H1690 H1690
a cake or lump of pressed dried figs
A specific term for a compressed cake of dried figs, an important provision food in ancient Israel. These fig cakes served both as travel rations and as a medicinal poultice. Abigail packed two hundred fig cakes among her provisions for David's men (1 Sam 25:18), and a revived Egyptian slave was given a piece of fig cake to restore his strength (1 Sam 30:12). In a famous therapeutic application, Isaiah prescribed a fig cake poultice for King Hezekiah's boil (2 Kgs 20:7; Isa 38:21). The Greek equivalent palatha and Aramaic devilta confirm fig pressing as a widespread Near Eastern food technology.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A pressed cake of dried figs, used as a food provision and medicinal application. Served as portable rations (1 Sam 25:18; 30:12; 1 Chr 12:40) and as a healing poultice applied to Hezekiah's boil (2 Kgs 20:7 = Isa 38:21). Spanish 'torta de higos' (fig cake) and French 'cake de' reflect the compressed-food sense. Cognate with Arabic dubla (lump, mouthful) and Greek palatha, pointing to a common Near Eastern preparation. 5×
AR["تينٍ", "تِينًا", "قُرصِ-تينٍ", "قُرْصَ", "قُرْصَةَ"]·ben["ডুমুরের", "ডুমুরের-তাল", "ডুমুরের-পিণ্ড", "পিণ্ড"]·DE["[דבלים]", "[דבלת]", "cake-von", "fig-cake", "fig-cakes"]·EN["a-lump", "cake-of", "fig-cake", "fig-cakes"]·FR["[דבלים]", "[דבלת]", "cake-de", "fig-cake", "fig-cakes"]·heb["דבלה", "דבלים", "דבלת"]·HI["अंजीर-की-टिकियाँ", "अनजेएर-कि-तिकि-क", "पिंड", "लेई"]·ID["gumpalan", "kue", "kue-ara", "kue-kue-ara"]·IT["[דבלים]", "[דבלת]", "fig-focacce", "fig-focaccia", "focaccia-di"]·jav["buwah-ara-gepeng", "gepakan", "tempelan", "woh-ara"]·KO["덩어리", "덩어리를", "무화과떡들", "무화과를", "무화과의"]·PT["bolo-de-figos", "bolos-de-figos", "pasta-de"]·RU["лепёшки-из-смокв", "лепёшку", "смоквы", "смоковниц-прессованных"]·ES["masa", "torta-de", "torta-de-higos", "tortas-de-higos"]·SW["maandazi-ya-tini", "mkate"]·TR["incir-keki", "incir-kekleri", "kekini", "kekinizi-"]·urd["انجیر-کا", "انجیر-کی-ٹکیاں", "ٹکیا"]
Related Senses
H3754 1. vineyard, cultivated grape plot (92×)H0730 1. cedar tree or wood (73×)H1612 1. vine, grapevine (55×)H3293a 1. forest, wood, thicket (55×)H5560 1. fine flour (53×)H5193 1. plant vegetation (48×)H2232 1. sow seed, plant crops (41×)H1715 1. grain, cereal crop (40×)H7114b 1. reap, harvest grain (36×)H2132 1. olive tree (34×)H8184 1. barley (34×)H2406 1. wheat (grain crop) (30×)H7070 1. reed, cane (plant) (30×)H7848 1. acacia (28×)H8328 1. root of a plant (28×)H8384 1. fig tree (25×)H5488 1. reeds, rushes (in 'Sea of Reeds') (24×)G0290 1. a vineyard (23×)G2325 1. reap, harvest a crop (21×)G4687 1. sow seed, plant (21×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† דְּבֵלָה n.f. lump of pressed figs, pressed (fig-) cake (NH דְּבֵילָה, Aramaic id., ܕܒܶܠܬܳܐ, = Greek παλάθη; Arabic دُبْلَةٌ lump, large gobbet or mouthful; cf. Assyrian dublu, foundation, & Heb. synon. אֲשִׁישָׁה Dl HA 58)—דְּבֵלָה 1 S 30:12; cstr. דְּבֶלֶת 2 K 20:7 = Is 38:21; pl. דְּבֵלִים 1 S 25:18 1 Ch 12:41;—used as food 1 S 25:18; 30:12; 1 Ch 12:41 דְּבֶלֶת תְּאֵנִים, as application to boil, or eruption 2 K 20:7 = Is 38:21.