### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **bâtsêq**, represented by `{{H1217}}`, is a term for **dough** or **flour**. It appears 5 times across 5 unique verses in the Bible. The definition specifies it as dough that is "swelling by fermentation," highlighting the process of leavening as central to its meaning.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H1217}}` is most prominently featured in the account of the Exodus. The Israelites took their **dough** before it was leavened [[Exodus 12:34]] and later baked unleavened cakes from this **dough** because their hasty departure from Egypt meant it was not leavened [[Exodus 12:39]]. The word is also translated as **flour**, as seen when Tamar took **flour** to knead and make cakes for her brother Amnon [[2 Samuel 13:8]]. In a prophetic context, the women of Jerusalem are described as kneading **dough** for idolatrous worship [[Jeremiah 7:18]], and Hosea uses the term metaphorically, comparing adulterers to a baker who waits for the **dough** to be leavened [[Hosea 7:4]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words describe the process of preparing bread from **bâtsêq**:
* `{{H3888}}` **lûwsh** (to knead): This action is directly associated with preparing dough. Women are described as they **knead** their dough for idolatry [[Jeremiah 7:18]], and Tamar is shown to **knead** flour to make cakes [[2 Samuel 13:8]].
* `{{H2556}}` **châmêts** (leavened): This word describes the state of the dough, meaning fermented or soured. The Israelites' dough was "not **leavened**" during the Exodus [[Exodus 12:39]], and they carried it "before it was **leavened**" [[Exodus 12:34]].
* `{{H644}}` **ʼâphâh** (to bake): This is the final step in processing the dough. The Israelites **baked** unleavened cakes from their dough [[Exodus 12:39]], and Hosea refers to a **baker** who lets the dough become leavened [[Hosea 7:4]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H1217}}` is tied to its state of being leavened or unleavened.
* **Symbol of Urgency and Deliverance:** In the Exodus, the unleavened state of the **dough** is a direct result of the haste with which Israel left Egypt. It symbolizes God's sudden deliverance, which did not allow time for natural processes like fermentation [[Exodus 12:39]].
* **Metaphor for Moral State:** The process of dough becoming leavened is used metaphorically. Hosea compares the persistent sin of adulterers to a baker waiting for the **dough** to become leavened, suggesting a state of unaddressed corruption [[Hosea 7:4]].
* **Instrument of Idolatry:** The act of preparing **dough** is also depicted in a profane context. The women of Judah used it to make cakes for "the queen of heaven," turning a common domestic task into an act of provocation against God [[Jeremiah 7:18]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H1217}}` is more than just a culinary ingredient. While it literally refers to **dough** or **flour**, its biblical usage gives it significant symbolic weight. It represents the urgency of God's deliverance in the Exodus narrative [[Exodus 12:34]], serves as a metaphor for unchecked sin [[Hosea 7:4]], and is used as an element in both domestic life and idolatrous rituals [[Jeremiah 7:18]]. The state of the **bâtsêq**—whether leavened or unleavened—often reflects the spiritual condition or circumstances of the people involved.
TRV