Original Word: מַאֲפֶה
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ma'apheh
Pronunciation: mah-ah-FEH
Phonetic Spelling: (mah-af-eh')
KJV: baken
NASB: baked
Word Origin: [from H644 (אָפָה - baked)]

1. something baked, i.e. a batch

something baked

From 'aphah; something baked, i.e. A batch:

see HEBREW 'aphah

Word Origin
from aphah
Definition
something baked
NASB Translation
baked (1).

מַאֲפֶה noun [masculine] thing baked, construct מִנְחָה מַאֲפֵה תַנּוּר Leviticus 2:4.

Primary Scriptural Occurrence

The word appears once, in Leviticus 2:4, where the LORD instructs Moses about a grain offering “baked in an oven”. There it designates the finished, oven-baked portion of the tribute offering (minchah) that an Israelite might present at the tabernacle.

Historical Background of Oven-Baked Grain Offerings

In the Ancient Near East, communal ovens were a central fixture of village life. Israelite households typically used beehive-shaped clay tannur ovens set outside the dwelling, allowing high, even heat ideal for flatbreads. Bringing such a baked item to the sanctuary linked everyday sustenance with worship, reminding worshipers that all provision ultimately came from the covenant God.

Liturgical Role within the Sacrificial System

The grain offering was never presented alone; it complemented the burnt offering (Leviticus 6:14-18). When a worshiper chose the oven-baked variety, only a memorial handful mixed with oil and frankincense was burned on the altar; the remainder went to the priests as holy food, “most holy, like the sin offering and like the guilt offering” (Leviticus 6:17-18). Thus מַאֲפֶה became both a fragrant offering to God and daily bread for His ministers, weaving together divine honor and priestly provision.

Symbolic and Theological Dimensions

1. Unleavened purity: Leviticus 2:4 specifies that the cakes must be “unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil.” Scripture consistently treats leaven as an emblem of corruption (Exodus 12:15; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8). The unleavened מַאֲפֶה vividly portrayed moral purity.
2. Oil of anointing: The command to mix and spread oil prefigures the sanctifying work of the Spirit (Isaiah 61:1; Acts 10:38).
3. Memorial fragrance: When burned, a portion became “an aroma pleasing to the LORD” (Leviticus 2:2), declaring that wholehearted, Spirit-filled devotion delights God.

Christological Foreshadowing

As the sinless “bread of life” (John 6:35) Jesus fulfills every aspect of the grain offering. The absence of leaven anticipates His stainless nature; the mingled oil points to His Spirit-anointed ministry; the oven’s heat hints at the suffering that perfected His obedience (Hebrews 5:8-9). The priestly consumption of what remained anticipates believers feeding on Christ in fellowship (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Worship and work: Since מַאֲפֶה began in an ordinary kitchen, believers today are encouraged to consecrate routine labor as an act of worship (Colossians 3:17).
• Holiness without ostentation: The offering used common ingredients—fine flour, oil, salt—showing that humble, uncomplicated obedience pleases God more than extravagant display (Micah 6:8).
• Shared provision: Just as priests lived on the people’s מַאֲפֶה, congregations are called to support those who labor in Word and doctrine (1 Timothy 5:17-18).
• Community remembrance: The “memorial portion” concept challenges churches to cultivate tangible practices—like the Lord’s Supper—that continually recall Christ’s offering and sustain unity (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Summary

Though appearing only once, מַאֲפֶה richly illustrates how everyday bread, offered in purity and anointed by oil, becomes a fragrant testimony of thanksgiving, anticipates the perfect self-giving of Christ, and calls God’s people to lives of consecrated service and communal care.

מַאֲפֵ֣ה מאפה ma’ăp̄êh ma·’ă·p̄êh maaPehInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts