### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **qallachath**, represented by `{{H7037}}`, refers to a **kettle** or **caldron**. It appears only **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in the Bible. This term is used to describe a large pot for cooking or boiling.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical appearances, `{{H7037}}` is used in contexts of corruption and injustice. In Micah, it is used in a powerful metaphor for the oppression of God's people by their leaders, who "eat the flesh of my people" and "chop them in pieces...as flesh within the **caldron**" [[Micah 3:3]]. It is also listed among the vessels at Shiloh where the priests' servants would improperly take portions of the sacrifices for themselves, striking a fleshhook into the pan, kettle, or **caldron** [[1 Samuel 2:14]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several other Hebrew words for cooking vessels appear alongside or in similar contexts to `{{H7037}}`, providing a broader picture of their use:
* `{{H1731}}` **dûwd** (kettle): This word for a pot or kettle is used with `{{H7037}}` in the list of vessels at Shiloh [[1 Samuel 2:14]]. It can also refer to a basket, such as one holding good or naughty figs [[Jeremiah 24:2]].
* `{{H5518}}` **çîyr** (pot): Used in Micah’s prophecy alongside the caldron [[Micah 3:3]], this term for a pot is also central to Ezekiel's parable of the "bloody city," which is likened to a pot whose scum has not been removed [[Ezekiel 24:6]].
* `{{H3595}}` **kîyôwr** (pan): This term for a round vessel, such as a pan or caldron, is mentioned at Shiloh [[1 Samuel 2:14]]. It is also used to describe the sacred lavers made of brass for the tabernacle and temple ([[Exodus 30:18]], [[1 Kings 7:38]]).
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H7037}}` is tied to its use as a symbol of severe moral and spiritual failure.
* **Symbol of Dehumanizing Oppression:** The caldron in Micah serves as a horrific image of how corrupt leaders figuratively dismember and consume the people they are supposed to protect, highlighting a complete breakdown of justice [[Micah 3:3]].
* **Instrument of Religious Corruption:** In 1 Samuel, the caldron is an accessory to the greed of the priests' sons, who defile the sacrificial system. Its presence in this narrative underscores the theme of profane behavior within a sacred setting [[1 Samuel 2:14]].
* **Vessel of Judgment:** The imagery of flesh being boiled in a caldron connects to the broader prophetic theme where pots and caldrons represent a nation or city being subjected to God's fiery judgment for its sins, as seen with the related word `{{H5518}}` in Ezekiel's prophecy against Jerusalem [[Ezekiel 24:3]].
### Summary
In summary, though it is a rare word, `{{H7037}}` **qallachath** carries significant weight. It is more than a simple cooking pot; in its scriptural context, it functions as a powerful and grim symbol. It is used exclusively to illustrate profound spiritual decay, whether through the violent injustice of civil leaders or the selfish corruption of religious ones.
TRV