The Hebrew word pârûwr, represented by H6517, is a term for a pan or pot. Derived from a root verb meaning to spread out, it describes a skillet that could be either flat or deep. It appears 3 times across 3 unique verses, consistently referring to a vessel used for preparing food.
In its biblical usage, H6517 is always associated with the preparation of meals, both for sustenance and for offerings. The Israelites in the wilderness used pans to bake the manna God had provided into cakes Numbers 11:8. In another instance, Gideon prepared a meal for the angel of the Lord, placing the broth from a kid into a pot Judges 6:19. The term is also used in the context of the sanctuary at Shiloh, where a priest's servant would take portions of sacrificial meat from a pan, kettle, caldron, or pot 1 Samuel 2:14.
Several related words help clarify the context of cooking and food preparation surrounding H6517:
- H1310 bâshal (bake, boil, seethe): This verb describes the action performed with the cookware. In Numbers 11:8, the Israelites gathered manna and baked it in pans.
- H4085 mᵉdôkâh (mortar): This tool was used to prepare the manna by beating it before it was baked in the pans Numbers 11:8, representing a preliminary step in food processing.
- H5692 ʻuggâh (cake): This is the final product made from manna that was baked in the H6517 pans in the wilderness Numbers 11:8.
- H1731 dûwd (kettle, pot): This word appears alongside pot H6517 in the list of cooking vessels at Shiloh from which the priests took their portion of the offerings 1 Samuel 2:14.
- H3595 kîyôwr (pan, laver): Also listed with H6517 at Shiloh, this term for a pan further specifies the types of vessels used in a ritual setting 1 Samuel 2:14.
The significance of H6517 is tied to its role in sustenance and sacred service.
- Preparation of Divine Provision: The use of pans to prepare manna connects this everyday utensil to the miraculous sustenance God provided for Israel in the desert Numbers 11:8.
- Vessel for Sacred Offerings: The pot is used by Gideon to present a meal to a divine messenger Judges 6:19. It is also one of the vessels holding consecrated meat at the tabernacle in Shiloh, directly linking it to the sacrificial system 1 Samuel 2:14.
- A Bridge Between the Mundane and the Holy: The object itself is a common pot, yet it is used in both daily life (preparing manna) and in holy contexts (Gideon's offering and the priestly duties at Shiloh), demonstrating how ordinary items were integrated into Israel's worship and relationship with God.
In summary, H6517 refers to a specific type of cooking pan or pot. Though its usage is rare, it consistently appears in contexts of preparing food. These occurrences bridge the gap between daily sustenance and sacred ritual, illustrating its use in baking the God-given manna for the people Numbers 11:8, holding a meal for a divine being Judges 6:19, and containing portions of holy sacrifices for the priesthood 1 Samuel 2:14.
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