מַחֲבַת (ma.cha.vat)
ma.cha.vat
griddle
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun machavat refers to a flat metal plate or pan used specifically for baking. In the ancient Near East, this was not merely a cooking vessel but a specialized tool for preparing food over an open fire or hot coals. Its primary function was to cook dough or batter into thin cakes, creating a surface that distributed heat evenly without the depth of a pot.
This object appears in three biblical verses, most notably within the detailed instructions for grain offerings in Leviticus 2:5 and 7, as well as in a historical record in 1 Chronicles 23:29. In these contexts, the machavat is essential for preparing the fine flour mixed with oil that was offered to God. The text distinguishes it from other cooking methods by emphasizing the flat, baked nature of the offering, highlighting a specific ritual practice where the food’s preparation was as important as its ingredients.
Understanding this word grounds the abstract concept of sacrifice in tangible daily life. It reminds readers that ancient worship involved real kitchen tools and common foods. The machavat represents a humble instrument transformed into a means of devotion, showing how ordinary household items could serve sacred purposes when used according to divine instruction.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word machavat describes a flat metal griddle used for baking cakes over hot coals. In Leviticus, this simple kitchen tool becomes central to worship. The Israelites prepared fine flour mixed with oil on its surface, creating an offering that was both humble and holy. This shows that God cares about the details of our daily lives, not just grand gestures.
When you read these verses, remember that ancient worship involved real tools and common foods. A baking pan, used carefully according to divine instruction, became a means of devotion. Your own ordinary routines can hold similar sacred potential when offered with a willing heart.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ baking tray1×
- and/ to the/ baked cake1×
- a baking tray1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַחֲבַ֑ת1×
- וְ/לַֽ/מַּחֲבַ֖ת1×
- הַֽ/מַּחֲבַ֖ת1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 2:5
If your offering is a meal offering made on a griddle, it shall be of unleavened fine flour, mixed with oil.
This verse defines the specific preparation method for a meal offering, requiring unleavened flour mixed with oil on the flat surface.
-
Leviticus 7:9
Every meal offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is prepared in the pan and on the griddle, shall be the priest’s who offers it.
It distinguishes offerings cooked on a griddle from those baked in an oven, assigning them to the priest as part of the ritual system.