### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻûwg**, represented by `{{H5746}}`, is a primitive root verb meaning **to bake**. Its definition suggests it is derived from the word for a round cake, `{{H5692}}`, and is connected to the idea of gyration or making something round. This highly specific term appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the entire Bible, making its single usage particularly significant.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H5746}}` is found in a stark prophetic command to Ezekiel. As a symbolic act representing the coming siege of Jerusalem, the prophet is instructed on how he will prepare his food: "And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt **bake** it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight" [[Ezekiel 4:12]]. In this context, the simple act of baking is transformed into a sign of extreme hardship and defilement.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a broader context for the action and object involved:
* `{{H5692}}` **ʻuggâh** (cake): As the root from which `{{H5746}}` is derived, this word refers to "an ash-cake (as round); cake (upon the hearth)." It appears in various contexts, from Abraham's instruction to Sarah to quickly make **cakes** for his guests [[Genesis 18:6]] to the prophet Hosea describing Ephraim as "a **cake** not turned" [[Hosea 7:8]].
* `{{H398}}` **ʼâkal** (to eat): This verb is used directly alongside `{{H5746}}` in its only occurrence, as Ezekiel is commanded to **eat** the cake he bakes [[Ezekiel 4:12]]. The word **eat** appears throughout Scripture in both literal and figurative ways, such as the command not to **eat** from the tree of knowledge [[Genesis 2:17]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H5746}}` is concentrated entirely in its single, dramatic appearance. Its significance is not in its frequency but in its powerful contextual meaning.
* **Symbol of Judgment:** The act of baking is used here to illustrate divine judgment. The prescribed method—using human dung for fuel—was a shocking symbol of the defilement and desperation the people of Israel would experience in exile.
* **Prophetic Sign-Act:** The use of `{{H5746}}` is part of a "sign-act," where a prophet's physical actions serve as a living parable. Ezekiel's baking demonstrates the severity of the conditions that will befall the nation.
* **Defilement and Uncleanness:** The context directly addresses the laws of purity. Baking food over a defiling substance was meant to show that the Israelites would be forced to eat unclean food among the nations they were exiled to.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H5746}}` is a rare biblical word whose meaning is defined by its singular, intense context. While its base definition is a simple domestic action, "to bake," its use in Ezekiel transforms it into a profound symbol of judgment, hardship, and ceremonial defilement. Its relationship with the more common word for cake, `{{H5692}}`, highlights how scripture can take an ordinary concept and invest it with powerful theological importance in a single moment.
TRV