H3834 H3834
cakes, heart-shaped cakes or pancakes
A type of cake or pastry, possibly heart-shaped (related to לֵבָב, heart) or pan-fried. The term appears only in the narrative of Amnon's feigned illness, where he requests that Tamar prepare these special cakes in his sight. The detail contributes to the story's tragic tension—domestic, intimate food preparation becomes the setting for violence. The cakes' specific preparation 'before his eyes' suggests they required visible, skilled technique.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Second Samuel 13:6, 8, 10 recount Amnon's request for לְבִבוֹת and Tamar's preparation of them. Verse 8 describes her process: 'she took dough, kneaded it, made cakes (לְבִבוֹת) before his eyes, and baked the cakes.' The repetition emphasizes both the specificity of Amnon's request and Tamar's careful compliance. The root connection to 'heart' may indicate shape, or perhaps 'hearty/nourishing' cakes. Translations often render 'cakes' generically (Spanish 'tortas'), though some specify 'heart-cakes' or 'dumplings.' 3×
AR["الكَعكاتِ", "عَلى شَكلِ قَلبٍ"]·ben["পিঠা", "পিঠাগুলো"]·DE["cakes", "der-cakes"]·EN["cakes", "the-cakes"]·FR["cakes", "le-cakes"]·heb["ה-לביבות", "לביבות"]·HI["रोटियाँ", "रोटियों"]·ID["kue", "kue-kue"]·IT["focacce", "il-focacce"]·jav["roti-jantung", "sang-roti-jantung"]·KO["과자를", "그-과자들을"]·PT["bolos", "os-bolos"]·RU["-лепёшки", "лепёшки"]·ES["las-tortas", "tortas"]·SW["mikate"]·TR["kek", "kekleri"]·urd["کیکیں"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [לְבִבָה] n.pl. cakes (prob. pancakes, from shape?) לְבִבוֹת 2 S 13:6, 8, 10.