מַרְחֶ֫שֶׁת (mar.che.shet)
mar.che.shet
pan
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun marḥeshet refers to a cooking vessel, specifically a shallow pan or saucepan used for frying or stewing. In the Hebrew Bible, this term appears only twice, both within the detailed instructions of Leviticus 1:9 and 8:25 regarding sacrificial rituals. It denotes the specific metal or clay container in which parts of the offering were cooked before being presented to God.
Its limited usage highlights the precision required in ancient worship practices. The text distinguishes this pan from other kitchenware by linking it directly to the preparation of meat offerings. Translators typically render it as "frying pan" or "stew pan," reflecting its function in heating food over a fire. This concrete object reminds readers that biblical rituals involved tangible, everyday items handled with care.
The word underscores the physical nature of Old Testament worship, where material objects played a central role in mediating divine presence. By specifying the type of vessel used, the text emphasizes obedience to detail in religious observance. Such specificity invites reflection on how ordinary tools were sanctified for holy purposes in ancient Israelite society.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word marḥeshet refers to a shallow pan used for frying or stewing, appearing only twice in the Hebrew Bible within Leviticus. These brief mentions highlight how ordinary kitchen tools were sanctified for holy purposes in ancient Israelite society. By specifying the exact vessel for preparing meat offerings, the text underscores the precision required in worship practices.
This concrete object reminds us that biblical rituals involved tangible items handled with care. The physical nature of Old Testament worship shows that material objects played a central role in mediating divine presence. Such specificity invites reflection on how everyday tools could be set apart for sacred use, bridging the gap between the mundane and the holy.
For your faith today, this detail encourages you to see your own daily tasks as potential acts of worship. Just as the pan was used with care in the temple, your ordinary life can be offered to God with intentionality and reverence.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in <the>/ baking pan1×
- a baking pan1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַרְחֶ֖שֶׁת1×
- בַ/מַּרְחֶ֖שֶׁת1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 2:7
If your offering is a meal offering of the pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
This verse specifies that a meal offering made of fine flour with oil must be prepared in the pan, highlighting the vessel's role in specific sacrificial rituals.
-
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.
Here, the text distinguishes between offerings baked in an oven and those prepared in the pan or on a griddle, assigning all such meal offerings to the priest.