עֻגָּה
𐤏𐤂𐤄
ʻuggâh
H5692 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Small, round cake of bread baked on hot stones or in ashes, commonly made from simple dough. The term denotes a basic flatbread, typically circular in shape, prepared for everyday consumption or for travel provisions. The semantic range includes flat cakes of bread, cakes offered to guests, or food used as sustenance by travelers.
Semantic Range
round flatbread, ash-baked cake, bread-cake, unleavened bread suitable for quick preparation or travel, simple food provision
Root / Etymology
From the root עוג (ע-ו-ג), meaning 'to be round, to circle,' reflecting the typical shape of the bread. The lexical item עֻגָּה is a feminine noun formed from this root, emphasizing its roundness and baked form.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, עֻגָּה refers to a modest, unleavened flatbread, often baked on heated stones or in ashes, rather than in a constructed oven. It appears in narratives depicting simple fare offered to guests (Genesis 18:6), provisions for travelers (1 Kings 17:12-13), or as a staple food item in times of scarcity. The preparation was generally quick and suitable for nomadic or agrarian lifestyles. In later Hebrew and post-biblical periods, the word's usage expanded to a wider variety of cakes and pastries, but in the Hebrew Bible, it retains its basic sense of 'round bread.' Unlike חַלָּה (ḥallah), which refers to a more elaborate loaf often set apart for ritual use, עֻגָּה is an everyday food. English translations as 'cake' may mislead, since in modern English 'cake' typically suggests a sweet, leavened dessert; the biblical עֻגָּה was a plain bread. No religious or ritual connotation is inherently present in the biblical usage of this term.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from עוּג; an ash-cake (as round); cake (upon the hearth).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עוג (ʿ-w-g) — to be round, to circle, to make round
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4580 | מָעוֹג | round bread-loaf |
| H5746 | עוּג | you shall bake her as a round cake |
| H5747 | עוֹג | Og |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5692-03 |
עֻגֽוֹת | ugot | HNcfpa |
cakes | round bread-cakes | 3 | |
H5692-01 |
עֻגָ֨ה | ugah | HNcfsa |
a-cake | round bread-cake | 2 | |
H5692-02 |
עֻגַ֥ת | ugat | HNcfsc |
a cake | round flatbread of | 1 | |
H5692-04 |
וְ/עֻגַ֥ת | veugat | HC/Ncfsc |
and-a-cake | and round flatbread of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5692-03 |
Genesis 18:6 | עֻגֽוֹת | ugot | HNcfpa |
cakes | round bread-cakes | |
H5692-03 |
Exodus 12:39 | עֻגֹ֥ת | ugot | HNcfpa |
cakes | round bread-cakes | |
H5692-03 |
Numbers 11:8 | עֻג֑וֹת | ugot | HNcfpa |
cakes | round bread-cakes | |
H5692-01 |
1 Kings 17:13 | עֻגָ֨ה | ugah | HNcfsa |
cake | round bread-cake | |
H5692-02 |
1 Kings 19:6 | עֻגַ֥ת | ugat | HNcfsc |
a cake | round flatbread of | |
H5692-04 |
Ezekiel 4:12 | וְ/עֻגַ֥ת | veugat | HC/Ncfsc |
and-a-cake | and round flatbread of | |
H5692-01 |
Hosea 7:8 | עֻגָ֖ה | ugah | HNcfsa |
a-cake | round bread-cake |