Loaf
Loaf
(properly כַּכָּר, kikkar', a circle, in the phrase כַּכָּר לֶחֶם, a round of bread, i.e., circular cake, being the form of Oriental bread, or rather biscuit, Ex 29:23; Jg 8:5; 1Sa 10:3; 1Ch 16:3; rendered "piece" or "morsel" of bread in Pr 6:26; Jer 37:21; 1Sa 2:26; sometimes simply לֶחֶם, le'chem, bread, Le 23:17; 1Sa 17:17; 1Sa 25:18; 1Ki 14:3; 2Ki 4:42; and so likewise the Greek ἄρτος, bread, espec. in the plural, Mt 14:17,19; Mt 15:34,36; Mt 16:9-10; Mr 6:38,41,44,52; Mr 8:5-6,14,19; Lu 9:13,16; Lu 11:5; Joh 6:9,11,13,26), a round cake, the usual form of bread among the ancients. SEE SHEW- BREAD. The bread of the Jews was either in small loaves, or else in broad and thick cakes, as is the present custom in the East. Bread was always broken into such portions as were required, and distributed by the master of the family. SEE BREAD.
The word חִלָּה, challah', "cake" (2Sa 6:19), often refers to a cake of oblation (Ex 29:23; Le 8:26; Nu 6:15; etc.), from the root חָלִל, chalal, to pierce through, because they were pricked, as among the Arabians and Jews of the present day. We also find, on the paintings in the monuments of Egypt, representations of offerings of cakes pricked. SEE CAKE.
The two wave loaves mentioned in Le 23:17 are called in Hebrew לֶחֶם תּנוּפָה, le'chem temphah', signifying the act of waving or moving to and fro before Jehovah, a ceremony observed in the consecration of offerings; hence applied as a name to anything consecrated in this manner. SEE OFFERING.
