastern peoples and played a role in religious rituals. The preparation and sharing of cakes could signify fellowship and community, as well as obedience and devotion to God. In some instances, cakes were associated with idolatrous practices. Jeremiah 7:18 mentions the people of Judah making cakes for the "Queen of Heaven," a pagan deity, which was an act of apostasy against the worship of Yahweh. Conclusion Throughout the Bible, cakes serve as a reminder of God's provision and the importance of offering the first and best to Him. They reflect the cultural practices of the time and provide insight into the daily lives and spiritual practices of biblical peoples. Easton's Bible Dictionary Cakes made of wheat or barley were offered in the temple. They were salted, but unleavened (Exodus 29:2; Leviticus 2:4). In idolatrous worship thin cakes or wafers were offered "to the queen of heaven" (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:19).Pancakes are described in 2 Samuel 13:8, 9. Cakes mingled with oil and baked in the oven are mentioned in Leviticus 2:4, and "wafers unleavened anointed with oil," in Exodus 29:2; Leviticus 8:26; 1 Chronicles 23:29. "Cracknels," a kind of crisp cakes, were among the things Jeroboam directed his wife to take with her when she went to consult Ahijah the prophet at Shiloh (1 Kings 14:3). Such hard cakes were carried by the Gibeonites when they came to Joshua (9:5, 12). They described their bread as "mouldy;" but the Hebrew word nikuddim, here used, ought rather to be rendered "hard as biscuit." It is rendered "cracknels" in 1 Kings 14:3. The ordinary bread, when kept for a few days, became dry and excessively hard. The Gibeonites pointed to this hardness of their bread as an evidence that they had come a long journey. We read also of honey-cakes (Exodus 16:31), "cakes of figs" (1 Samuel 25:18), "cake" as denoting a whole piece of bread (1 Kings 17:12), and "a [round] cake of barley bread" (Judges 7:13). In Leviticus 2 is a list of the different kinds of bread and cakes which were fit for offerings. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (n.) A small mass of dough baked; especially, a thin loaf from unleavened dough; as, an oatmeal cake; johnnycake.2. (n.) A sweetened composition of flour and other ingredients, leavened or unleavened, baked in a loaf or mass of any size or shape. 3. (n.) A thin wafer-shaped mass of fried batter; a griddlecake or pancake; as buckwheat cakes. 4. (n.) A mass of matter concreted, congealed, or molded into a solid mass of any form, esp. into a form rather flat than high; as, a cake of soap; an ague cake. 5. (v. i.) To form into a cake, or mass. 6. (v. i.) To concrete or consolidate into a hard mass, as dough in an oven; to coagulate. 7. (v. i.) To cackle as a goose. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia CAKESee BREAD. Greek 2854. kollourion -- eye salve. ... Neuter of a presumed derivative of kollura (a cake; prob akin to the base of kollao); properly, a poultice (as made of or in the form of crackers), ie (by ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2854.htm - 6k 1365. distazo -- twenty thousand Strong's Hebrew 5692. uggah -- a disc or cake of bread... 5691, 5692. uggah. 5693 . a disc or cake of bread. Transliteration: uggah Phonetic Spelling: (oog-gaw') Short Definition: cake. ... /hebrew/5692.htm - 6k 1690. debelah -- a lump (of pressed figs), a pressed (fig) cake 2471. challah -- a cake (a type used in offerings) 3561. kavvan -- a cake, sacrificial cake 7550. raqiq -- thin cake, wafer 6742. tselul -- a cake, round loaf 4580. maog -- a cake 4682. matstsah -- unleavened bread or cake 809. ashishah -- a raisin cake 6838. tsappichith -- a flat cake, wafer Library Elijah and the Widow's Son. "The Widow Woman was There. " I Kings xvii. 10 I Therefore Bent My Steps Toward the Hut which I had Beheld from a ... Further Dissensions among the Arians at Constantinople. The ... Effects Require Causes Elijah Fed by Ravens. The Voice of Stern Rebuke A Prophet's Strange Providers How Ahab when He had Taken Jezebel to Wife Became More Wicked than ... How the Midianites and Other Nations Fought against the Israelites ... Thesaurus Cake (25 Occurrences)... We read also of honey-cakes (Exodus 16:31), "cakes of figs" (1 Samuel 25:18), "cake" as denoting a whole piece of bread (1 Kings 17:12), and "a [round] cake of ... /c/cake.htm - 17k Raisin-cake (2 Occurrences) Grape-cake (1 Occurrence) Fig-cake (1 Occurrence) Barley-cake (1 Occurrence) Loaf (14 Occurrences) Wafer (3 Occurrences) Thin (39 Occurrences) Raisins (9 Occurrences) Flagon (4 Occurrences) Resources Flowers, and pictures, and cakes ' oh my! | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about eating junk food? | GotQuestions.org What is the significance of unleavened bread? | GotQuestions.org Cake: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Cake (25 Occurrences)Mark 8:14 Genesis 40:16 Exodus 16:31 Exodus 29:23 Leviticus 7:14 Leviticus 8:26 Leviticus 24:5 Numbers 6:19 Numbers 11:8 Numbers 15:20 Judges 7:13 1 Samuel 2:36 1 Samuel 30:12 2 Samuel 6:19 1 Kings 17:12 1 Kings 17:13 1 Kings 19:6 2 Kings 20:7 1 Chronicles 16:3 Proverbs 6:26 Isaiah 38:21 Jeremiah 37:21 Ezekiel 4:12 Hosea 7:8 Zechariah 5:7 Subtopics Related Terms Thank-offering (5 Occurrences) Praise-offering (5 Occurrences) Drink-offerings (31 Occurrences) |
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